What Deutsche Umweltstiftung does

Deutsche Umweltstiftung is a German non-profit civic foundation (Stiftung bürgerlichen Rechts) founded on March 31, 1982, in Mainz and headquartered in Berlin. Operating under the motto 'Hoffnung durch Handeln' (Hope through Action), it is Germany's oldest and largest citizen foundation by number of supporters, with 3,568 Stifterinnen und Stifter as of July 2026. The organization is almost entirely volunteer-run, with only a few full-time staff, which it cites as the basis for its political and economic independence from state and large-corporate funding.

The foundation delivers a portfolio of environmental education, civic engagement, and sustainability capacity-building programs rather than a single core product. Active offerings include Walddetektive (a forest education project for grade 4-6 students with research kits, used by 1,300+ schools), Suffizienzdetektive (a resource-conservation competition), ecocrowd (a monthly crowdfunding platform launched June 2024), NGOplus (a webinar series drawing 120-160+ participants per session), Agathe hilft (pro-bono coaching for nonprofits), kaufnix (a sufficiency/sustainable-consumption campaign), VIA (a virtual 3D exhibition on planetary boundaries funded via the Umweltbundesamt), and an 8-week paid online certificate course for municipal employees. Supporting technology is conventional: websites (deutscheumweltstiftung.de plus project subdomains), Webex-based course delivery, and 3D visualization for VIA.

Revenue is generated through four streams: donations and endowments (no minimum beyond 1 EUR, with recommended 50 EUR/year for newsletter supporters), foundation asset income, paid certificate courses (950 EUR net/participant), and Economics Council (Wirtschaftsrat) membership fees (minimum 600 EUR/year, 240 EUR reduced rate). Customer and beneficiary segments span individual donors, schools, NGOs/associations, municipal governments, and vetted sustainable businesses. The foundation maintains formal partnerships with KfW Stiftung, Universität Kassel, swapwork, and the Umweltbundesamt to extend program reach and secure project funding.

Name

Deutsche Umweltstiftung

Legal name

Deutsche Umweltstiftung

Website

https://deutscheumweltstiftung.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Deutsche Umweltstiftung is Germany's oldest and largest citizen environmental foundation (founded 1982, 3,568 supporters), delivering volunteer-run environmental education, civic engagement, and sustainability capacity-building programs across schools, NGOs, municipalities, and businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Environmental foundation services
• Sustainability education programs
• Citizen foundation
• Environmental nonprofit
• Ecological conservation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Endowments: The foundation receives one-time and regular donations, endowments, and occasional income from redistribution of regulatory fines. Minimum endowment is 1 Euro. Recommended donation for newsletter subscription is at least 50 EUR for individuals or 150 EUR for legal entities.
2. Foundation Asset Income: Income from the foundation's own assets contributes to operational funding.
3. Certificate Course Fees: The online certificate course 'Nachhaltigkeit in Kommunen stärken' is priced at 950 EUR net per participant, generating revenue from municipal employees.
4. Economics Council Membership Fees: The Wirtschaftsrat (Economics Council) requires annual membership fees, with a minimum of 600 EUR and recommended self-assessment of approximately 0.1% of annual revenue. Reduced rate of 240 EUR for freelancers and startups under 100,000 EUR annual revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Deutsche Umweltstiftung operates as a non-profit civic foundation running environmental education, civic engagement, and sustainability programs in Germany. Its portfolio includes school education projects (Walddetektive, Suffizienzdetektive), a sustainable-project crowdfunding platform (ecocrowd), NGO capacity-building programs (Agathe hilft, NGOplus), a virtual exhibition on planetary boundaries (VIA), a paid certificate course for municipal sustainability officers, and a sustainable-business network (Wirtschaftsrat). The foundation is financed through donations, endowments, membership fees, course fees, and income from its own assets.

