Donum Vitae e.V.

What Donum Vitae e.V. does

donum vitae e.V. (legal name: donum vitae zur Förderung des Schutzes des menschlichen Lebens e.V. Bundesverband) is a German non-profit registered association founded on September 24, 1999 by Catholic laypeople after the Catholic Church withdrew from the state system of pregnancy conflict counseling. Headquartered at Thomas-Mann-Straße 4 in Bonn, the organization provides free, confidential psychosocial counseling focused on pregnancy, pregnancy conflict, prenatal diagnostics, fertility, sexual education, confidential birth, grief and loss, and men/fathers' services. The target population spans pregnant women and couples, men and fathers, people with unfulfilled desire to have children, young people, refugees, and people with disabilities. With more than 200 state-recognized counseling centers in 13 German federal states, approximately 345 counselors, and over 1,000 volunteers, donum vitae is one of the largest pregnancy and pregnancy-conflict counseling providers in Germany and operates under the distinctive "doppelte Anwaltschaft" (double advocacy) principle that advocates simultaneously for women in pregnancy conflict and for the protection of unborn life.

The service portfolio comprises eight core counseling lines plus auxiliary services including an easy-language counseling track, professional training programs, and a monthly newsletter ("donum vitae Einblick"). Counseling is delivered through a Blended Counseling model that integrates in-person sessions at physical centers, a nationwide email-based Online-Beratungsstelle operational since 2008 (responses within 48 hours, often same-day), encrypted video counseling via the proprietary "Elvi" platform accessible on computer, tablet or smartphone, and mobile/outreach counseling for clients with accessibility constraints. The technology stack is largely standard SaaS — Zoom for training and online sessions, Google Maps/OpenStreetMap for the counseling-center locator, Cleverreach for newsletter distribution, and FundraisingBox for online donation processing — with proprietary differentiation limited to the email counseling mailbox system and the encrypted Elvi video layer. An interactive website-based location finder enables clients to search for nearby centers by postal code, city or address.

donum vitae operates a hybrid non-profit revenue model combining partial public subsidies, private donations, court-assigned monetary penalties, and training participation fees. The Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) provides ongoing financial support and has co-funded three model projects between 2013 and 2022 ("Ich will auch heiraten!", "Schwangerschaft und Flucht", and "HeLB – Helfen. Lotsen. Beraten."); the Bundesinstitut für Öffentliche Gesundheit (BIÖG) funds specific training programs. Donation streams include general giving, commemorative (Anlass-) and memorial donations, and listing as an eligible recipient at all German Higher Regional Courts for court-assigned fines (Geldauflagen). Training participation fees range from €100–€180 depending on internal/external status and accommodation inclusion. All core counseling services are provided free of charge to clients, with no direct revenue generated from end-user counseling.

Name

Donum Vitae e.V.

Legal name

donum vitae zur Förderung des Schutzes des menschlichen Lebens e.V. Bundesverband

Website

https://donumvitae.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

donum vitae e.V. is a German non-profit registered association providing free, confidential psychosocial counseling on pregnancy, family planning, fertility, and reproductive health across 200+ state-recognized centers in 13 federal states, serving pregnant women, couples, fathers, refugees, and people with disabilities via in-person, online, encrypted video, and mobile channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pregnancy Counseling Services

NAICS

Family Planning Centers (62141), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Outpatient Mental Health Clinics & Counseling Centers (HLAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Contraception & Family Planning Telehealth (birth control, counseling, follow-up) (HLALAHAB), Genetic Counseling & Prenatal Testing Telehealth (carrier screening, NIPT counseling) (HLALAHAK)

Keywords

• Pregnancy counseling services
• Pregnancy conflict support
• Fertility counseling services
• Prenatal diagnostics counseling
• Psychosocial counseling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding: Partial financing from public funds - the organization receives financial support from the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs (BMFSFJ) for core operations and model projects.
2. Donations: Donations from private individuals, commemorative donations (Anlassspenden), and memorial donations. Special donation accounts available for specific purposes.
3. Fines and Penalties: Receipt of court-ordered monetary penalties and fines assigned by courts. Listed at all German Higher Regional Courts as eligible recipient.
4. Training Fees: Fees charged for professional training programs offered to internal staff and external participants. Training includes qualification programs, workshops, and continuing education.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Donum Vitae e.V. is a registered non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) operating one of Germany's largest networks of state-recognized pregnancy counseling centers, providing psychosocial counseling on pregnancy, pregnancy conflicts, prenatal diagnostics, fertility, sexual education, confidential birth, and grief/loss support. Services are delivered through 200+ physical counseling centers across 13 German states, plus a nationwide online email-based counseling portal, encrypted video counseling (Elvi), mobile/outreach counseling, and blended counseling approaches. All core counseling services are provided free of charge, confidentially, and on request anonymously to women, men, couples, and families regardless of nationality, religion, or sexual orientation.

