DESWOS - Deutsche Entwicklungshilfe für soziales Wohnungs- und Siedlungswesen e.V.

What DESWOS - Deutsche Entwicklungshilfe für soziales Wohnungs- und Siedlungswesen e.V. does

DESWOS e.V. (Deutsche Entwicklungszusammenarbeit für soziales Wohnungs- und Siedlungswesen e.V.) is a German charitable non-profit association founded in 1972 and headquartered in Köln-Ehrenfeld. The organization implements integrated development projects across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, organized around four program pillars: Hausbau (housing construction), Bildung (education and vocational training), Gesundheit (health, water, sanitation), and country-specific initiatives. Its core beneficiaries are families in extreme poverty, with projects ranging from housing construction in South Sudan and refugee settlements in Uganda, to vocational training for women masons in Bolivia, to clean water and food forest initiatives in Namibia.

The organization's revenue model is multi-streamed and donation-dependent. It draws on (1) individual and corporate donations processed through the HelpDirect donation portal, (2) recurring membership fees from more than 600 German housing cooperatives and companies, (3) textile collection container revenue via certified recycling partners SOEX and TEXAID (75–150 euros per container annually), and (4) a corporate electronics recycling partnership with Green2B yielding 10% of refurbishment proceeds plus 0.50 euros per device. Fundraising is executed via the organization's own digital channels (website, podcast, newsletter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn), industry events (DESWOS Marathon, Annagolf, Aareon Summit, EBZ), and peer-to-peer campaigns such as the Staffelstab-Aktion.

Go-to-market is concentrated within the German cooperative housing sector, where DESWOS functions as the de facto development arm of the industry, with deep ties to GdW, VdW associations, and individual cooperatives. Local implementation is executed through partner NGOs (Caritas Mwanza, COBURWAS, DMI, Caritas Wertarbeit, GWK). The 2025 rebrand from 'Entwicklungshilfe' to 'Entwicklungszusammenarbeit' and relocation to GAG Immobilien-owned premises in Köln-Ehrenfeld reflect an organizational repositioning toward a partnership-based cooperation model.

Name

DESWOS - Deutsche Entwicklungshilfe für soziales Wohnungs- und Siedlungswesen e.V.

Legal name

Deutsche Entwicklungszusammenarbeit für soziales Wohnungs- und Siedlungswesen e.V.

Website

https://deswos.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DESWOS e.V. is a German charitable non-profit founded in 1972 that implements integrated housing, education, and health development projects across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, funded primarily through donations, membership fees from 600+ German housing cooperatives, and textile and electronics recycling revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development Aid and Nonprofit Housing Development

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Infrastructure, Housing & Community Development (BPAGABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC), International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD), WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) Organizations (HLAJAKAI)

Keywords

• Housing development cooperation
• Charitable housing projects
• International development aid
• Social housing initiatives
• Nonprofit housing association

Headquarters

HQ city

Köln (Cologne)

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: DESWOS raises funds from private individuals and companies through its website donation portal, campaign appeals, and direct engagement. Donors support specific projects such as housing construction, education, and health initiatives in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
2. Membership Fees: More than 600 companies and numerous private members pay membership fees to support DESWOS. The organization states that members prove their trust in its work through membership.
3. Textile Container Revenue: DESWOS operates textile collection containers. Proceeds from certified recycling partners (SOEX, TEXAID) fund project work. Each container generates 75 to 150 euros annually depending on market price and volume. Proceeds from five containers finance building materials for one new home.
4. Mobile Phone and Electronics Recycling: DESWOS partners with Green2B to collect used corporate mobile phones, tablets, and laptops. Ten percent of proceeds from refurbishment plus 0.50 euros per recycled device flow to DESWOS development projects.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

DESWOS implements integrated international development projects focused on three pillars: Hausbau (housing construction for families in extreme poverty), Bildung (education and vocational training for children and youth), and Gesundheit (clean water, sanitation, and health services). The organization works through local civil society partner organizations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, funded primarily by donations and membership fees from more than 600 German housing cooperatives, companies, and private individual donors. Supplementary fundraising services include textile container recycling and corporate electronics donation programs.