Product overview

Deutsche Umweltstiftung is Germany's oldest independent environmental foundation (founded 1982), operating a portfolio of environmental education and civic engagement programs rather than a traditional software product. The foundation's offerings center on environmental awareness and sustainable behavior change, with specific programs including: ecocrowd (sustainable crowdfunding platform), Walddetektive (forest education for schoolchildren), Suffizienzdetektive (resource conservation competition), Agathe hilft (NGO coaching), NGOplus (nonprofit webinar series), kaufnix (sufficiency lifestyle campaign), VIA (virtual planetary boundaries exhibition), and an 8-week online certification course for municipal sustainability management. These programs work together to advance environmental education, support civil society organizations, and promote sustainable practices across German society.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ecocrowd: Crowdfunding platform for sustainable projects launched in June 2024
• Walddetektive
• Suffizienzdetektive
• Agathe hilft
• NGOplus
• kaufnix

Products and services

• ecocrowd A crowdfunding platform for sustainable projects where community members vote monthly on which environmental projects to fund from a collective donation pool.
• Walddetektive A nationwide educational program for students in grades 4-6 that teaches forest ecosystems through field research kits, interactive materials, and a poster competition.
• Suffizienzdetektive A nationwide school competition encouraging secondary school students to research and implement resource-conserving practices in their daily lives.
• Agathe hilft A pro bono coaching program connecting nonprofits with experienced professionals to help develop their projects, structures, and organizational capabilities.
• NGOplus A webinar series providing practical knowledge and networking opportunities for nonprofits covering topics like project management, fundraising, social media, and organizational leadership.
• kaufnix A campaign platform promoting sufficiency-based consumption and lifestyle choices beyond growth, featuring articles, interviews, and practical ideas for sustainable living.
• VIA – Virtuelle Ausstellung zu den Planetaren Grenzen A virtual 3D exhibition making the concept of planetary boundaries accessible to the public, particularly students and educators.
• Zertifikatskurs Nachhaltigkeit in Kommunen stärken An 8-week online certification course for municipal employees teaching practical sustainability management skills, from strategy to monitoring, priced at 950 EUR net per participant.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 projects conducted since 1982
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KfW StiftungcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership with KfW Stiftung for the Walddetektive nationwide school education project. Since 2023, the project has enabled thousands of students to explore forest ecosystems with provided backpacks containing research tools. The partnership includes a poster competition with prize ceremonies in Frankfurt.
• swapworkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership with swapwork to transfer agile working methods (Scrum, Kanban) to the nonprofit sector, resulting in the Agathe hilft platform.
• Universität KasselcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Universität Kassel on the GREEN project (digital mobility platforms for rural areas), funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Implements digital technologies at municipal level to change mobility behavior.
• Umweltbundesamt (Federal Environment Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding support for the VIA project (Virtual Exhibition on Planetary Boundaries), with funds provided through the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection based on a resolution of the German Bundestag.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland): Germany's largest environmental NGO with hundreds of thousands of members, focused on nature conservation and environmental education — directly comparable to Deutsche Umweltstiftung in mission, donor-driven model, and German operating scope.
• BUND (Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland): Major German environmental organization running education, advocacy, and conservation programs nationwide. Overlaps with DUS on environmental education, citizen mobilization, and federal policy engagement.
• betterplace.org: Germany's largest online donation and crowdfunding platform for nonprofits. Directly comparable to DUS's ecocrowd product and overlaps in channeling citizen donations to environmental and social projects.
• Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU): Germany's largest environmental foundation, funded by federal endowment, awarding grants and operating education programs nationwide. Comparable in foundation status and environmental program breadth.
• Greenpeace Deutschland: Major German environmental advocacy organization funded by individual donors. Comparable in donation-driven financing, environmental mission, and German citizen-engagement model.
• WWF Deutschland: German arm of WWF, one of the country's largest environmental foundations running conservation, education, and policy programs. Highly comparable as a German environmental grantmaker and program operator.

Broad incumbents

• Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung: Large German political foundation affiliated with the Greens that runs environmental, democratic, and international programs. Overlaps with DUS on environmental education and civic engagement, but is far larger and politically affiliated.

Emerging players

• Startnext: German crowdfunding platform that hosts many sustainability projects, competing conceptually with DUS's ecocrowd for crowdfunded environmental campaigns in the same German market.
• Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft: German foundation advancing climate and sustainability policy through business engagement. Overlaps with DUS's Wirtschaftsrat in mobilizing companies for sustainability, though focused more on policy advocacy than education programs.

Others

• GLS Treuhand: German donation and foundation-management service that channels contributions to charitable projects. Comparable as a German nonprofit fundraising infrastructure, though operating as an enabler rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/deutscheumweltstiftung
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deutsche-umweltstiftung
• Instagraminstagram.com/umweltstiftung
• Xx.com/umweltstifter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Deutsche Umweltstiftung