Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe

What Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe does

Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe is the humanitarian aid organization of the Protestant churches in Germany, founded in 1954 and headquartered in Berlin. It delivers emergency relief, reconstruction support, and disaster preparedness programs to populations affected by natural disasters, armed conflict, and displacement, operating across 42 countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Europe through approximately 75 to 120 active projects per year with a 2025 spending footprint of roughly €65 million. The organization is structurally embedded in the Evangelisches Werk für Diakonie und Entwicklung e.V. (EWDE), the umbrella entity that also encompasses Brot für die Welt and Diakonie Deutschland, and is a member of the global ACT Alliance church humanitarian network.

Its core programmatic products comprise humanitarian emergency aid (Soforthilfe), post-crisis reconstruction (Wiederaufbau), disaster prevention (Katastrophenvorsorge), cash transfers (Geldtransfer), WASH programs (Wasser und Hygiene), and themed interventions covering earthquake, flood, drought, famine, conflict, and displacement scenarios. Supporting infrastructure includes an online donation platform (one-time and recurring), a sponsorship membership program, an e-commerce shop selling books and branded merchandise, and integration with payment processors (BS PAYONE, PayPal), newsletter services (Optimizely), and logistics partners (reha GmbH, DHL).

The revenue model is a non-profit donation-and-grant model. Funding streams include private individual donations (one-time, recurring, commemorative, and memorial), church and community fundraising through Kirchengemeinden and youth/school networks, corporate giving, foundation grants including legacy gifts, and institutional government funding primarily from BMZ and EKD. Go-to-market relies on the Protestant church network for community-based fundraising, supplemented by direct digital marketing through the organization website, social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Bluesky), email newsletters, direct mail, annual reports, and petition-driven advocacy campaigns. The DZI-Spendensiegel held continuously since 1993 functions as a key trust and credibility asset in donor acquisition.

Name

Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe

Legal name

Evangelisches Werk für Diakonie und Entwicklung e.V.

Website

https://diakonie-katastrophenhilfe.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe is the humanitarian aid arm of the Protestant churches in Germany, founded in 1954 and headquartered in Berlin. It delivers emergency relief, reconstruction, and disaster prevention across 42 countries, funded primarily through donations, church community fundraising, and German government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Humanitarian Aid & Relief Ministries (BPAGAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Humanitarian Logistics, Supply Chain & Air/Sea/Land Relief Transport (BPAGAAAI), Emergency Shelter, Camp Management & Non-Food Items (NFI) (BPAGAAAC), Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH)

Keywords

• Humanitarian emergency aid
• Disaster relief services
• Reconstruction programs
• Disaster prevention programs
• Online donation platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin, Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Private Donations: Individual donors contribute through online donations, regular giving programs, one-time gifts, commemorative donations, and sponsorship memberships.
2. Church and Community Fundraising: Funding from church communities, Kirchengemeinden, youth groups, schools, associations, and organizations.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Support from businesses through corporate giving programs.
4. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations, including legacy/inheritance donations.
5. Government Funding: Funding from government sources, primarily Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) and Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (EKD).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe provides humanitarian emergency aid, reconstruction support, and disaster prevention services for populations affected by natural disasters, armed conflict, and displacement. It accepts donations online (one-time and recurring) and operates a small e-commerce shop selling books and merchandise. Aid is delivered worldwide through ~120 projects annually across roughly 42 countries, in coordination with the ACT Alliance network and local partner organizations.

