Federal Association of Clubs and Volunteers

What Federal Association of Clubs and Volunteers does

The Bundesverband der Vereine und des Ehrenamtes e.V. (bvve) is a non-profit cross-sector umbrella federation founded in 2016 and headquartered in Konstanz, Germany. It positions itself as the central advocacy, advisory, and educational organization for approximately 620,000 German clubs and voluntary organizations spanning sports, art, culture, recreation, and social welfare, collectively representing 50 million members and 30 million volunteers. Its core service pillars are: (1) consulting on data protection, digitalization, and constitutional law; (2) direct assumption of the external data protection officer role under Article 37 DSGVO and §38 BDSG; (3) the bvve-Akademie training platform delivering seminars, workshops, and certification courses; and (4) political lobbying on behalf of the third sector.

The organization's technological core is the Digitales Vereinsheim (DTVH), a cloud-based association management platform built on Nextcloud infrastructure and hosted on German servers within the bvve.cloud environment. Each member club receives a personalized subdomain with 50 GB of DSGVO-compliant storage, plus integrated document management, calendar/event planning, contact management, email communication, video conferencing (TALK), and project management. Supplementary products include a comprehensive 500+ page DSGVO workbook, a 96-page day seminar handbook, and the bvve-Mediathek digital library containing over 1,560 seminar video minutes and 1,100+ pages of educational scripts. The bvve operates a subsidiary publishing arm, bvve-Medien GmbH, for physical and digital publication distribution.

Commercially, the bvve generates revenue through membership dues, paid seminar and workshop fees (ranging from €15 per impulse lecture to €890 per intensive workshop), publication sales, and corporate sponsorships (notably from Autohaus Bayerngarage GmbH and GADE GmbH). Distribution is hybrid: in-person seminars across more than 12 German cities, online Zoom workshops, and self-serve access via the bvve-Mediathek. The 'Fit-im-Ehrenamt' funding program provides subsidized access to financially constrained clubs. The organization is led by President Hans-Jürgen Schwarz and governed as a non-profit registered association with no external investment, PE/VC backing, or parent company.

Name

Federal Association of Clubs and Volunteers

Legal name

Bundesverband der Vereine und des Ehrenamtes e.V.

Website

https://bundesverband.bvve.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Bundesverband der Vereine und des Ehrenamtes e.V. (bvve) is a German non-profit umbrella federation, founded in 2016 and based in Konstanz, serving approximately 620,000 clubs and voluntary organizations across sports, culture, recreation, and social welfare through GDPR compliance consulting, the Digitales Vereinsheim cloud platform, and certification training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit association services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Cloud Compliance, Audit & Continuous Controls Monitoring (CCM/GRC) (HDABAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate/L&D Course Licensing from Creators (B2B Upskilling) (MPACALAH)

Keywords

• Nonprofit association services
• Volunteer organization support
• GDPR compliance training
• Club management consulting
• Association education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Konstanz

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Seminar and Workshop Fees: Revenue from paid educational programs including online workshops, intensive seminars, certification courses, and in-person training sessions. Pricing ranges from €15 per participant for impulse lectures to €890 per association for intensive workshops.
2. Publication Sales: Sale of specialized handbooks and workbooks including the DSGVO Handbook (500+ pages, €79) and Tagesseminar Handbook (96 pages, €24.90) published through bvve-Medien GmbH.
3. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from clubs, associations, NPOs, and volunteer organizations that join the federal association for advocacy, support, and access to resources.
4. Sponsorships and Donations: Support from corporate sponsors (Autohaus Bayerngarage GmbH) and donors through the 'Fit-im-Ehrenamt' funding program, providing subsidies for clubs with limited financial resources to access bvve services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The bvve is a non-profit umbrella federation providing cross-sector advisory and consulting services, GDPR/DSGVO compliance support, training and certification through the bvve-Akademie, and a cloud-based club management platform (Digitales Vereinsheim) for German clubs, associations, foundations, and voluntary organizations. It combines advocacy and lobbying with paid educational programs, handbooks, and a DSGVO-compliant Nextcloud-based digital association home offering 50 GB of cloud storage per member club.

