Werner Bonhoff Stiftung

What Werner Bonhoff Stiftung does

Werner Bonhoff Stiftung is a non-profit, independent foundation headquartered in Berlin, Germany (Reinhardtstraße 37), established to combat excessive bureaucracy faced by German entrepreneurs and to address bullying/violence in schools. The foundation operates through two nationwide programs: (1) Bürokratie-Therapie, a participatory project that collects, documents, and publicizes real-world cases of entrepreneurs struggling against regulatory burdens, supporting the operations through a case database (Fallsammlung), a transparency map (Bonhoff-Karte), an advisor/exchange marketplace (Bonhoff-Börse), and a traveling exhibition (Wanderausstellung) shown at city halls; and (2) Nach-der-Tat (since 2010), which encourages observers and victims of school bullying/violence to drive improvements at their schools. The annual Werner-Bonhoff-Preis-wider-den-§§-Dschungel has recognized successful challengers of bureaucracy since 2006, with prize money reduced over time from €100,000 to €50,000 to €25,000, the latter reduction in 2022 explicitly to strengthen the Nach-der-Tat program.

The foundation has no proprietary technology and no AI/ML infrastructure; its digital assets (website, social channels on Facebook and YouTube, newsletter) function as content distribution and community engagement channels rather than technology platforms. Revenue mechanics are those of a charitable Stiftung: operating costs are covered by endowment and donations, with prize money funded from foundation resources and all services provided free of charge. Governance is provided by a board (Vorstand) led by lawyer Till Bartelt, with Klaus Schroeter as board member and Dr. Christian Grün chairing the Kuratorium (supervisory board). Geographic scope is strictly Germany, with no global footprint claim and an associated entrepreneur support center (Bonhoff-Unternehmer-Zentrum, BUZ) located in Dresden.

Go-to-market is community-led and earned-media driven: outreach occurs via word-of-mouth among entrepreneurs, traveling exhibitions at public venues, conference participation, and substantial press coverage across major German outlets (ARD, ZDF, Handelsblatt, Bild, Spiegel). Customer segments are non-paying — German SMB entrepreneurs as the primary persona and German schools as a secondary vertical — making this an advocacy and ecosystem-building entity rather than a commercial enterprise.

Name

Werner Bonhoff Stiftung

Legal name

Werner-Bonhoff-Stiftung

Website

https://werner-bonhoff-stiftung.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Werner Bonhoff Stiftung is a Berlin-based non-profit foundation running two nationwide programs: Bürokratie-Therapie, which documents German entrepreneurs' bureaucratic struggles via case studies, traveling exhibitions, and an annual Werner-Bonhoff-Preis award; and Nach-der-Tat, a school-based anti-bullying initiative operating since 2010.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Advocacy Foundation

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Business Associations (81391)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG), Social Entrepreneurship & Impact Business (EDAMAHAK)

Keywords

• Bureaucracy advocacy
• Entrepreneur support
• Anti-bullying education
• Nonprofit foundation
• Regulatory reform

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Foundation Operations: As a non-profit charitable foundation, the organization operates through donations and charitable funding rather than commercial revenue generation. The Werner-Bonhoff-Preis prize money (originally 50,000 EUR, later reduced to 25,000 EUR) is funded through foundation resources.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Werner Bonhoff Stiftung is a non-profit foundation that operates two nationwide programs: Bürokratie-Therapie, which motivates entrepreneurs to share their bureaucracy experiences through documented case studies and a transparency map, and Nach-der-Tat, which supports schools in addressing bullying and violence. It also awards the annual Werner-Bonhoff-Preis-wider-den-§§-Dschungel (originally 50,000 EUR, reduced to 25,000 EUR) to entrepreneurs who successfully challenge unnecessary bureaucracy.