Product overview

DESWOS is a charitable nonprofit organization (Deutsche Entwicklungszusammenarbeit für soziales Wohnungs- und Siedlungswesen e.V.) that implements integrated development projects across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The organization offers four core program areas: Hausbau (housing construction), Bildung (education/vocational training), Gesundheit (health/water/sanitation), and country-specific initiatives. Supplementary fundraising services include textile container donations, corporate mobile phone recycling programs, and themed donation campaigns such as the Malawi cooperative initiative and Ecuador housing project. The organization also produces a podcast (DESWOS Global Zuhause) for awareness and engagement. DESWOS does not offer a commercial software product; all offerings are charitable development programs and donation mechanisms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hausbau (Housing Construction Program) Construction of housing and settlements providing distressed families in Africa, Asia, and Latin America with dignified and safe homes. Projects include family homes, youth accommodations, and disaster-resistant housing.
• Bildung (Education and Vocational Training Program) Enabling children to attend school and youth to receive vocational training in construction trades and crafts to help break the cycle of poverty in partner countries.
• Gesundheit (Health, Water and Sanitation Program) Providing clean drinking water, improved hygiene, and dignified sanitation facilities to protect families in partner countries against life-threatening diseases.
• Textilcontainer (Textile Container Donation Program) Collection of donated textiles through containers placed at partner locations; certified recycling partners SOEX and TEXAID pay DESWOS 75-150 euros per container annually, with proceeds funding housing and livelihood projects.
• Handyspenden (Corporate Mobile Phone and Electronics Donation Program) Corporate mobile phone, tablet, and laptop donation program in partnership with Green2B; minimum 10 units per pickup with free DHL shipping, GDPR-compliant data erasure, and 10 percent of proceeds plus 0.50 euros per device funding DESWOS development projects.
• Genossenschaften für Malawi Donation Initiative Targeted donation initiative supporting the first housing cooperative in Malawi (Tamanga Housing Cooperative) and slum residents in Lilongwe, with approximately 80 cooperatives and companies participating and over 100,000 euros raised.
• Schweinchen baut ein Haus (Piggy Builds a House Campaign) Donation campaign launched by Rotary Club Dinslaken-2023 to support a DESWOS housing project in the Andes of Ecuador, with BMZ quadrupling donations up to a 1,700-euro fundraising goal.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 7,000 people reached through the Fischerfamilien Mwanza pilot project in Tanzania (housing, microfinance, and vocational training)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GAG Immobilien AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025GAG Immobilien AG is DESWOS's landlord, providing office space at Grüner Weg 10 in Köln-Ehrenfeld. GAG's CEO Anne Keilholz emphasized DESWOS's work as an outstanding example of solidarity and sustainable engagement in the housing industry. The partnership symbolizes shared commitment to social responsibility, both locally and globally.
• SOEX and TEXAIDminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1990SOEX and TEXAID are certified textile collection and recycling companies that have worked with DESWOS since 1990. They pay DESWOS a market-price-oriented fee per textile container collected. Proceeds from five containers fund building materials for one new home.
• Caritas MwanzacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaritas Mwanza is DESWOS's local partner organization for the Fischerfamilien (Fishing Families) pilot project in Mwanza, Tanzania. Together they implement integrated development including housing construction, savings groups, and vocational training for approximately 7,000 people. Caritas Mwanza contributes 18,500 euros to the 62,500 euro total project budget.
• COBURWAS (Collaborative Bureau for Refugee Welfare and Adult Schooling)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOBURWAS is DESWOS's partner organization at the Kyangwali Refugee Settlement in Uganda. DESWOS has funded the construction of a dining hall, dormitory, offices, kitchen, reading room, and renovation of classrooms at the COBURWAS school.
• DMI – The Daughters of Mary ImmaculatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDMI is DESWOS's project partner in South Sudan. The organization is run exclusively by women ('Sisters') and focuses on agriculture, education, and nutrition for refugees and impoverished people. DMI organizes workshops on farming, distributes seeds, and manages the campus where DESWOS project beneficiaries receive support.
• GdW – Bundesverband deutscher Wohnungs- und ImmobilienunternehmencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe GdW (German Housing Federation) is a key partner that helps disseminate DESWOS content, including Ivo's travel diary and project stories, to its broad network of housing companies and cooperatives throughout Germany.
• VdW Rheinland WestfalenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVdW Rheinland Westfalen organized the 'Gemeinsam Wasser schenken – die Wohnungswirtschaft für Namibia' initiative, channeling 32,000 euros in donations from its member companies to DESWOS for water access and a Food Forest project in Namibia.
• Caritas Wertarbeit and GWK (Gemeinnützige Werkstätten Köln)minorOthersApproximately 30 percent of Green2B's workforce consists of employees from Caritas Wertarbeit and GWK (Caritas workshops in Cologne), integrating people with disabilities into the workforce. They are involved in the electronics recycling process supporting the DESWOS-Green2B partnership.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Misereor: German Catholic Bishops' development agency funding self-help projects in developing countries. Comparable project model (Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe) and German donor base, but operates across all sectors rather than housing-specialized.
• Habitat for Humanity International: Global housing-focused non-profit operating in 70+ countries. Same core mission (housing for low-income families) and integrated approach to community development, but at vastly larger scale and global brand recognition.
• Brot für die Welt: German Protestant development and relief service organization. Overlapping German donor base and project geography in Africa, Asia, and Latin America; broader thematic scope (food security, climate, governance).
• Welthungerhilfe: One of Germany's largest private aid organizations, implementing development projects across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Overlapping project geography and donor base in Germany, but broader mandate beyond housing.
• Oxfam Deutschland: German affiliate of Oxfam International, working on poverty alleviation in developing countries. Overlapping German donor base and development cooperation focus; broader remit but similar integrated community-development approach.
• Caritas international: German Catholic international aid organization; parent of Caritas Mwanza, which is itself a DESWOS local partner. Overlapping project geography and disaster response, larger scale and broader humanitarian scope.

Direct peers

• Habitat for Humanity Deutschland: German affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, focused on housing and construction projects in developing countries. Most direct peer: same housing-focused international development mandate, registered in Germany, fundraising from German individual and corporate donors.
• Andheri-Hilfe Bonn: German non-profit funding self-help projects in India and Bangladesh. Similar size and operating model, comparable donor base in Germany, similar partner-driven project implementation; comparable to DESWOS in scope though geographically narrower.

Others

• GdW (Bundesverband deutscher Wohnungs- und Immobilienunternehmen): German national federation of housing and real estate companies. Not a competing NGO but a strategic channel partner that amplifies DESWOS content to its member network; comparable ecosystem stake in the German cooperative/real estate sector.
• HELP Direct / HelpMundo Donation Platform: Online donation platform provider used by DESWOS. Technology enabler/infrastructure provider rather than a competing NGO; listed as a peer because it operates in the same charitable giving ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/deswos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deswos
• Instagraminstagram.com/deswos_e.v

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 DESWOS - Deutsche Entwicklungshilfe für soziales Wohnungs- und Siedlungswesen e.V.