What BayWa Stiftung does

BayWa Stiftung is a German charitable foundation (rechtsfähige öffentliche Stiftung bürgerlichen Rechts) founded in 1998 by BayWa AG, a Munich-based publicly-traded company. The foundation operates without generating commercial revenue, funding its activities entirely through donations from private individuals, corporate partners within the BayWa ecosystem, and recurring fundraising campaigns. BayWa AG covers 100% of the foundation's administrative costs, allowing external donations to flow directly to projects (a guaranteed minimum of 80% effective 1 January 2026).

Name

BayWa Stiftung

Legal name

BayWa Stiftung

Website

https://baywastiftung.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The foundation's core programs are: (1) the Ernährungskompass, a scientifically grounded nutrition education book co-developed with TU München; (2) the Schulgarten (school garden) starter-kit program; (3) the Waldschule (forest school) program using certified forest educators and a printed forest journal; and (4) the O'pflanzt is! mixed-forest reforestation initiative with Bayerische Staatsforsten and the Office for Forest Genetics. Internationally, the foundation funds agricultural postgraduate training via HSWT/GIZ, vocational training for young mothers in Zambia via SOS-Kinderdörfer, the Kwathu Children's Home self-sufficiency village via TANDEKA e.V., and humanitarian aid (notably Ukraine relief coordinated through Johanniter).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation — Education, Environment and Humanitarian Aid

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH), Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

Keywords

• Charitable foundation services
• Educational program funding
• Environmental education programs
• Humanitarian aid coordination
• Nutritional education initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and charitable contributions: BayWa Stiftung operates entirely on donations from private individuals, corporate partners within the BayWa ecosystem, and public campaigns. The foundation guarantees that at least 80% of donated funds go directly to projects, with a maximum of 20% used for administrative costs, effective 01.01.2026. The BayWa AG covers all administrative costs, meaning 100% of external donations can flow to projects.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BayWa Stiftung is a non-commercial charitable foundation that funds and delivers free educational programs in nutrition (Schulgarten school gardens, Ernährungskompass teaching book) and environmental education (Waldschule forest school days, O'pflanzt is! climate-resilient tree planting) to schools in Germany, alongside international development projects in Africa and humanitarian aid (Ukraine relief). It is funded entirely by donations and corporate contributions, with BayWa AG covering all administrative costs so 100% of external donations flow to projects and from 01.01.2026 at least 80% of donations go directly to projects.

Product overview

BayWa Stiftung is a charitable foundation offering educational programs focused on nutrition and environmental education for children. Its core products include the Schulgarten (School Garden) program, where children learn to garden and grow vegetables, and the Ernährungskompass (Nutrition Compass), a teaching book developed with TU Munich. The Waldschule (Forest School) provides environmental education through forest excursions. The O'pflanzt is! initiative focuses on planting climate-stable mixed forests in Bavaria. Additionally, the foundation supports international development projects in Africa including agricultural training programs and support for young mothers in Zambia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Der Ernährungskompass: A scientifically-based teaching and action book for primary schools developed in cooperation with nutritionists from the Technical University of Munich, designed to teach children about healthy nutrition in a playful way.
• O'pflanzt is!
• Schulgarten (Gemüse pflanzen. Gesundheit ernten.)
• Die Waldschule

Products and services

• Schulgarten (School Garden)

Quantifiable outcome

• 18% improvement in dietary behavior among participating children; 27% try new fruit/vegetable varieties; 22% eat previously disliked vegetables; 16% improvement in nutritional knowledge
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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 core and minor.

