Diakonie Hessen

What Diakonie Hessen does

Diakonie Hessen, legally Diakonisches Werk in Hessen und Nassau und Kurhessen-Waldeck e.V., is a registered nonprofit (eingetragener Verein) Protestant social welfare organization formed through the 2014 merger of two predecessor regional Diakonisches Werke. It operates as the diakonal arm of the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau (EKHN) and the Evangelical Church of Kurhessen-Waldeck (EKKW), coordinating roughly 500 member facilities that together employ approximately 45,000 staff and engage about 45,000 volunteers across Hesse and adjacent parts of Thuringia and Rhineland-Palatinate.

The organization delivers a portfolio of 2,472 distinct service offerings spanning child and youth welfare, elder care and nursing, assistance for people with disabilities, counseling, refugee and migration support, and poverty relief. It runs two state offices in Frankfurt am Main and Kassel, and operates under the "Dritter Weg" (Third Way) church labor framework, with about 42,000 staff covered by the AVR collective agreements. Its funding model is a mix of social-insurance reimbursements (SGB II, III, V, IX, XI, XII), allocations from church tax, donations and legacies, membership fees from member facilities, and project grants from public bodies and foundations such as Aktion Mensch. Public-facing operations include online counseling channels, advocacy campaigns (#PflegeGehtUnsAlleAn), and digital content distributed via YouTube and SoundCloud.

Name

Diakonie Hessen

Legal name

Diakonisches Werk in Hessen und Nassau und Kurhessen-Waldeck e.V.

Website

https://diakonie-hessen.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Diakonie Hessen is a nonprofit Protestant social welfare umbrella coordinating ~500 member facilities, 45,000 employees, and 45,000 volunteers delivering care, counseling, and poverty services across Hesse and neighboring regions of Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Welfare and Charitable Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Individual and Family Services (6241), Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Community Housing Services (62422), Temporary Shelters (624221)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG), Resettlement, Relocation & Repatriation Support (BPADAHAD), Diaspora, Family Reunification & Case Management Services (BPADAHAM), Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

Keywords

• Social welfare services
• Nursing care
• Disability inclusion
• Poverty relief
• Refugee support

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt am Main

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. Social Insurance Reimbursements: Member facilities receive reimbursements from statutory social insurance providers (health insurance, long-term care insurance, pension insurance, accident insurance) for services delivered under Social Code books (SGB II, III, V, IX, XI, XII). This represents the primary revenue stream for the extensive network of care, rehabilitation, and social welfare facilities.
2. Donations and Legacies: Individual donors contribute via online portals, and the organization actively campaigns for donations. Legacy giving (Testamentsspende, Zustiftung) is promoted with dedicated personal consultation. Nonprofit organizations such as Diakonie Hessen are exempt from inheritance tax.
3. Membership Fees and Church Tax Allocation: As a state-level welfare association (Landesverband) of the Protestant church, Diakonie Hessen receives funding allocations from church taxes and membership contributions from its ~500 member facilities.
4. Project Funding and Subsidies: Time-limited project funding from foundations (Stiftung Diakonie Hessen, Aktion Mensch), government subsidies, and EU or federal/state programs supports specific initiatives such as 'Teilhabe stärken', 'Sorgenetze', 'Frauen fördern Führung', and rural poverty research.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Diakonie Hessen is the regional welfare association (Landesverband) of the Protestant churches EKHN and EKKW, operating approximately 500 member facilities that deliver charitable social services across Hesse, parts of Thuringia, and Rhineland-Palatinate. It coordinates and provides healthcare, inpatient and outpatient nursing care, poverty relief, refugee and migration support, disability inclusion (Eingliederungshilfe under SGB IX), family and youth services, addiction counseling, and community welfare through its two state offices in Frankfurt and Kassel.

