Bundesverband Kinderhospiz e.V.

What Bundesverband Kinderhospiz e.V. does

Bundesverband Kinderhospiz e.V. (BVKH) is a German registered non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 2002 and headquartered in Berlin, with a secondary business office in Lenzkirch, Baden-Württemberg. It functions as the sole Dachverband (umbrella association) for all children's hospice organizations in Germany, representing both inpatient and outpatient facilities across all 16 federal states. Its mission is the political and public advocacy of children, adolescents, and young adults with life-shortening (lebensverkürzend) illnesses and their families, from diagnosis through bereavement. The organization serves approximately 28 paid staff (8 full-time, 20 part-time) plus approximately 90 volunteers as of January 2025.

BVKH operates a portfolio of direct services including the 24/7 OSKAR Sorgentelefon hotline (0800 8888 4711), the Grüne Bande youth club for affected adolescents and siblings, the Kinderschutzstelle child protection office, and the Frag Oskar.de social-rights counseling platform. Public-facing programs include the annual Kinder-Lebens-Lauf inclusion campaign, the award-winning #sogehtteilhabe video campaign (2024 Deutscher Kinder- und Jugendpreis, second place), and the 365 Tage Magazin publication. It also operates workshops, training, and networking events for member organizations and professionals. The organization is a member of DHPV (Deutscher Hospiz- und PalliativVerband) and holds an active board seat in ICPCN (International Children's Palliative Care Network), and is connected to the Bundesstiftung Kinderhospiz through a planned Personalunion.

BVKH's revenue model is multi-stream and donation-led. Income derives from low-ticket recurring donations (Glücksbringer monthly giving starting at €5/month, patronage from €10/month), one-off and memorial/occasion donations, testamentary bequests, membership fees from hospice organizations, corporate sponsorship agreements, and public project grants (notably from the Bundesministerium für Gesundheit for the KPKJU project coordinating palliative care for Ukrainian evacuee children). All services to beneficiary families are free of charge. The association is tax-exempt under German gemeinnützig law (current determination dated December 16, 2024, valid through December 31, 2027), a member of the Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft, and wholly owns the subsidiary Kinderhospiz Beratungs-gGmbH, which provides advisory services.

Name

Bundesverband Kinderhospiz e.V.

Legal name

Bundesverband Kinderhospiz e.V.

Website

https://bundesverband-kinderhospiz.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bundesverband Kinderhospiz e.V. is the German national umbrella association (Dachverband) for all children's hospice organizations, providing political advocacy, a 24/7 hotline, child protection services, and youth programs for families of children with life-limiting illnesses across Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Hospice and Palliative Care Advocacy

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Pediatric Hospice & Palliative Care (HLADAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK), Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG), Global Health Advocacy, Policy & Rights Organizations (HLAJAKAO)

Keywords

• Children's hospice services
• Pediatric palliative care
• Charitable advocacy
• Bereavement support
• Family hospice counseling

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and charitable contributions: The organization raises funds from private donors through one-time and recurring donations. The Glücksbringer monthly donor program starts at 5 EUR/month. Memorial donations (Gedenkspende) and occasion-based donations (Anlassspende) are also accepted. All donations are tax-deductible, with donation receipts issued annually.
2. Membership fees: Hospice organizations across Germany pay membership fees to belong to the umbrella association. The organization maintains a nationwide membership structure across all 16 German states.
3. Public project funding: Project grants are received from public bodies. A notable example is project funding from the Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Federal Ministry of Health) for the KPKJU project – coordination of palliative care for evacuee children from Ukraine.
4. Monthly donor program (Glücksbringer): Monthly recurring donations starting at 5 EUR per month through the Glücksbringer program. Gift memberships (Patenschaft) start at 10 EUR per month.
5. Corporate partnerships and sponsorships: Companies engage with the association through individual sponsorship agreements and cooperation deals, receiving public relations benefits, involvement in inclusive projects, talks, panel discussions, and workshops for employees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Bundesverband Kinderhospiz e.V. is the national umbrella association (Dachverband) for all children's hospice organizations in Germany, providing political advocacy, public awareness, and direct support services for families of children with life-shortening illnesses. Its core offerings are a 24/7 helpline (OSKAR Sorgentelefon, 0800 8888 4711), a youth club (Grüne Bande), a child-protection advisory service (Kinderschutzstelle), nationwide awareness campaigns (Kinder-Lebens-Lauf, #sogehtteilhabe), and a social-rights information platform (Frag Oskar.de). The organization is donation-funded and serves beneficiaries free of charge.

Product overview

Bundesverband Kinderhospiz e.V. is a non-profit advocacy and membership organization (Dachverband) representing children's hospice organizations across Germany. The organization provides a unified suite of support services centered around its core helpline (OSKAR Sorgentelefon), youth engagement programs (Grüne Bande), public awareness campaigns (#sogehtteilhabe, Kinder-Lebens-Lauf), child protection services (Kinderschutzstelle), digital platforms (Frag Oskar.de), and various donation mechanisms (Glücksbringer monthly giving, Anlassspende, Gedenkspende). The portfolio also includes educational programming (Workshops & Events) and publications (365 Tage Magazin). The organization does not offer a technology product but provides advocacy, member support, and direct family services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Grüne Bande: Youth club for children and young adults with chronic or life-limiting illnesses, their siblings, and other close family members
• OSKAR Sorgentelefon
• Kinder-Lebens-Lauf
• Kinderschutzstelle
• Frag Oskar.de

