What Welthaus Bielefeld does

Welthaus Bielefeld e.V. is a registered German non-profit association founded in 1980 (originally as Dritte Welt Haus) and headquartered at August-Bebel-Straße 62 in Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. The organization delivers development policy education, cultural programming, and international cooperation projects across a portfolio that includes foreign projects in 14 partner countries across Africa and Latin America, the weltwärts volunteer exchange, the Erlebnisraum Globale Nachhaltigkeit permanent interactive exhibition at Wissenswerkstadt Bielefeld, a quarterly Welthaus Info magazine, school workshops aligned with UNESCO's Global Learning framework, and cultural festivals such as Weltnächte and Denken.Fühlen.Handeln. Technology consists of the 80-square-meter multimedia and tactile exhibition plus a standard nonprofit content/website stack (Twingle for donations, CleverReach for newsletters, PayPal for payments), with no proprietary AI, software platform, or patents; differentiation rests on community, content library, and brand rather than technology.

The business model is a hybrid non-profit revenue mix of donations and membership fees (DZI Spendensiegel certified), institutional grants from Protestant and Catholic churches, the city of Bielefeld, NRW state government, Engagement Global/BMZ, Stiftung Umwelt und Entwicklung NRW, Volksbank Bielefeld-Gütersloh, and the European Commission, plus ancillary income from a fair-trade café, an educational materials online shop, cultural event tickets, and the affiliated Stiftung Welthaus foundation. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: 19 full-time staff are supported by 170+ volunteers organized into 14 country- and theme-specific Hausgruppen that drive grassroots engagement, advocacy, and donor cultivation, while the Erlebnisraum exhibition, school outreach, and festivals serve as the public-facing touchpoints. Customer segments span schools, young volunteers (aged 18–28), local activists, and general cultural audiences, with institutional funders effectively serving as the largest counterparties rather than end customers.

Name

Welthaus Bielefeld

Legal name

Welthaus Bielefeld e.V.

Website

https://welthaus.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Welthaus Bielefeld is a German non-profit founded in 1980 that runs development education, international volunteer programs, and cultural events, serving schools, young volunteers, local activists, and institutional funders across 14 partner countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Development Policy NGO Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Business Associations (813910), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Work Exchange & Farmstay Programs (WWOOF/HelpX-Style) (EDAIAGAK)

Keywords

• Development policy education
• International volunteer service
• Global sustainability exhibitions
• Fair trade community cafe
• International development cooperation

Headquarters

HQ city

Bielefeld

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations: Welthaus Bielefeld operates primarily through donations from members, supporters, and the public. The organization holds the DZI (German Institute for Social Work) donation seal of approval, certifying transparent and appropriate use of donations.
2. Government and Institutional Grants: Major funding sources include church institutions (Evangelische und katholische Kirche), the city of Bielefeld, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Stiftung Umwelt und Entwicklung NRW, Engagement Global (BMZ), and the European Commission. These grants support specific projects and operational costs.
3. Membership Fees: The organization has a membership structure where individuals can become members of the association, contributing annual fees that support the organization's work.
4. Publications and Events Revenue: Revenue generated from the sale of educational materials, brochures, and publications through the online shop, as well as ticket sales for cultural events. However, this represents only a small portion of total revenue.
5. Cultural Events and Projects: Revenue from cultural events including the Weltnächte festival series, the DFH-Festival, and other cultural programming. Some events generate revenue through ticket sales while many remain free.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Welthaus Bielefeld e.V. is a registered charitable non-profit (eingetragener Verein) founded in 1980 that delivers development policy programming from its headquarters in Bielefeld, Germany. Its core offerings span international development cooperation projects across ten countries in Africa and Latin America, school and public education built around Global Learning and Education for Sustainable Development (BNE), the interactive permanent exhibition Erlebnisraum Globale Nachhaltigkeit, the weltwärts voluntary service placing young adults in partner organizations, cultural event programming (Weltnächte, Carnival der Kulturen, Denken.Fühlen.Handeln Festival), the Welthaus Info quarterly publication, a fair-trade café, and an online shop selling educational materials.

