arche noVa – Initiative für Menschen in Not e.V.

What arche noVa – Initiative für Menschen in Not e.V. does

Arche noVa – Initiative für Menschen in Not e.V. is a Dresden-based, German-registered non-profit humanitarian aid organization (eingetragener Verein) founded in 1992, with 114 employees and a secondary office in Berlin. Its core mission is WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) program implementation, supported by disaster risk reduction, food security, emergency aid, and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) programming. The organization operates in 45+ countries, with long-tenure field operations in Syria (since 2012), Lebanon (since 2016), and Ukraine, and serves conflict-affected populations, refugees, IDPs, and communities lacking access to safe water and sanitation.

The organization's 'products' are charitable giving vehicles and corporate partnership programs rather than a software platform. Core offerings include Brunnenaktie (Well Stock Certificates) — personalized gift donation certificates priced at €25/€50/€100 across 9 country themes; the WasserSpender corporate CSR program (€1,000/year minimum); CSR-Partnerschaft for project sponsorship; Charity-Co-Branding (e.g., Hartkorn Red Cap spice jars with per-unit donations); Fördermitgliedschaft recurring membership at €10–€100/month; and an online fundraising action tool for occasion-based giving. Underlying technology is non-proprietary: standard SaaS tools including Fundraisingbox for donations, MailChimp for email, Matomo for analytics, and YouTube for video content.

Revenue is generated through five streams: institutional grants from BMZ, Auswärtiges Amt, and ECHO/UNICEF (the primary backbone); individual donations (one-time and recurring); corporate CSR partnerships; Fördermitgliedschaft memberships; and occasion-based or commemorative giving. The organization has held the DZI Seal-of-Approval continuously since 1993 and spent 3.35% of total expenditure on marketing and administration in 2023, placing it in the highest efficiency bracket. Arche noVa is governed by a 4-member honorary board (Chair: Stefan Mertenskötter) and managed by Dr. Jens Ola (Managing Director), with Frank Engel as Deputy Managing Director and Head of Finance & Controlling.

Name

arche noVa – Initiative für Menschen in Not e.V.

Legal name

arche noVa – Initiative für Menschen in Not e.V.

Website

https://arche-nova.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Arche noVa is a German non-profit humanitarian aid organization founded in 1992, headquartered in Dresden, with 114 employees implementing WASH, food security, disaster risk reduction, and emergency aid programs in 45+ countries. Revenue comes from institutional grants (BMZ, AA, ECHO), individual donations, and corporate CSR partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Humanitarian Aid Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee, Migration & Displacement Support (BPAGABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Climate, Environment & Natural Resource Management Aid Programs (BPADABAI)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid services
• Water and sanitation programs
• Disaster risk reduction
• Emergency relief operations
• International development cooperation

Headquarters

HQ city

Dresden

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding / Grants: Arche noVa receives funding from government institutions including the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the German Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt), and the European Commission's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO). This constitutes the primary revenue backbone for large-scale project implementation.
2. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters, collected via online donation forms (Fundraisingbox), bank transfer, direct debit, PayPal, credit card, and instant transfer. Fördermitgliedschaft (supporting membership) programs provide regular monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual contributions.
3. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Partnerships: Companies engage through CSR partnerships including project partnerships, charity co-branding (e.g., Hartkorn Red Cap spice packaging with per-unit charitable contributions), employee giving programs (Restcent-Spende), sponsorship, and the WasserSpender program (minimum €1,000/year). Partners receive supporter logos, certificates, and communication rights.
4. Supporting Membership / Fördermitgliedschaft: Recurring membership contributions at self-selected amounts (€10, €50, €100/month or custom), with tax deductibility in Germany under the organization's recognized charitable status.
5. Occasion-Based Giving: Donations made to mark special occasions (birthdays, weddings, company jubilees, funerals) via online fundraising tools, collection boxes, or direct bank transfer with reference codes.
6. Well Stock Certificates (Brunnenaktien): Branded gift certificates sold at €25, €50, €100 price points, themed around countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Lebanon, Mali, Myanmar, Somalia, Syria, Uganda, Ukraine). Sold as personalized gifts for special occasions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