Products and services

• OSKAR Sorgentelefon (24/7 Helpline) A free 24/7 toll-free helpline (0800 8888 4711) offering counseling, emotional support, and guidance for families of terminally ill children, professionals, and bereaved families across Germany.
• Grüne Bande (Youth Club) A national youth club and community platform for children, adolescents, and young adults with life-limiting conditions, their siblings, and children of severely ill parents, providing peer networking, advocacy training, and amplification of youth voices through campaigns such as #sogehtteilhabe.
• Kinderschutzstelle (Child Protection Office) A specialized advisory service for professionals and member organizations in children's hospice settings, providing hotline consultation (0800 8888 4714), risk assessment, and support for developing protection concepts (Schutzkonzepte) in compliance with § 8a SGB VIII.
• Frag Oskar.de A digital platform providing legal advice on social law issues (Sozialrecht) for affected families, together with networking resources for member organizations.
• Anlassspende (Occasion Donations) A donation service enabling individuals or organizations to request charitable contributions in lieu of gifts for personal occasions such as birthdays or weddings, or for corporate anniversaries.
• Gedenkspende (Memorial Donations) A funeral memorial donation service allowing mourners to request charitable contributions in memory of a deceased loved one, with donation receipts issued for tax purposes.
• Glücksbringer (Monthly Giving Program) A monthly recurring donation program with minimum contributions starting at €5 per month for individuals and €10 per month for Patenschaft (gift/patronage) memberships, providing sustained funding for the organization's mission.
• Mitgliedschaft (Membership for Hospice Organizations) A membership program for ambulatory and stationary children's hospice facilities across all 16 German states, providing national representation, advocacy, training, consulting on setup and operations, quality standards, and reimbursement guidance.
• Testamentary Bequests (Testamentsspende) A planned-giving program enabling supporters to bequeath assets to the BVKH through their wills, with consultation and informational materials for prospective testators.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 children, adolescents, and young adults with life-shortening conditions in Germany supported by the network of member organizations.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ICPCN (International Children's Palliative Care Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe BVKH is an active board member of ICPCN, the only global network for pediatric palliative care. The partnership aims to ensure that every affected child, regardless of country of origin, receives the best possible care, pain relief, and quality of life.
• Bundesstiftung KinderhospizcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe BVKH and Bundesstiftung Kinderhospiz work closely together, combining political advocacy with direct support. There is a planned personal union (Personalunion) between the two organizations. The foundation is listed on the BVKH website as a key affiliated entity.
• Deutscher Hospiz- und PalliativVerband (DHPV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe BVKH is a member of the DHPV, the German Hospice and Palliative Association, which connects the children's hospice sector to the broader national hospice and palliative care ecosystem.
• Kinderhospiz Beratungs-gGmbHcoreOthersA wholly-owned subsidiary (100%) of the BVKH. Provides consulting services related to children's hospice care.
• Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Federal Ministry of Health)majorOthersProject funding provided for the KPKJU project – 'Koordinierung von palliativ versorgungsbedürftigen, zu evakuierenden Kindern und jungen Menschen aus der Ukraine in Deutschland' (Coordination of palliative care for evacuee children from Ukraine).
• University of Witten/HerdeckeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe university developed a methodology (together with the BVKH) that provides reliable figures for the first time on the number of children needing hospice and palliative care, enabling evidence-based planning.
• ACT (Association for children with Life-Threatening or Terminal Conditions and their Families)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe British children's hospice movement and ACT's definition informed the foundational principles of children's hospice work in Germany, as referenced in the BVKH's policy documents.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Together for Short Lives: The leading UK charity for children's palliative care, providing advocacy, information, and family support. A direct international counterpart to BVKH in scope and mission.
• Björn Schulz Stiftung: Berlin-based foundation providing pediatric palliative and hospice services, including the Sonnenhof children's hospice. Represented on the BVKH board and operates overlapping services in the same geography.
• Bundesstiftung Kinderhospiz: The German national foundation dedicated to children with life-limiting illnesses and their families. Operates in the same pediatric hospice space in Germany and is slated for a Personalunion with BVKH, making it the closest structural peer.
• Kinderhospiz Mitteldeutschland Gemeinnützige Gesellschaft mbH: A regional children's hospice operator in Central Germany represented on the BVKH board. Directly comparable as a member hospice organization providing inpatient pediatric hospice care.
• Bärenherz Stiftung / Bärenherz Kinderhospize gGmbH: A German children's hospice foundation operating inpatient facilities. Also represented on BVKH's board, making it a directly comparable member hospice operator within the BVKH umbrella.
• ACT (Association for Children with Life-Threatening or Terminal Conditions and their Families): The UK umbrella body for children's palliative care, whose foundational definitions informed BVKH's policy work. The most comparable international peer for national pediatric hospice advocacy.

Others

• International Children's Palliative Care Network (ICPCN): The global network for pediatric palliative care, on which BVKH holds an active board seat. Not a competing operator but the umbrella to which BVKH belongs internationally.

Regional players

• Children's Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS): Scotland's national children's hospice charity providing direct care, family support, and advocacy. Comparable in mission though geographically focused on Scotland rather than Germany.
• Ambulanter Kinder- und Jugendhospizdienst Bergisch Land: An outpatient children's and youth hospice service in the Bergisch Land region, also associated with the Bergisches Familientrauerzentrum. A BVKH board member and a directly comparable regional peer.

Broad incumbents

• Deutscher Hospiz- und PalliativVerband (DHPV): The German national umbrella association for hospice and palliative care providers (adult and pediatric). BVKH is a member of DHPV, which represents the broader sector while BVKH specializes in children's hospice — the closest incumbent-level peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UChk1LOvwhPl00OIbLDIeXFg?feature=mhee
• Facebookfacebook.com/BundesverbandKinderhospiz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bundesverband-kinderhospiz-e-v
• Instagraminstagram.com/bundesverbandkinderhospiz

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Bundesverband Kinderhospiz e.V.