Product overview

Welthaus Bielefeld e.V. is a non-profit development policy NGO (registered association) founded in 1980, offering a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a single product. Its core offerings include: (1) foreign development projects in ten countries across Africa and Latin America; (2) the weltwärts voluntary service program placing young people in partner organizations in Ecuador, Mexico, Mozambique, and Peru; (3) education programs for schools and the public, centered on Global Learning and the 'Erlebnisraum Globale Nachhaltigkeit' permanent exhibition at Wissenswerkstadt Bielefeld; (4) cultural programming including the Weltnacht concert series, Carnival der Kulturen, and the biennial 'Denken.Fühlen.Handeln' festival; (5) the Welthaus Info quarterly magazine and a shop selling educational materials; (6) Café Welthaus, a fair-trade café; and (7) a foundation (Stiftung Welthaus) for charitable fundraising. The organization is sustained by over 170 volunteers in 14 house groups and 19 full-time staff, and holds the DZI donation seal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Café Welthaus: Fair trade café operated by the organization, open Monday-Friday 12-17:30
• Erlebnisraum Globale Nachhaltigkeit
• Weltnächte
• Wozachor
• Denken.Fühlen.Handeln Festival

Products and services

• Welthaus Info (quarterly magazine) Quarterly magazine covering development policy topics, project reports, organizational updates, and thematic issues such as civil society cooperation, volunteering, and supply chain legislation. Distributed in print and digital formats to members and the public.
• Café Welthaus Fair-trade café operated by Welthaus Bielefeld at its headquarters (August-Bebel-Straße 62, Bielefeld), open Monday to Friday 12:00–17:30, serving fair-trade beverages and snacks, and hosting community events such as Doppelkopf evenings and Dub Café sessions.
• weltwärts-Freiwilligendienst Development-policy voluntary service program for young people aged 18–28 placing volunteers at partner projects in Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Mozambique. Includes both South-North (partner-country participants coming to Germany) and North-South (German volunteers going abroad) components, supported by the German weltwärts framework.
• Auslandsprojekte (Foreign Development Cooperation Projects) Development cooperation projects implemented by Welthaus Bielefeld with partner organizations across ten countries — Ethiopia, Brazil, Burundi, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Peru, South Africa, and Zimbabwe — spanning primary and secondary education, school construction, health clinics, drinking water, sustainable agriculture, women's empowerment, climate adaptation, renewable energy, and food sovereignty.
• Bildung (Education Programs) Educational offerings oriented around Global Learning and Education for Sustainable Development (BNE), including school workshops, Referent*innendienste, Lehrer*innenfortbildungen, the Promotor*innenprogramm NRW, classroom Unterrichtsmodule, films, and themed teaching kits (e.g., Schokowelten, Welternährung neu denken, Errungenschaften Afrikas, Klimagesund ernähren).
• Kultur (Cultural Events Programming) Cultural programming including the Weltnächte concert series, the Setting the Tone festival, the Carnival der Kulturen, the Fairstival, the Denken.Fühlen.Handeln Festival (approximately 90 events over four days, co-organized with Universität Bielefeld), and other sustainable-culture events featuring artists from Westphalia and worldwide. Some events are ticketed, others free with donations welcome.
• Erlebnisraum Globale Nachhaltigkeit Permanent interactive exhibition on global sustainability located in Wissenswerkstadt Bielefeld, featuring multimedia and hands-on tactile stations that make global perspectives on sustainability questions visible and experiential. Includes guided tours, workshops, and public events. Free admission.
• Publikationen / Online Shop Online and physical shop selling educational and learning materials for school and extracurricular settings, including teaching modules, films, themed kits, and the Welthaus Info magazine.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17 weltwärts-Freiwillige (volunteers) placed annually in partner countries
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• VENRO (Verband Entwicklungspolitik deutscher Nichtregierungsorganisationen e.V.)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerVENRO is the Association of Development Policy and Humanitarian Aid of German NGOs. Welthaus Bielefeld is a founding member and participates in joint advocacy campaigns on development cooperation, supply chain legislation, and humanitarian funding through this network.
• Wissenswerkstadt BielefeldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation agreement to establish the permanent exhibition 'Erlebnisraum Globale Nachhaltigkeit' in the Wissenswerkstadt building. The Welthaus developed and operates this interactive 80-square-meter exhibition on global sustainability topics.
• Universität Bielefeld - AG 10 Migrationspädagogik und RassismuskritikcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizers of the DFH-Festival 'Denken.Fühlen.Handeln' (approximately 90 events over 4 days). The Faculty of Educational Science's working group collaborates with Welthaus on this annual festival for planetary justice.
• Germanwatch e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman environmental and development NGO network focused on climate policy and global justice, providing advocacy resources and coalition participation.
• Eine Welt Netz NRW e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level one-world network for North Rhine-Westphalia, coordinating development policy organizations and campaigns including Erlassjahr.de debt relief initiative.
• Fairstival e.V.coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual festival organization collaborating on cultural events including Kesseldub, Dub Café, Vinyl Flohmarkt, and other sustainable culture programming. Multiple co-organized events throughout the year.
• Gemeinwohl-Ökonomie Regionalgruppe Bielefeld und UmgebungminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHouse group within Welthaus organizing workshops, film screenings, and community events on community well-being economics as an alternative economic model.
• Initiative LieferkettengesetzminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoalition campaign for supply chain legislation that Welthaus participates in, organizing email actions and advocacy for strong supply chain law.
• Stadt Bielefeld (city government)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Bielefeld as institutional partner through agenda-Büro, Kulturamt, Städtepartnerschaft, and other departments for events and programming.
• Various international partner organizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnerships with organizations in Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Brazil, Burundi, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, South Africa, Zimbabwe for development cooperation projects.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Welthaus Stuttgart: Stuttgart-based Eine-Welt-Haus organization with similar development education, fair trade, and cultural programming model. Direct concept comparable to Welthaus Bielefeld - both evolved from the Dritte Welt Haus movement - but operating in a different German region.