• Messe MünchencoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Messe München supports the 'O'pflanzt is!' project through its GoGreen-Ticket (evolving to PLUS TICKET). Visitors and exhibitors can contribute 5 euros per ticket, with at least 83% of proceeds flowing directly to the reforestation initiative. This partnership provides ongoing, recurring funding for the project.
• Bayerische Staatsforsten (BaySF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBayerische Staatsforsten (Bavarian State Forests) is the core operational partner for the 'O'pflanzt is!' reforestation initiative. Together, the partners plant climate-resilient mixed forests in Bavarian state forests, aiming for ~60,000 additional trees by 2030 on up to 15 hectares. The partnership combines forestry expertise with foundation funding.
• Amt für Waldgenetik (Office for Forest Genetics)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Office for Forest Genetics provides scientific expertise for the 'O'pflanzt is!' project, focusing on establishing seed future stocks (Saatgutzukunftsbestände) to ensure long-term genetic quality and climate resilience of forest planting stock.
• Beisheim Stiftung (Beisheim Foundation)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Beisheim Foundation supports the Ernährungskompass project and participated in the BayWa Stiftung's 2026 Leipzig Book Fair presence, helping to promote nutritional education to a broader public audience.
• Hochschule Weihenstephan-Triesdorf (HSWT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSWT runs the annual 'Postgraduate Training Course – Food Chains in Agriculture' program, bringing ~25 African agricultural scientists to Germany for training. BayWa Stiftung funds the three best business cases with prize money (15,000 euros annually), enabling implementation in participants' home countries. Supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
• SOS-Kinderdörfer weltweit (SOS Children's Villages Worldwide)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSOS-Kinderdörfer implemented the young mothers' vocational training project in Zambia from 2017 to 2024. 74 young mothers received training in cooking or tailoring, 48 completed their training, and 38 established their own businesses. BayWa Stiftung provided 44,410 euros for the final phase.
• TANDEKA e.V.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTANDEKA e.V. (Augsburg-based German support association) coordinates the Kwathu Children's Home self-sufficiency village project in Zambia near Livingstone. Founded by Jeanette Phiri, the association supports 115 orphans, a school, and agricultural development on 5 hectares of farmland, creating 26 jobs.
• Die Johanniter (Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJohanniter is the primary implementation partner for Ukraine humanitarian aid, handling logistics, transportation, and on-ground distribution of relief supplies. Also coordinates trauma counseling for refugee children (FARBA project) and supports regional refugee reception centers in Bavaria.
• myclimateminorGTM or Marketing Partnermyclimate is the co-financing partner for Messe München's GoGreen-Ticket climate initiative, which funds the 'O'pflanzt is!' reforestation project.
• BayWa AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBayWa AG founded the foundation in 1998 and provides comprehensive support including coverage of all administrative costs, corporate communications infrastructure, employee Social Day participation, and donation matching (e.g., doubling all donations for Ukraine aid and Advent Calendar 2023).

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Software AG Foundation (SAGST): German corporate foundation funding education, science, and culture. Operates a similar corporate-foundation structure and shares the thematic overlap of funding curriculum-aligned educational projects in Germany.
• ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius: German foundation supporting education, science, and culture with significant K-12 and academic programming. Comparable governance profile and thematic overlap in delivering educational resources through German schools and cultural institutions.
• Robert Bosch Stiftung: Major German corporate foundation supporting education, health, and social issues. Operates a comparable corporate-foundation model with embedded employer ties, and runs multiple education programs relevant to BayWa Stiftung's school-focused portfolio.
• Joachim Herz Stiftung: German foundation focused on education, science, and economics with significant K-12 educational programming. Comparable to BayWa Stiftung's Ernährungskompass in delivering curriculum-aligned materials to German schools at scale.
• Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU): One of Germany's largest environmental foundations funding environmental education, conservation, and sustainability research. Comparable to BayWa Stiftung's environmental program portfolio but at significantly larger scale and broader thematic scope.
• Hertie Foundation: Major German foundation with strong focus on education, youth, and democratic engagement. Operates similar school-targeted programs and shares the corporate-foundation governance model with BayWa Stiftung.

Direct peers

• Heinz Sielmann Stiftung: German nature and biodiversity foundation operating environmental education programs for children. Comparable to BayWa Stiftung's Waldschule and O'pflanzt is! programs in combining direct biodiversity action with curriculum-aligned school outreach.
• Bayer Foundation: Corporate foundation of Bayer AG focused on life sciences, health, and nutrition. Operates a parallel corporate-foundation model with thematic overlap in nutrition education and science-based program design similar to BayWa Stiftung's Ernährungskompass.
• Beisheim Stiftung: German foundation focused on education, sport, and culture. Named partner of BayWa Stiftung on the Ernährungskompass and Leipzig Book Fair activities, with overlapping focus on educational program delivery and corporate foundation governance.
• Andreas Hermes Akademie: German agricultural-sector foundation focused on training and education for farmers and rural stakeholders. Closely aligned with BayWa Stiftung's African agricultural postgraduate program and the agricultural-nutrition intersection of the foundation's mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/baywa-stiftung

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about BayWa Stiftung