Product overview

Diakonie Hessen (Diakonisches Werk in Hessen und Nassau und Kurhessen-Waldeck e.V.) is a regional welfare association of the Evangelical churches in Hesse, operating as a social services organization rather than a technology product company. The organization offers a portfolio of charitable services including digital counseling, emergency aid, facility location tools, and continuing education for member organizations. Key thematic areas span poverty, migration, health/pflege, disability inclusion, and family support. Notable projects include the women-in-leadership initiative f³, participation-strengthening programs for disabled persons, rural poverty research, violence prevention, and care network development. Professional associations SIBA (employment/integration) and ELAS (addiction support) serve member organizations. Communication channels include newsletters, podcasts, and the 'in der tat - konkret' magazine. Services are funded through donations, legacies, and public contracts rather than product licensing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• f³ – frauen fördern führung: Women's leadership and mentorship program promoting gender equality in management positions within the Diakonie Hessen network.
• Teilhabe stärken – Wir sind zusammen mutig!
• Armut auf dem Land
• Sorgenetze – Sorgestrukturen im Sozialraum neu denken
• Gewaltprävention in der sozialen Arbeit
• ELAS Diakonie Hessen
• SIBA

Products and services

• Online-Beratung (Online Counseling) Digital counseling service enabling users to seek help and advice through online channels across social welfare topics.
• Einrichtungssuche (Facility Finder) Search tool for locating Diakonie member facilities and services across Hesse and the surrounding region.
• Soforthilfe (Emergency Aid) Immediate crisis assistance services for people in acute emergencies.
• Fort- und Weiterbildungen (Training and Continuing Education) Continuing education catalog for member organizations covering various social welfare topics, with registration and participant management.
• Testamentsspende/Vererben (Legacy Giving) Inheritance and legacy donation services including testamentary gifts, endowments, and foundation establishment guidance, with personal consultation.
• Spenden (Donations) Donation services for supporting Diakonie Hessen charitable work and social programs via online portal.
• Freiwilligendienste (Volunteer Services) Volunteer engagement programs including the Evangelical Voluntary Services in Hesse, channeling 45,000 engaged volunteers.
• Beschwerdemanagement (Complaint Management) Feedback and complaint handling service for Diakonie Hessen services, with contact options via email, phone, and mail.
• ELAS Diakonie Hessen (Evangelische Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft für Suchthilfe) Professional association for addiction support combining ambulatory, stationary, and self-help organizations across the region.
• SIBA (Soziale Integration, Bildung und Arbeit) Professional association uniting Diakonie Hessen members from education, employment, and qualification areas for job seekers, supporting and developing member services.
• f³ – frauen fördern führung (Women Promoting Leadership) Women in leadership project promoting female leadership through cross-mentoring, training, coaching, and networking programs across member organizations.
• Teilhabe stärken – Wir sind zusammen mutig! Participation strengthening project developing co-determination opportunities for people with disabilities in rehabilitation assistance at member organizations.
• Sorgenetze – Sorgestrukturen im Sozialraum neu denken (Care Networks) Care networks project developing future care structures for an aging society through local challenge analysis, needs assessment, and age-appropriate neighborhood development in rural North Hesse.
• Gewaltprävention in der sozialen Arbeit (Violence Prevention in Social Work) Cross-cutting violence prevention project supporting member organizations in developing protection concepts, aligned with the initiative 'hinschauen - helfen - handeln' against sexualized violence.
• Armut auf dem Land (Rural Poverty Research Project) Research project on poverty in rural Hesse examining mobility poverty, housing shortages, hidden poverty, precarious work, and restricted education access, with practical formats for social workers and municipalities.
• Cross Mentoring-Programm 2025 (Cross Mentoring Program) Cross-mentoring leadership program for women, with experienced mentors from church and Diakonie institutions supporting mentees across organizational boundaries through workshops and tandem partnerships.
• in der tat - konkret (Annual Magazine) Annual magazine featuring stories from Diakonie Hessen's social welfare work, highlighting volunteers, employees, and people helped by Diakonie services.
• Diakonie Hessen Insights Podcast Podcast series featuring experts discussing social challenges and health topics with insights for participation and social justice.
• #PflegeGehtUnsAlleAn Campaign Public advocacy campaign raising awareness about the nursing crisis and advocating for nursing system reform, accompanied by the 'Unerhört.Gesund' podcast series.

