What Dreilinden does

Dreilinden gGmbH is a Hamburg-based non-profit foundation (gemeinnützige GmbH) that supports social acceptance of gender and sexual diversity through grants and impact investments. Founded by Ise Bosch, the foundation funds LGBTQI+ and feminist civil society organizations primarily in the Global South and East, targeting populations whose sexual orientation, gender identity, expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) do not conform to social norms as well as women and girls subject to multiple forms of discrimination. The organization explicitly focuses on the gender aspect of systems of power and pursues intersections between gender diversity and anti-racist, anti-classist work. Dreilinden approaches potential partners proactively and does not process unsolicited applications.

The organization's service portfolio comprises: (1) a Grants Program providing one-year and multi-year core support that grantees can deploy against their own priorities; (2) Social Investments including Queer Lens Investments (loans and equity for LGBTQI+ enterprises), socially oriented investment funds, microfinance funds, and sustainable real estate funds; (3) a Property Purchase Support program, including the Ripple Effects Framework evaluation tool co-developed with Wellspring Philanthropic Fund; (4) the annual Rainbow Philanthropy Conference series (most recent edition: 'Sport Disrupted: Sex_uality Matters', the 10th iteration); (5) the periodic Queer Lens Investing (QLI) Newsletter; and (6) research publications including the longitudinal Rainbow Philanthropy monitoring studies on German LGBTQI funding flows. The underlying technology is a standard web-based platform for publishing content, managing grants, and sharing resources, with no proprietary technology disclosed and no AI/ML capabilities evident.

Dreilinden's business model is philanthropic rather than commercial. The foundation deploys founder capital and returns from a diversified investment portfolio — including impact investments, shares and bonds, queer lens investments, socially oriented funds, microfinance funds, and sustainable real estate — to fund grant commitments and operations. It charges no fees for grantmaking or investment services, has no traditional revenue model, and is governed by a three-member Investment Committee (Stefan Bollier, Susanne Grossmann, Antje Schneeweiss) advised by Proventus AG in Zurich. The organization operates globally across Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, with concentrated activity in markets where LGBTIQ+ and feminist civil society is under-resourced.

Name

Dreilinden

Legal name

Dreilinden gGmbH

Website

https://en.dreilinden.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Dreilinden gGmbH is a Hamburg-based non-profit foundation that supports social acceptance of gender and sexual diversity through grants and impact investments, serving LGBTQI+ and feminist civil society organizations primarily in the Global South and East.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Grantmaking

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Impact investing
• LGBTQ rights funding
• Feminist philanthropy
• Transformative philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Capital Deployment: Dreilinden operates as a non-profit that deploys founder capital and investment returns to fund grants. The investment of capital aims to produce consistent returns to meet all grant commitments and guarantee operations. Impact investments include queer lens investments, socially oriented funds, microfinance funds, and sustainable real estate.
2. Investment Returns for Grants: The foundation generates no traditional revenue but earns returns on its investment portfolio. Investment categories include: Impact investments (direct and indirect), Shares and bonds, Queer Lens Investments, Socially oriented investment funds, Micro Finance funds, and Sustainable real estate funds.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Dreilinden is a non-profit foundation that supports social acceptance of gender and sexual diversity by providing grants to existing organizations and project grants, deploying social/impact investments, and engaging in philanthropic networking. Its grantmaking focuses on LGBTIQ and feminist movements, particularly in the Global South and East, offering one-year and multi-year core support that grantees can deploy according to their own priorities. The foundation is funded by private founder capital and returns from a diversified investment portfolio including queer lens investments, microfinance funds, and sustainable real estate.

Product overview

Dreilinden is a German non-profit organization (gGmbH) focused on advancing social acceptance of gender and sexual diversity. The organization operates through a portfolio of interconnected programs: core grantmaking to LGBTQI+ and feminist movements in the Global South and East; social impact investments through its Queer Lens Investing initiative; the annual Rainbow Philanthropy Conference series for knowledge sharing among funders and activists; research publications including the Rainbow Philanthropie monitoring studies tracking German funding flows; and network collaboration through major international funder networks. The organization also supports property purchases for LGBTQIA* civil society organizations as a sustainable infrastructure strategy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Queer Lens Investing (QLI): Newsletter and investment approach focusing on how finance can be used as a strategic tool to facilitate the empowerment of LGBTQIA* communities.
• Rainbow Philanthropy

Products and services

• Grants Program Financial grants to organizations working on LGBTQI+ and women's rights in the Global South and East, providing both one-year and multi-year core support funding that grantees can use according to their own priorities. Offered proactively to selected partners; unsolicited applications are not processed.
• Social Investments Impact investments including direct and indirect investments, queer lens investments (loans and equity for LGBTQI+ enterprises and DEI loans), socially oriented investment funds, microfinance funds, and sustainable real estate funds. Investment returns fund Dreilinden's grant commitments and operations.
• Property Purchase Support Grants and guidance supporting LGBTQIA* civil society organizations in purchasing property as a sustainable infrastructure strategy, including the Ripple Effects Framework evaluation tool and practical how-to guides for CSOs and funders.
• Rainbow Philanthropy Conference Annual conference series bringing together funders, NGOs, and activists to discuss LGBTQI+ human rights topics, co-organized with Global Philanthropy Project and Discover Football.
• Queer Lens Investing Newsletter (QLI) Publication dedicated to Queer Lens Investing, focusing on how finance can be used as a strategic tool to facilitate empowerment of LGBTQIA* communities. Shares latest research, first-hand experiences, and investment strategies.
• Research Publications Reports and working papers including the Rainbow Philanthropy monitoring studies on German LGBTI funding, working papers on LGBTI children, issue papers on sexual and gender self-determination, guides on property purchases for LGBTQIA civil society organizations, and Queer Lens Investing research documents.