Product overview

The Federal Association of Clubs and Volunteers (bvve e.V.) operates as a comprehensive service organization for German associations and voluntary organizations, offering a unified platform architecture centered on the 'Digitales Vereinsheim' cloud-based management system. The product portfolio integrates the core Digitales Vereinsheim platform (built on Nextcloud) with the bvve-Akademie educational services and the Verein 4.0 modernization concept. Educational offerings include specialized training modules for GDPR compliance (DSB certification, DSGVO-Checkup, Beschäftigten-Schulung), governance (Satzung 4.0 workshops), and organizational sustainability (Nachfolgefindung workshops). Supplementary resources include the comprehensive DSGVO Handbook (500+ pages) and Day Seminar Handbook (96 pages), all designed for practical application in association management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Verein 4.0: Initiative for club development and digitalization, encompassing topics such as succession planning, DSGVO compliance, digital club home, and lean bylaws.
• Digitales Vereinsheim (DTVH)
• Fit im Ehrenamt

Products and services

• Digitales Vereinsheim (DTVH)
• Datenschutzbeauftragter Ausbildung (Data Protection Officer Certification)
• DSGVO-Checkup Workshop
• Beschäftigten-Schulung Datenschutz (Employee Data Protection Training)
• Satzung 4.0 Workshop (Constitution Modernization Workshop)
• Nachfolgefindung Workshop (Succession Planning Workshop)
• Das große Arbeitshandbuch DSGVO (Comprehensive DSGVO Workbook)
• Handbuch Tagesseminar DSGVO (Day Seminar Handbook)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 250 events and 10,000+ participants trained on GDPR compliance through bvve programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered supportive, core and minor.

• Autohaus Bayerngarage GmbHsupportiveOthersLong-term supporter of the Bundesverband der Vereine und des Ehrenamtes e.V., providing automotive services and sponsorship. Bavaria Garage supports bvve members with special automotive configuration options and has been backing the association for years.
• GADE Gesellschaft für angewandten Datenschutz in EuropacoreTechnology or IntegrationGADE provides data protection expertise and serves as a co-sponsor and supporter of bvve. The partnership involves educational content collaboration, with GADE sponsoring the DSGVO seminar series and training materials. GADE provides in-house legal counsel for data protection matters.
• RADIO OldtimerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNew cooperation partner of bvve, representing a classic radio enthusiast community that aligns with the association's recreational club sector focus.
• Stadt Konstanz (City of Konstanz)coreOthersThe city of Konstanz provides exemplary support for volunteer engagement by covering costs for participating clubs at local seminars. The city collaborates with VHS-Konstanz to enable free participation in data protection lectures for local associations.
• VHS-Konstanz (Adult Education Center)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership with Volkshochschule Konstanz to deliver educational lectures on data protection and association management. Enables free or subsidized participation for local clubs in professional development programs.
• VHS WeingartensupportiveChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVolkshochschule Weingarten supports association education through local seminar hosting and promotional support for bvve training programs in the region.
• Various Cities, Municipalities, Universities, and SchoolssupportiveOthersBvve conducts seminars and workshops in partnership with cities, municipalities, universities, and schools across Germany, enabling regional access to professional development resources for local associations and clubs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag (DIHK): Umbrella for Germany's 79 chambers of commerce (IHKs) representing member businesses. Comparable structure as a national chamber/association federation, though serving commercial rather than nonprofit members.

Direct peers

• Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund (DOSB): Germany's national Olympic umbrella federation for ~90,000 sports clubs. Directly comparable as a national club-federation with advocacy, training, and digital member services for member associations.
• Glue Up: All-in-one association management cloud platform with membership, events, and CRM modules. Comparable SaaS offering to Digitales Vereinsheim targeting associations and chambers.
• Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (DRK): German Red Cross national society with ~5,000 local chapters operating as registered clubs. Comparable volunteer-driven association structure and member services for affiliated clubs.
• Deutscher Caritasverband: Largest German welfare federation representing Catholic social service organizations. Comparable as a German umbrella association providing consulting, training, and member services to affiliated clubs/NPOs.
• MemberClicks: Association management software for small-staff associations and member-based organizations. Comparable member database, event, and communication functionality as bvve's platform.
• Wild Apricot: Cloud-based membership and association management software serving clubs and NPOs globally. Comparable technology layer (cloud platform for association management) overlapping with bvve's Digitales Vereinsheim.
• Diakonie Deutschland: Protestant social welfare federation in Germany. Comparable umbrella association serving affiliated welfare clubs and voluntary organizations with advocacy and member services.
• Bundesnetzwerk Bürgerschaftliches Engagement (BBE): National network for civic engagement in Germany, connecting civil society organizations across sectors. Comparable cross-sector umbrella structure and advocacy mission aligned with bvve.
• ClubExpress: Club and association management platform offering websites, member directories, events, and billing. Comparable feature set for hobby and recreation clubs, overlapping with bvve's recreation/leisure segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bundesverband-der-vereine-und-des-ehrenamtes-e.v.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Federal Association of Clubs and Volunteers