Product overview

Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe operates as the humanitarian aid arm of Protestant churches in Germany, offering a unified portfolio of humanitarian assistance services rather than a modular software platform. The core offering comprises emergency aid (Soforthilfe), reconstruction support (Wiederaufbau), and disaster prevention (Katastrophenvorsorge) programs, supplemented by donation collection services including online donations, sponsorship memberships, and an e-commerce shop. Aid delivery mechanisms include direct assistance through money transfers, water/sanitation programs, food distribution, and temporary shelter provision. The organization manages approximately 75-120 humanitarian projects annually across Africa, Americas, Asia, and Europe, addressing crisis types from natural disasters (earthquakes, floods, droughts) to conflict and displacement situations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Humanitäre Soforthilfe (Humanitarian Emergency Aid) Emergency humanitarian assistance delivered rapidly in acute crises such as natural disasters, armed conflicts, and displacement; covers immediate relief needs such as food, shelter, medical care, and essential supplies for affected populations.
• Wiederaufbau (Reconstruction) Post-crisis recovery support helping disaster-affected communities rebuild infrastructure and restore livelihoods, including housing, community facilities, and economic recovery.
• Katastrophenvorsorge (Disaster Prevention) Proactive preparedness and risk reduction programs that strengthen community resilience before disasters occur, including early warning systems, training, and capacity building.
• Online-Spenden (Online Donations) Online donation platform enabling one-time and recurring financial contributions to specific disaster relief efforts or general humanitarian aid worldwide.
• Fördermitgliedschaft (Sponsorship Membership) Recurring donation program providing regular financial support; members receive project updates and reports on the organization's humanitarian work.
• Online-Shop (Merchandise Store) E-commerce platform selling books, publications, and branded merchandise; offers standard and express shipping within Germany and EU destinations via DHL.
• Projekte Weltweit (Worldwide Projects) Portfolio of humanitarian aid projects across multiple continents, addressing various disaster types and crisis situations, with approximately 75–120 projects promoted each year.
• Themenbezogene Hilfe (Thematic Aid Programs) Specialized aid programs tailored to specific crisis types such as cholera, drought, Ebola, earthquakes, displacement, hunger, cold, war/conflict, storms, tsunamis, floods, and volcanic eruptions.
• Geldtransfer (Cash Transfer Programs) Cash transfer programs enabling direct financial assistance to affected populations, allowing beneficiaries to purchase essential goods and services according to their specific needs.
• Wasser und Hygiene (WASH Programs) Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs providing clean water access, sanitation facilities, and hygiene education to disaster-affected communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• In 2025: ~65 million euros spent, 75 projects, 42 countries served
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Martin Keßler (Director of Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe)minorOthers · 3 December 2021Martin Keßler, Leiter (Director) of Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe since May 2019, was re-elected to the newly elected Administrative Council of ACT Alliance on December 3, 2021.
• ACT AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010ACT Alliance (Action by Churches Together) is one of the largest alliances for humanitarian work and development aid worldwide, with 137 members, over 20,000 employees, and annual financing volume of around 10 million euros. Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe is a member of this international church network. The alliance coordinates worldwide church work and improves aid effectiveness through common quality standards.
• Brot für die WeltcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrot für die Welt is the sister organization of Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe, both belonging to the Evangelisches Werk für Diakonie und Entwicklung e.V. While Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe provides emergency humanitarian aid in acute crises, Brot für die Welt supports long-term development projects. Brot für die Welt has been active for over 60 years in more than 90 countries.
• Evangelisches Werk für Diakonie und Entwicklung e.V. (EWDE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe umbrella organization that encompasses Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe, Brot für die Welt, and Diakonie Deutschland. Founded in 2012 to bring together international humanitarian and development work with national diaconal work. EWDE is governed by a management board.
• Diakonie DeutschlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Evangelisches Werk für Diakonie und Entwicklung e.V. alongside Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe and Brot für die Welt. Diakonie Deutschland focuses on national diaconal work.
• Evangelische Zentralstelle für Entwicklungshilfe e.V., BerlinminorOthers100% owned subsidiary of the Evangelisches Werk für Diakonie und Entwicklung for development cooperation activities.
• Dienste in Übersee gemeinnützige GmbH, BerlinminorOthers100% owned subsidiary of the Evangelisches Werk für Diakonie und Entwicklung.
• Ökumenisches Studienwerk e.V., BochumminorOthers100% owned subsidiary organization of the Evangelisches Werk für Diakonie und Entwicklung.
• GEPA Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Partnerschaft mit der Dritten Welt mbH, WuppertalminorOthers49.6% owned subsidiary - fair trade company promoting partnerships with developing countries.
• Klima-Kollekte – Kirchlicher Kompensationsfonds gGmbH, BerlinminorOthers22% owned subsidiary - church climate compensation fund.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mercy Corps: Large international humanitarian organization with emergency response and long-term development programs across 40+ countries. Comparable in geographic scope, crisis types addressed, and operational model, though with broader funding base.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): Major US-headquartered humanitarian organization responding to the world's worst humanitarian crises. Comparable in conflict-zone focus, refugee/displacement work, and emergency aid delivery, but with a much larger global footprint and budget.

Direct peers

• Deutsche Welthungerhilfe: Major German humanitarian and development NGO focused on fighting hunger through emergency aid and long-term projects. Comparable in donor base, project portfolio, and approximate scale, with similar DZI certification.
• Malteser International: Faith-based (Catholic Order of Malta) German humanitarian organization providing emergency medical aid, reconstruction, and disaster risk reduction globally. Comparable in faith affiliation, service mix, and operational footprint.
• Oxfam Deutschland: German affiliate of Oxfam confederation, focusing on humanitarian aid and development. Comparable in advocacy, donor base, and broad humanitarian mission spanning emergency relief and structural poverty reduction.
• Save the Children Deutschland: German branch of an international humanitarian organization focused on children's welfare in emergencies and conflicts. Comparable in donor acquisition model, recurring giving programs, and emergency response portfolio.
• Caritas international: Catholic counterpart humanitarian aid organization in Germany, providing emergency relief and reconstruction worldwide. Closely comparable in mission, donor model, and operational scale, with similar DZI-certified overhead discipline.
• Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB) Deutschland: German humanitarian aid organization with international disaster relief programs, particularly known for SAR and emergency shelter. Comparable in operating scale, German non-profit funding model, and field of operations.
• Brot für die Welt: Sister organization within the Evangelisches Werk für Diakonie und Entwicklung, focused on long-term development cooperation in 90+ countries. Comparable in funding model, donor base, governance structure, and German Protestant church affiliation.
• Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe / Johanniter International Assistance: German Protestant/Protestant-adjacent humanitarian organization with international assistance programs in emergency relief and reconstruction. Comparable in faith-based identity, German donor base, and operational model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/diakoniekh.bsky.social
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/katastrophenhilfeDE
• Facebookde-de.facebook.com/diakonie.katastrophenhilfe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/diakonie-katastrophenhilfe
• Instagraminstagram.com/diakoniekatastrophenhilfe

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe