180 Grad Wende

What 180 Grad Wende does

180 Grad Wende e.V. is a Cologne-based, registered non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 2012 and rebranded to its current name in 2023 from Jugendbildungs- und Sozialwerk Goethe e.V. The organization delivers youth empowerment, extremism prevention, democratic education, and vocational orientation services to young people from marginalized communities, with primary geographic focus in Cologne-Kalk and Köln-Mülheim, broader activity across North Rhine-Westphalia and Germany (72 project locations), and international programs in Uganda and Morocco.

Its core offerings include the Wendepunkt project (a safe physical space in Köln-Kalk for workshops and counseling), the Azubi Buddy mentorship program supporting the school-to-vocational-training transition, and the CHANCE international vocational training program delivered through local partners Prospect in Kampala and IKHAE in Rabat. Service mix also comprises multilingual counseling, motivational lectures, training for multipliers, and school-focused extremism prevention consulting. Technology infrastructure is conventional and non-differentiated, built on WordPress, Microsoft 365, Brevo email marketing, FundraisingBox donation processing, Google Analytics, and the Eye-Able accessibility tool, with no proprietary platform or software product.

The business model is that of a donor- and grant-funded non-profit. Revenue derives from individual and corporate donations, court-assigned fines (Geldauflagen), and government grants, with the BMFSFJ 'Demokratie leben!' federal program and the NRW Ministry for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Flight and Integration each exceeding 10% of annual revenue. All services to beneficiaries are provided free of charge, and the organization carries no shareholders or equity investors; governance rests with a three-person executive board chaired by Mimoun Berrissoun.

Name

180 Grad Wende

Legal name

180 Grad Wende e. V.

Website

https://180gradwende.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

180 Grad Wende is a Cologne-based German non-profit founded in 2012 that delivers youth empowerment, extremism prevention, democracy education, and vocational orientation services to marginalized youth in Germany, Uganda, and Morocco, funded by government grants, donations, and court-assigned fines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit youth social services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Newcomer & Refugee Student Support Programs (EDAJAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support) (EDAAADAI), Online/Hybrid Overseas Pathway & Bridging Programs (EDAIAJAK)

Keywords

• Youth empowerment services
• Extremism prevention education
• Vocational training mentorship
• Democracy education programs
• Community youth counseling

Headquarters

HQ city

Köln (Cologne)

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual and corporate donations are solicited through the website via secure donation forms. Donations are used to fund project activities, particularly the international CHANCE vocational training program in Uganda and Morocco.
2. Court-Ordered Fines (Geldauflagen): Courts and public prosecutor's offices assign fines to the organization. These funds are used for extremism prevention, value education, and social integration projects targeting at-risk youth.
3. Government Grants: Funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs (BMFSFJ) through the 'Demokratie leben!' program and by the NRW Ministry for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Flight and Integration. These constitute major funding sources exceeding 10% of annual revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

180 Grad Wende e.V. is a registered German non-profit that delivers free community programs for young people from marginalized backgrounds, including empowerment and prevention workshops, multilingual counseling, motivational lectures, school-based extremism-prevention support, apprenticeship mentorship (Azubi Buddy), a physical youth safe-space in Köln-Kalk (Wendepunkt), and an international vocational-training program (CHANCE) operating through local partners in Uganda and Morocco. All offerings are delivered at no cost to beneficiaries and funded by government grants, court-assigned fines, and donations.

Product overview

180 Grad Wende e.V. is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of social programs rather than a unified software product. The organization operates multiple distinct projects including Wendepunkt (a physical safe space for youth in Köln-Kalk), Azubi Buddy (vocational training mentorship), and CHANCE (international training in Uganda/Morocco). These are complemented by core services such as workshops, multilingual counseling, and motivational lectures across the areas of empowerment, prevention, democracy promotion, and orientation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wendepunkt: A safe space project in Köln-Kalk offering empowerment and prevention workshops, orientation services, and counseling for young people.
• Azubi Buddy
• CHANCE

Products and services

• Wendepunkt A safe-space project in Köln-Kalk offering empowerment and prevention workshops, orientation programs, and counseling services for young people from marginalized communities.
• Azubi Buddy Mentorship program supporting youth from marginalized communities through the transition from school to vocational training, including orientation courses, resume workshops, and buddy support.
• CHANCE International vocational training program enabling disadvantaged young people in Uganda and Morocco to receive professional education and skills development, combining professional training with psychological counseling and rights education.
• Workshops and Fortbildungen (Workshops and Training) Educational workshops and training programs covering topics relevant to youth empowerment, prevention, democracy education, and orientation.
• Multilinguale Beratung (Multilingual Counseling) Multilingual counseling services providing individualized support for the diverse language needs of beneficiaries from migrant backgrounds.
• Impulsvorträge (Motivational / Keynote Lectures) Motivational and educational keynote lectures delivered by team experts to schools and institutional audiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 Azubi Buddys and approximately 100 youth supported through Azubi Buddy program by end 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Prospect (formerly UMYDF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner organization in Kampala, Uganda implementing the CHANCE vocational training program. Prospect (formerly UMYDF) focuses on creating a peaceful society in Uganda, targeting disadvantaged youth and providing them with perspectives through various community-strengthening projects.
• IKHAE Fraternité AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in Rabat, Morocco engaged with people in and around Rabat. The organization focuses especially on girls and women, providing them with skills for independent living. Through CHANCE, IKHAE enables young people from difficult backgrounds to receive confectioner training.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hayat Deutschland: German family-counseling and deradicalization NGO focused on migrant and Muslim communities. Overlaps with 180 Grad Wende's multilingual counseling, women's empowerment, and prevention services targeting similar demographic segments.
• Violence Prevention Network: German nonprofit specializing in deradicalization and extremism prevention, including school-based programs. Directly comparable to 180 Grad Wende's prevention and democracy-promotion mandate, with a national footprint and similar federal-government funder base.
• Cultures Interactive (CI): Berlin-based NGO delivering violence-prevention and democratic-culture education for youth, including work with schools and marginalized communities. Closely comparable in programmatic scope (extremism prevention, empowerment, training multipliers).
• Aktion Zivilcourage e.V. Saxony-based NGO providing democratic and intercultural education in schools and communities. Comparable in providing school-based prevention workshops, multiplier training, and civic education.
• Minor – Projektkontor für Bildung und Forschung: Berlin-based nonprofit delivering education, counseling, and qualification programs for newly arrived and marginalized youth. Comparable mission around integration, education access, and vocational preparation.
• ufuq.de: Berlin-based educational nonprofit working with youth on religion, identity, and democracy in school and community settings. Comparable target audience (marginalized/migrant youth) and parallel federal-grant funding model via Demokratie leben!.

Broad incumbents

• Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Kinder- und Jugendschutz: National umbrella association for youth protection in Germany. A broader institutional player coordinating federal youth-protection policy and programming; comparable at the policy and advocacy layer rather than direct service delivery.
• SPI Soziale Stadt und Land Entwicklungsgesellschaft: Germany-wide social-services operator running youth, education, and integration programs including school-based projects. Comparable in delivering government-funded youth social services but at significantly larger scale and broader program mix.

Regional players

• Voll Normal e.V. NRW-based youth organization offering empowerment and prevention programs for marginalized youth. Operates in the same regional context as 180 Grad Wende with overlapping target audiences and grant-funded delivery model.
• Streetwork Köln: Cologne municipal outreach program for at-risk youth. Comparable in serving the same Cologne geographic market with overlapping beneficiary profiles (marginalized youth in Köln-Kalk/Mülheim), but as a publicly funded municipal service rather than independent nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/180gradwende/?hl=de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/180gradwende

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 180 Grad Wende