Direct peers

• Germanwatch e.V. German policy and advocacy NGO focused on global justice, climate, and development cooperation. Germanwatch is a direct comparable - similar size, German base, VENRO co-member, mix of education/advocacy/campaigning - making it the closest operational peer to Welthaus Bielefeld.
• Fairtrade Deutschland e.V. German fair trade advocacy organization promoting fair trade standards and consumer awareness. Comparable in BNE-aligned educational outreach, advocacy focus, and German civic organization structure, though more focused on consumer-facing fair trade certification.
• Eine Welt Netz NRW e.V. State-level network for One World organizations in North Rhine-Westphalia. Direct comparable as Welthaus Bielefeld is a member and operates in the same NRW Eine-Welt ecosystem with overlapping development education programming and campaigns.

Broad incumbents

• Deutsche Welthungerhilfe: One of Germany's largest development and humanitarian aid NGOs. Operates in development cooperation, education, and advocacy - the same space as Welthaus Bielefeld - but at vastly greater scale, with broader international footprint and significantly larger budget.
• Oxfam Deutschland: German arm of Oxfam international, focused on development, humanitarian aid, and fair trade advocacy. Comparable in development education, advocacy, and civic engagement focus but operates at significantly greater scale with international brand recognition.
• Brot für die Welt: Protestant development and humanitarian aid service of the German Protestant churches. Overlaps directly with Welthaus Bielefeld on development cooperation, education programs, and advocacy - one of Welthaus's actual institutional funders.
• terre des hommes Deutschland: German children's rights and development NGO with VENRO membership. Operates in similar development cooperation and education spaces as Welthaus Bielefeld, with comparable advocacy focus but on a larger scale and with broader international program reach.
• Bischöfliches Hilfswerk Misereor: Catholic German development agency funding development projects and education for sustainable development. Directly comparable mission area (development cooperation + BNE education + advocacy) but at much larger scale and with Catholic church institutional backing.

Others

• Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU): Germany's largest environmental association with significant BNE/sustainability education programming and local group structure (analogous to Welthaus's Hausgruppen). Thematically adjacent through sustainability education overlap, though primarily environmental rather than development-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WelthausBielefeld
• Facebookfacebook.com/Welthaus.Bielefeld?hc_location=timeline
• Instagraminstagram.com/welthausbielefeld
• Xx.com/welthaus_bi

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Welthaus Bielefeld