Deutscher Fundraising Verband e.V.

What Deutscher Fundraising Verband e.V. does

Deutscher Fundraising Verband e.V. (DFRV) is a registered non-profit professional association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 1993 and headquartered at Brüderstraße 13, Berlin. It serves approximately 1,700 members drawn from three categories: charitable non-profit organisations, freelance fundraising consultants, and fundraising service providers in Germany. Governance is exercised through a board and a managing director (Larissa Probst), with operations supported by a 24-employee staff and an extensive volunteer structure spanning 14 specialist groups, 19 regional groups, two expert committees (Ethik, Recht), and two working committees.

DFRV's product surface is built around community, content, and convening rather than proprietary technology. Flagship outputs include the annual Deutscher Fundraising Kongress (a three-day industry congress), the Deutscher Fundraising Preis (the principal German fundraising award), the NextGen Fundraising Summit, the quarterly FUNDStücke magazine (~1,700 copies per issue) and the monthly FUNDStücke newsletter (~1,500 recipients), the annual Deutscher Spendenmonitor research service, the Ethik-Signet ethics certification, the Stellenbörse job board, the ZER donation-recipient register, a fundraising-software vendor catalogue, and the KreativSafe creative-protection service. The association is a member of the European Fundraising Association (EFA) — with its managing director sitting on the EFA board — coordinates #GivingTuesday in Germany with Thrive International and the Maecenata Stiftung, and is a member of the Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft and the Bündnis für Gemeinnützigkeit.

Revenue is generated through five streams: recurring annual membership dues (by member category), event revenue from the congress, Fachtage specialist days, and webinars (including ticket sales and sponsor/exhibitor packages), advertising in the magazine and newsletter at published mediadaten rates, premium/co/pool/basis sponsorship tiers (six current premium partners), and job-board listings (free for member non-profits, €220 for non-member postings). The association is registered at Amtsgericht Charlottenburg under VR 30179 B and does not publish revenue figures.

Name

Deutscher Fundraising Verband e.V.

Legal name

Deutscher Fundraising Verband e.V.

Website

https://dfrv.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Deutscher Fundraising Verband e.V. is a 1993-founded German non-profit professional association that serves roughly 1,700 fundraising professionals and non-profits through membership services, the annual Deutscher Fundraising Kongress, the quarterly FUNDStücke magazine, and advocacy across 14 specialist and 19 regional groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Fundraising industry networking
• Nonprofit member services
• Fundraising professional development
• Charitable sector advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

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. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from organizations (non-profits), freelance consultants, and service providers. DFRV offers different membership categories with associated benefits including access to publications, job board, and networking.
2. Event Revenue: Revenue from Deutscher Fundraising Kongress (annual 3-day conference), Fachtage (specialist days), webinars, and regional group meetings. Includes sponsorship packages and exhibition fees.
3. Publications and Advertising: Revenue from FUNDStücke magazine (quarterly publication with approximately 1,700 copies), newsletter advertising, and the monthly FUNDStücke newsletter. Media rates published in annual mediadaten.
4. Sponsoring and Partnerships: Premium partner relationships and event sponsorship packages (Premium-Sponsoring, Co-Sponsoring, Pool-Sponsoring, Basis-Sponsoring) for Fachtage and other events.
5. Job Board: Free job postings for members, paid postings for non-members at 220 EUR for non-profit organizations. Position listings and candidate searches generate revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Deutscher Fundraising Verband e.V. (DFRV) is a registered nonprofit professional association serving approximately 1,700 fundraising professionals and organizations in Germany. It delivers member services including publications (FUNDStücke magazine and newsletter), industry events (Deutscher Fundraising Kongress, NextGen Fundraising Summit, Fachtage specialist days), the Deutscher Fundraising Preis award, research (Deutscher Spendenmonitor), a job board (Stellenbörse), the Ethik-Signet ethics certification, a donations recipient register (ZER), and networking through 14 specialist groups and 19 regional groups.