arche noVa is a German humanitarian aid organization that implements WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene), disaster risk reduction, food security, emergency relief, and education-for-sustainable-development projects in more than 45 countries. It funds these projects through individual donations, supporting memberships, corporate CSR partnerships, and institutional grants from BMZ, the German Federal Foreign Office, and the EU's ECHO. It also offers donors digital fundraising tools, occasion-based giving products such as Brunnenaktie (well stock certificates), and corporate partnership programs including WasserSpender and charity co-branding.

Product overview

arche noVa is a humanitarian aid organization, not a software product company. Its offerings consist of charitable donation products and fundraising tools rather than a unified software platform. The core product portfolio includes Brunnenaktie (well share certificates) as gift donations in various country themes (Ethiopia, Kenya, Lebanon, Mali, Myanmar, Somalia, Syria, Uganda, Ukraine), an online fundraising campaign tool for individual supporters, and corporate partnership programs including WasserSpender (for KMUs), CSR-Partnerschaft (for project-specific sponsorship), Charity-Co-Branding (for product-based donations), and Fördermitgliedschaft (recurring membership donations). These products support the organization's thematic focus areas: Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (main focus), Disaster Risk Reduction, Emergency Aid & Rehabilitation, Food Supply & Health, and Education for Sustainable Development, delivered across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WasserSpender: A program for small and medium-sized enterprises (KMUs) that enables companies to become official 'WasserSpender Unternehmen' supporters starting at 1,000€ donations, receiving a supporter seal, email signature, and thank-you certificate.

Products and services

• Brunnenaktie (Well Stock Certificate)