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% of projects supported indicate sustainable strengthening of their structures and power shifts in favor of communities served locally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Global Philanthropy ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor funders working on international LGBTI issues at global level. Dreilinden is active in this network as a major funder in the space.
• ARIADNE European Human Rights Funders NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean network of human rights funders based in Brussels. Dreilinden participates as an active member.
• Regenbogen-PhilanthropiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman LGBTI human rights funders network and those interested in becoming funders. Based in Berlin.
• Hirschfeld-Eddy-Stiftung LGBTI Platform for Human RightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLGBTI Platform for Human Rights based in Berlin. Dreilinden participates in this network.
• Equality without BordersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndividual donors' initiative to promote LGBTIQ rights globally. Dreilinden participates in this initiative.
• filia.die frauenstiftungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman women's community foundation co-founded by Ise Bosch. Pooling money, ideas, and feminist-focused projects under the premise of 'Change not Charity'.
• Pecunia e.V. (Erbinnen-Netzwerk)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork for women with inherited wealth, co-initiated by Ise Bosch in 2003. Provides platform to connect personally and support each other in meaningful use of inheritance.
• Astraea Lesbian Foundation for JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld's only community foundation focusing explicitly on lesbian issues. Ise Bosch was founding donor in 1996. Astraea is now one of the leading LGBTQI human rights funders, supporting more than 500 groups in 99 countries.
• Impact Advisors LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Stefan Bollier, who serves on Dreilinden's Investment Committee since 2018. Advises on development and implementation of the foundation's impact investment strategy.
• FME LGBT+coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMexican organization working to create equal opportunities for all people. Co-launching 'Financiación Diversa' pilot programme with Dreilinden and Viwala to facilitate economic empowerment of LGBTQIA* communities.
• VIWALAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMexican organization providing momentum capital to entrepreneurs with focus on empowering disenfranchised groups. Partner in 'Financiación Diversa' pilot programme for LGBTQIA* entrepreneurs in Mexico.
• Discover FootballcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized the 10th Rainbow Philanthropy Conference 'Sport Disrupted: Sex_uality Matters' with Dreilinden and Global Philanthropy Project.
• SOS Children's Villages InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in working paper 'Let me be me! Better Care for LGBTI* Children'. Contributed to conference on LGBTIQ children in development cooperation.
• Keeping Children Safe (KCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition collaborating on research regarding institutional readiness for addressing LGBTIQ children. Partner in 'Let me be me!' working paper on better care for LGBTI* children.
• German Institute for Human RightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint publisher of the 5th Rainbow Philanthropy monitoring study on German funding for LGBTQI human rights work in the Global South and East.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Open Society Foundations: Large global foundation funding human rights, civil society, and LGBTI rights. Much bigger and broader, but operates a comparable grant-plus-impact-investment model with overlapping beneficiary populations.
• Sigrid Rausing Trust: UK private foundation funding human rights, including LGBTI and women's rights with global reach. Comparable as a like-sized, founder-led, single-family foundation with a similarly long-term grantmaking horizon.
• Arcus Foundation: Large private foundation focused on LGBTQ+ human rights and social justice, with global grantmaking and impact investing. Comparable as a significantly larger, more established LGBTQI grantmaker with a broader geographic and thematic footprint.

Direct peers

• Foundation for a Just Society: Private foundation funding movements for gender, racial, and economic justice globally, with a deliberate focus on under-resourced geographies. Comparable via multi-year core support grants to LGBTQI and feminist movements in the Global South.
• Mama Cash: Amsterdam-based international feminist grantmaking foundation supporting women's, girls', and trans* movements, including LGBTQI grantees. Closely comparable due to feminist + queer intersection, multi-year core support, and global reach.
• Wellspring Philanthropic Fund: Private foundation funding LGBTQ+ and other social justice movements globally. Co-developed the Ripple Effects Framework with Dreilinden for property purchase grants, making it a closely aligned funder with overlapping diagnostic and grantmaking infrastructure.
• Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice: International LGBTQI philanthropic foundation supporting 500+ groups in 99 countries, with Ise Bosch as founding donor since 1996. Most directly comparable peer given overlapping mission, geographic focus, and core-support grantmaking model.
• filia.die frauenstiftung: German women's community foundation co-founded by Ise Bosch. Direct peer in the German-speaking philanthropic ecosystem, focused on feminist organizing with overlapping donor networks and grantmaking practices.

Others

• Global Philanthropy Project: Collaboration of major funders working on international LGBTI issues. Dreilinden is an active member; comparable as a peer in the same funder network rather than as a direct grantmaking competitor.

Emerging players

• Tides Foundation: US-based public charity and impact investing platform supporting progressive social change via grants and justice-related investments. Comparable via blended grantmaking and impact investing infrastructure for social movements.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dreilinden

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 Dreilinden