Product overview

Werner Bonhoff Stiftung is a nonprofit and independent foundation based in Berlin that operates through two main nationwide projects: Bürokratie-Therapie and Nach-der-Tat. Bürokratie-Therapie is a collaborative project where entrepreneurs share their bureaucracy experiences to help others and lawmakers learn from practical cases. It includes a case collection (Fallsammlung), a transparency map (Bonhoff-Karte), a support exchange (Bonhoff-Börse), and a traveling exhibition (Wanderausstellung). The foundation also awards the annual Werner-Bonhoff-Preis-wider-den-§§-Dschungel to entrepreneurs who successfully fight unnecessary bureaucracy. The second main project, Nach-der-Tat, addresses violence and mobbing in schools and includes special prize programs in student journalism competitions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bürokratie-Therapie: A participation project where entrepreneurs share their bureaucracy experiences to help others and the administration learn.
• Werner-Bonhoff-Preis-wider-den-§§-Dschungel
• Nach-der-Tat
• Bonhoff-Unternehmer-Zentrum (BUZ)

Products and services

• Bürokratie-Therapie

Quantifiable outcome

• Established presence since 2006 with annual Werner-Bonhoff-Preis awards
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Bertelsmann Stiftung: One of Germany's largest private operating foundations, headquartered in Gütersloh. Highly comparable as a major German non-profit foundation running multiple nationwide civic-reform and education programs, but at vastly greater scale and broader thematic scope than Werner Bonhoff Stiftung.
• Haniel Stiftung: Duisburg-based German foundation supporting entrepreneurship education and social innovation. Comparable as a German Stiftung with grantmaking and programs aimed at improving conditions for entrepreneurs in Germany, overlapping with Werner Bonhoff Stiftung's Bürokratie-Therapie target audience.
• ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius: Hamburg-based German foundation focused on education, science, and civic responsibility. Comparable as an independent Stiftung funding civic and educational reform programs in Germany, with similar operating model (grantmaking + own programs) but larger endowment.
• Robert Bosch Stiftung: Major German grantmaking foundation active in education, health, and civic participation. Comparable to Werner Bonhoff Stiftung in being an independent, donation-funded Stiftung operating nationwide advocacy and education projects, but with a much larger endowment and broader thematic reach.
• Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft: Germany's central association of science-supporting foundations, coordinating grantmaking and advocacy for research and innovation. Comparable to Werner Bonhoff Stiftung as a German umbrella-style foundation ecosystem actor, though focused on science and higher education rather than SMB bureaucracy.
• Fritz Thyssen Stiftung: Cologne-based German foundation supporting science, research, and civic education. Comparable as a traditional German Stiftung funding grant programs and operating own projects, but with a research/academia focus rather than Werner Bonhoff Stiftung's entrepreneur-advocacy niche.
• Körber-Stiftung: Hamburg-based German foundation running civic engagement and education initiatives, including well-known prizes. Comparable as an independent German Stiftung with annual award programs and civic-reform advocacy, though operating at significantly larger scale than Werner Bonhoff Stiftung.

Direct peers

• Stiftung Bildung: Hamburg-based German foundation focused on education and child welfare, including bullying prevention and school improvement programs. Highly comparable to Werner Bonhoff Stiftung's Nach-der-Tat project in mission and operating model (school-based anti-bullying/mobbing intervention in Germany).
• Stiftung Neue Verantwortung: Berlin-based think tank and non-profit focused on technology policy, digital infrastructure, and regulatory reform. Highly comparable to Werner Bonhoff Stiftung in operating from Berlin as an independent advocacy-oriented non-profit working on regulatory/bureaucratic issues in Germany, with a similar policy-influence and case-publication approach.

Emerging players

• Deutscher Gründerverband: German association advocating for founders and entrepreneurs on regulatory and policy issues. Comparable to Werner Bonhoff Stiftung in focusing on bureaucracy reduction and entrepreneurship advocacy in Germany, but organized as a membership association rather than a grantmaking foundation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrwpzKy1FHqNId0mfyDerbQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/followers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/werner-bonhoff-stiftung

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Werner Bonhoff Stiftung