Quantifiable outcome

• 60 home gardens created; 384 people reached (including 19 persons with disabilities) in Lebanon backyard garden project
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Arche noVa has been a member of RWSN since 2010. This international network of NGOs represents the interests of those lacking access to safe and clean water in rural areas worldwide. Organizations exchange knowledge and experience, improving competence and project quality.
• Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Arche noVa has been a member of SuSanA since 2010. SuSanA is an international network of partner organizations from 45 countries sharing the vision of a sustainable solution for the global sanitary crisis. It serves as a working and discussion platform advancing the political discussion on sanitation.
• Dresden hilft (Active Alliance)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005In 2005, arche noVa and the city of Dresden signed a cooperation agreement called 'Dresden hilft' ('Dresden helps') triggered by the devastating tsunami in Southeast Asia. The cooperation has continued to implement several projects. The Mayor of Dresden has accompanied arche noVa's work with collective appeals for donations and joint public relations.
• Aktion Deutschland Hilft (ADH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Through membership in Der Paritätische, arche noVa became a member of Germany's Relief Coalition 'Aktion Deutschland Hilft' (ADH) in 2003. ADH is an association of German relief organizations providing quick and effective aid during major catastrophes. In urgent times of major catastrophes, ADH addresses the public with a collective appeal for donations. The money is distributed among member organizations based on a distribution key according to their capacity and performance profile.
• Der Paritätische / Paritätischer Landesverband SachsencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArche noVa is a member of the Paritätischer Landesverband Sachsen. The Paritätische is one of Germany's biggest umbrella associations connecting about 10,000 member organizations from all fields of social work. Through this membership, arche noVa also accesses ADH network benefits.
• Global WASH ClustercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Alliance for the Coordination of Emergency Assistance in the Areas of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH). Arche noVa is a member and is committed to individually defined standards for each country. The cluster approach was introduced in the humanitarian reform of 2005 to improve coordination of humanitarian work.
• WASH-Netzwerk (German WASH Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 2011; arche noVa is among its founding members. All member organizations implement international projects in water, sanitation, and hygiene and are involved in political lobbying. Activities focus on professionalizing work through continuous knowledge exchange and improving the connection between emergency/transitional aid and development cooperation.
• VENROminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation of development NGOs in Germany, located in Bonn. About 120 organizations are members. Arche noVa adheres to VENRO Codes of Conduct including transparency, organizational management, children's rights, and development-related public relations.
• VENRO (Code of Conduct Compliance)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArche noVa is committed to VENRO's Code of Conduct on Transparency, Organisation Management and Control; Code of Conduct for Children's Rights; and Code of Conduct for Development-Related Public Relations.
• UN OCHAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, part of the UN secretariat. Responsible for bringing relevant actors of humanitarian aid together to ensure coherent response to emergencies.
• UNICEFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Nations Children's Fund. Arche noVa cooperates with UNICEF on humanitarian programs.
• Entwicklungspolitisches Netzwerk Sachsen (ENS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArche noVa is one of the major actors in this development policy network in Saxony. Cooperates especially in the field of Education for Sustainable Development / Global Learning with conceptual development and joint events.
• Berliner Entwicklungspolitischer Ratschlag (BER)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of developmental initiatives, associations, and groupings in Berlin promoting Global Learning at schools. Arche noVa has been listed as a recommended NGO since 2010 and actively supports BER's lobbying and networking activities.
• Transparente Zivilgesellschaft (Transparency International Germany)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArche noVa participates in the initiative of Transparency International Germany, committing to 10 fundamental transparency standards for civil society organizations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Malteser International: German humanitarian relief organization focused on disaster relief, WASH, and health in crisis contexts. Direct peer on emergency response, German institutional funding (BMZ/AA/ECHO), and Catholic-affiliated NGO structure with broad country footprint.
• Welthungerhilfe: One of Germany's largest privately funded humanitarian and development NGOs, also headquartered with strong government (BMZ) funding ties. Directly comparable on German humanitarian NGO positioning, institutional funder reliance, and public donation fundraising model.
• CARE Deutschland: German affiliate of CARE International providing humanitarian aid and development cooperation, including WASH and emergency response. Direct peer on donor base, project focus areas, and CSR partnership programs targeting German companies.
• Oxfam Deutschland: German branch of Oxfam confederation working on humanitarian response, WASH, and inequality. Directly comparable on multi-channel fundraising, German institutional funding, and advocacy-driven humanitarian programs in 45+ countries.
• Help – Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe: German humanitarian NGO implementing WASH and food security projects in conflict and disaster contexts. Direct peer on BMZ-funded project implementation, 'helping people to help themselves' approach, and comparable organizational scale.
• Johanniter Unfall-Hilfe (International Assistance): German humanitarian aid organization delivering international disaster relief, WASH, and emergency medical care. Direct peer on BMZ-funded humanitarian programming, German network memberships, and project implementation across crisis-affected countries.

Broad incumbents

• Caritas international: Larger German Catholic confederation providing humanitarian aid, disaster response, and development cooperation. Broader incumbent offering WASH, emergency relief, and reconstruction overlapping with arche noVa's portfolio but at significantly greater scale.
• Deutsche Welthungerhilfe (merged entity reference): Major German development and humanitarian organization with broader food security and rural development mandate than arche noVa's WASH specialization. Functions as both direct peer and larger incumbent shaping the same BMZ funding competitive landscape.
• UNICEF Deutschland: German national committee of UNICEF partnering with arche noVa on humanitarian programs. Broader incumbent representing a global UN agency with far greater scale, overlapping on WASH, child-focused humanitarian response, and institutional fundraising.

Others

• Aktion Deutschland Hilft (ADH): German relief coalition of which arche noVa is a member since 2003. Functions as an enabling partner/distributor for collective catastrophe fundraising rather than a direct competitor — provides amplified donor access during major crises.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/archenova
• Xx.com/arche_nova
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXKBNT9O0IKlbMJNCiEkK5A
• Instagraminstagram.com/arche_nova
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/archenova

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about arche noVa – Initiative für Menschen in Not e.V.