Quantifiable outcome

• 45,000 employees and 45,000 volunteers engaged across the network
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Evangelische Hochschule Darmstadt (EHD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-research partner in the 'Armut auf dem Land' (Rural Poverty) project. Project leadership shared between Prof. Dr. Jana Günther (EHD) and Dr. Melanie Hartmann (Diakonie Hessen). Research integrated into EHD teaching curricula for Social Work and Diakonik/Gemeindepädagogik programs.
• Diakonie DeutschlandflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal-level umbrella organization of German Diakonie. Diakonie Hessen participates in Diakonie Deutschland campaigns on Pflege (care) and is aligned with national Diakonie transparency standards and policy positions.
• DEVAP – Deutscher Evangelischer Verband für Altenarbeit und Pflege e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiakonie Hessen collaborates with DEVAP on federal-level advocacy for fundamental care system reforms. DEVAP publishes strategy papers on care policy that Diakonie Hessen endorses and distributes.
• Liga Hessen – Arbeitskreis Gesundheit, Pflege und SeniorencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiakonie Hessen participates in Liga Hessen (federation of free welfare organizations in Hesse) through the working group on health, care, and seniors, contributing to joint positions on social policy.
• Hessische Landesstelle für Suchtfragen e.V. (HLS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHLS is the coordinating body for addiction prevention in Hesse. ELAS Diakonie Hessen cooperates with HLS on addiction prevention, self-help support, and public education. HLS produces shared educational videos on addiction self-help.
• Evangelische Kirche in Hessen und Nassau (EKHN)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of two mother churches of Diakonie Hessen. Joint initiatives include the Cross Mentoring-Programm 'f³' for women's leadership development, conducted together with EKHN and EKKW.
• Evangelische Kirche von Kurhessen-Waldeck (EKKW)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of two mother churches of Diakonie Hessen. Joint initiatives include the Cross Mentoring-Programm 'f³' for women's leadership development, conducted together with EKHN and Diakonie Hessen.
• Evangelische Hochschule DarmstadtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for rural poverty research project 'Armut auf dem Land', providing scientific supervision and integration into teaching.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Diakonie Deutschland: Federal umbrella of all German Diakonie associations. Direct strategic coordinator of Diakonie Hessen's national advocacy (especially on Pflege reform) and transparency standards; operates at broader national scale rather than regional service delivery.

Direct peers

• AWO (Arbeiterwohlfahrt) Hessen: Major secular welfare association operating across Hesse with overlapping services in nursing care, family support, and refugee integration. Member of Liga Hessen alongside Diakonie, competing for government contracts and donor share in the same geography.
• Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (DRK) Hessen: Red Cross regional association operating nursing homes, outpatient care, refugee shelters, and social services across Hesse. Co-member of Liga Hessen with directly comparable service portfolio and funding model.
• Volkssolidarität Hessen: Non-profit welfare association focused on elderly care, social services, and member-based mutual aid with regional operations overlapping Diakonie Hessen's geography and service verticals.
• Caritas Deutschland: The Catholic counterpart to Diakonie in Germany. Operates parallel welfare network with identical service verticals (healthcare, nursing, refugee support, family services) and competes for the same donor, volunteer, and government contract pools in Hesse.
• Der Paritätische Hessen: Umbrella organization for independent nonprofit social services in Hesse. Competes in the same social welfare space and is a fellow Liga Hessen member, providing overlapping disability, family, and refugee services.
• Malteser Hilfsdienst: Catholic-affiliated humanitarian and social services organization operating nursing, refugee support, and emergency aid across Germany. Competitor in federal advocacy and parallel service delivery in Hesse.

Emerging players

• DEVAP (Deutscher Evangelischer Verband für Altenarbeit und Pflege): Specialized federal association for Protestant elderly care and nursing. Direct advocacy partner of Diakonie Hessen on care reform; provides narrower specialization that complements rather than competes with Diakonie Hessen's broader portfolio.

Regional players

• Diakonie Bayern: Sister Diakonie state association serving Bavaria with comparable organizational structure, service portfolio, and church affiliation model. Comparable in scale and operational approach but operates in a different geography.
• Diakonie Württemberg: Adjacent Protestant Diakonie state association serving Baden-Württemberg. Provides structurally identical services (nursing, disability, refugee, family support) under the same national Diakonie Deutschland framework but in a different region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4V5g0T58vSoc778KsA2X7g
• Facebookfacebook.com/diakoniehessen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/diakonie-hessen
• Instagraminstagram.com/diakoniehessen

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Diakonie Hessen