Product overview

Deutscher Fundraising Verband e.V. (DFRV) is a professional association for fundraising professionals in Germany, offering a portfolio of member services including publications (FUNDStücke magazine and newsletter), events (Deutscher Fundraising Kongress, NextGen Fundraising Summit), awards (Deutscher Fundraising Preis), and research (Deutscher Spendenmonitor). The association also provides practical services such as a job board (Stellenbörse), ethics certification (Ethik-Signet), a donations recipient register (ZER), software directory, and advertising opportunities. The organization connects approximately 1,700 members through 14 specialist groups and 19 regional groups, making it the second-largest fundraising association in Europe and a member of the European Fundraising Association (EFA).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Deutscher Fundraising-Kongress: The German Fundraising Congress - the largest and most prestigious industry meeting in the German-speaking region
• Deutscher Fundraising Preis
• NextGen Fundraising Summit
• FUNDStücke – das Magazin
• FUNDStücke – Der Newsletter
• Deutscher Spendenmonitor

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Deutsche PostcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Premium partner of DFRV. Deutsche Post provides postal and logistics services beneficial for non-profit mailings and donor communications.
• iRaisercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Premium partner offering fundraising software solutions to DFRV members with potential discounts.
• iFunds GermanycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Premium partner providing fundraising solutions to DFRV members.
• DIRECT MINDcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Premium partner offering digital solutions for fundraising to DFRV members.
• gruen alphacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Premium partner with sustainability focus, aligning with DFRV's community and ESG values.
• raisenowcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Premium partner providing online fundraising and donation platform solutions.
• European Fundraising Association (EFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFRV is a member of the European Fundraising Association (EFA). DFRV's Managing Director Larissa Probst serves as an elected board member of EFA, enabling international exchange and collaboration.
• Thrive InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFRV cooperates with Thrive International on the #GivingTuesday initiative in Germany, coordinating the global giving day campaign.
• Maecenata StiftungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFRV cooperates with Maecenata Stiftung on the #GivingTuesday initiative in Germany.
• Initiative Transparente ZivilgesellschaftminorOthersDFRV is a member/trustee of the Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft, committing to transparency standards for civil society organizations.
• Bündnis für GemeinnützigkeitminorOthersDFRV is a member of the Bündnis für Gemeinnützigkeit (Alliance for Charitable Purpose), a coalition advocating for non-profit interests in Germany.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Stifterverband: German association focused on promoting education, science, and innovation through philanthropy and corporate responsibility. Adjacent to DFRV's mission of professionalizing fundraising in Germany.
• Charities Aid Foundation (CAF): International nonprofit providing fundraising and giving services, donor research, and the World Giving Index. Closely comparable to DFRV's Deutscher Spendenmonitor research product and serves the same professional fundraising audience.

Regional players

• Association Francophone de Fundraising (AFF): The French-language fundraising association, comparable in mission and structure to DFRV. Provides training, networking, and ethical standards for fundraisers in France and francophone markets.
• Swissfundraising: Swiss fundraising association offering certification, events, and networking for Swiss fundraising professionals. Comparable structure to DFRV, with a smaller national footprint.
• Fundraising Verband Austria: The Austrian fundraising association. Operates a parallel professional membership model in the German-speaking region, comparable to DFRV but serving a smaller Austrian market.

Direct peers

• European Fundraising Association (EFA): Umbrella association of which DFRV is a member. Coordinates European fundraising standards, training, and advocacy. DFRV's Managing Director sits on EFA's board, making it a closely intertwined peer across European markets.
• Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen: Germany's leading association for foundations. While focused on funders rather than fundraisers, it serves the same donor/non-profit ecosystem in Germany and overlaps with DFRV's Stiftungsfundraising specialist group.

Broad incumbents

• Institute of Fundraising (UK): The largest fundraising association in Europe, explicitly cited as DFRV's benchmark primary competitor. Operates the same professional membership model for fundraisers in the UK, offering certification, events, and advocacy.
• Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP): The largest global fundraising professional association, offering membership, certification (CFRE), ethics standards, and an annual International Fundraising Conference. Directly comparable to DFRV's mission, with a broader geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DeutscherFundraisingVerband
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deutscher-fundraising-verband
• Instagraminstagram.com/deutscherfundraisingverband

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 Deutscher Fundraising Verband e.V.