Product overview

donum vitae e.V. is a non-profit counseling organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of psychosocial counseling services centered on pregnancy, family planning, and reproductive health. The core offering consists of eight primary counseling services: general pregnancy counseling, pregnancy conflict counseling, prenatal diagnostics counseling, fertility counseling, sexual education, confidential birth support, grief/loss support, and men/fathers counseling. These are delivered through multiple channels including 200+ physical counseling centers across 13 German states, a nationwide online email-based counseling center, video counseling via encrypted connections, and blended hybrid approaches. The organization also provides counseling in Easy Language for accessibility, publishes the 'donum vitae Einblick' monthly newsletter, and offers professional training programs. State-recognized counseling centers are authorized to issue official counseling certificates per § 219 StGB. The organization is funded through public subsidies, donations, and voluntary contributions, with all core counseling services provided free of charge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• donum vitae Online-Beratungsstelle: Bundesweite Online-Beratungsstelle für schriftbasierte E-Mail-Beratung, die seit 2008 kostenlose und vertrauliche Beratung anbietet.

Products and services

• Pregnancy Counseling (Schwangerschaftsberatung) General psychosocial pregnancy counseling for pregnant women, providing comprehensive information on social, material, and financial assistance. Delivered through state-recognized counseling centers authorized to issue counseling certificates per § 219 StGB.
• Pregnancy Conflict Counseling (Schwangerschaftskonfliktberatung) Result-open, value-oriented counseling for women facing pregnancy conflicts, providing support for decision-making and issuing the legally required counseling certificate for access to lawful pregnancy termination under § 219 StGB.
• Prenatal Diagnostics Counseling (Pränatale Diagnostik Beratung) Psychosocial counseling related to prenatal diagnostics, providing information and decision-making support regarding prenatal testing and its implications for expectant parents.
• Fertility Counseling (Kinderwunschberatung) Psychosocial counseling for individuals and couples experiencing unfulfilled desire for children, addressing reproductive self-determination and decision-making related to fertility treatments and family planning.
• Sexual Education (Sexualpädagogik) Sexual education programs conducted at schools and extracurricular facilities, providing age-appropriate information on sexuality, family planning, and reproductive health for young people and adolescents.
• Confidential Birth Support (Vertrauliche Geburt) Counseling and support for women considering confidential birth options, providing safe medical and psychosocial alternatives for women who cannot care for their newborn publicly.
• Grief and Loss Support (Trauer und Verlust) Psychosocial counseling and support for women and families after pregnancy loss, miscarriage, stillbirth, or termination, providing space and structured support for processing grief.
• Men and Fathers Counseling (Männer und Väter) Specialized counseling services for men and fathers covering paternity, work-life balance, parental rights, child support, custody matters, and fatherhood responsibilities.
• Refugee Support (Hilfe für Geflüchtete) Specialized pregnancy and family planning support for refugee women and migrant families, with multilingual staff and integration assistance for navigating the German healthcare system.
• Online Counseling Center (Online-Beratungsstelle) Nationwide email-based written counseling service operational since 2008, allowing users to communicate through a secure mailbox with anonymous counselors. Responses typically provided within 48 hours, often same day, with all services free, confidential, and anonymous on request.
• Video Counseling (Videoberatung) Encrypted video-based counseling accessible via computer, tablet, or smartphone through the Elvi program. Available at many counseling locations for clients who cannot visit in person, with high data protection and reliability standards.
• Easy Language Counseling (Beratung in Leichter Sprache) Counseling services provided in easy-to-understand language, making pregnancy, sexuality, and family planning support accessible to people with intellectual disabilities, cognitive impairments, or learning difficulties.
• Training Programs (Fortbildungsangebot) Continuing education and professional development programs for counselors, board members, and administrative staff, including qualification programs for state-recognized pregnancy conflict counseling and specialized workshops. Offered both in-person at venues such as Stephansstift Hannover and online via Zoom, with participation fees ranging from 100-180 EUR plus accommodation.
• AI in Counseling Training Specialized training program introduced in 2026 that provides practical insights into the opportunities and challenges of digital developments, particularly the use of Artificial Intelligence in psychosocial counseling practice.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ counseling locations across Germany
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

• Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Family (Bundesministerium für Europa, Integration und Äußeres)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 July 2026Visit to donum vitae counseling center in Berlin by Austrian Federal Minister Claudia Bauer and delegation. Purpose: Knowledge exchange on psychosocial fertility counseling following Austrian Constitutional Court's ruling on Social Egg Freezing. Minister sought German best practices to inform new Austrian legislation.
• 104th German Catholic Day (Katholikentag) Organizing CommitteemoderateGTM or Marketing Partnerdonum vitae participated in the 104th German Catholic Day in Würzburg (May 13-17, 2026) with the 'LebenskunstLeben' exhibition on pregnancy conflict counseling in the Politics and Society venue.
• German Higher Regional CourtsmoderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributordonum vitae is listed at all German Higher Regional Courts (Oberlandesgerichte) as an eligible recipient for assigned monetary penalties and fines from court proceedings.
• Konrad-Adenauer-StiftungminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for educational content. Julia Seeberg (donum vitae Federal Managing Director) appeared as guest on 'Wie viel ich?' podcast series on self-determination, and contributed article on pregnancy conflict counseling to Monitor Religion und Politik publication.
• District and Volkshochschule WesermarschmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing cooperation with the district and folk high school (Kreisvolkshochschule) for the 'Mütterprojekt' (Mothers' Project) providing comprehensive support for young pregnant women and mothers since nearly fifteen years.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Wunschkinder.net: Wunschkinder.net is a German information and counseling platform focused on unfulfilled desire to have children and fertility treatment decisions. It is a focused emerging player in psychosocial fertility counseling — a vertical where donum vitae also operates through its Kinderwunschberatung service and where competition is intensifying.
• bff: Bundesverband Frauenberatungsstellen und Frauennotrufe: The bff is the federal association of women's counseling centers and women's emergency hotlines in Germany. While its primary focus is violence-related counseling, it overlaps with donum vitae on women's psychosocial counseling and competes for similar federal and state funding streams.

Direct peers

• Familienplanungszentrum Berlin: The Familienplanungszentrum Berlin is a secular family planning center offering pregnancy counseling, sexuality education, and reproductive health services. It is a focused direct peer comparable in service mix but distinct in operating model and target audience.
• Pro Familia: Pro Familia is the leading German federation for family planning, sexuality education, and pregnancy counseling, and donum vitae's principal nationwide competitor in statutory pregnancy conflict counseling. Both are state-recognized to issue § 219 StGB certificates and operate extensive nationwide counseling networks serving similar client populations.
• Sozialdienst katholischer Frauen (SkF): SkF is a Catholic women's social services federation offering pregnancy and family counseling across Germany. It is the most direct confessional peer to donum vitae, sharing Catholic-anthropology grounding while operating under the umbrella of German Caritas rather than as an independent federal association.

Regional players

• Malteser Deutschland: Malteser is a Catholic aid organization offering a broad portfolio of social and healthcare services including some counseling-adjacent work. While not a focused pregnancy counseling competitor, its regional chapter network and Catholic orientation make it a structurally comparable social-services peer with potential overlap on certain client populations.

Broad incumbents

• Deutscher Caritasverband: The German Caritas Association is the largest Catholic welfare organization in Germany and a broad incumbent offering pregnancy counseling services through its affiliated institutions. While it encompasses donum vitae's spiritual heritage, its scale and breadth across all social services make it a larger ecosystem participant rather than a focused direct competitor.
• Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWO): AWO is one of Germany's six major welfare associations and offers family and pregnancy counseling services through local chapters. As a politically affiliated (social democratic) broad social services provider, it competes with donum vitae for public funding allocations and serves a partially overlapping client base.
• Planned Parenthood Federation of America: Planned Parenthood is the largest U.S. reproductive health and pregnancy counseling provider and serves as the international reference for comprehensive family planning service delivery. While operating in a different regulatory environment, it represents the global benchmark for the category in which donum vitae competes.
• Diakonie Deutschland: Diakonie is the umbrella social services organization of the German Protestant churches, operating extensive counseling and social welfare services including pregnancy counseling. As a competing confessional social services provider with federal political weight, it is a broad incumbent alternative to donum vitae for faith-oriented clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYCUZLKM_ZogwAAJBaTqRbw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/donum-vitae-e-v-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Donum Vitae e.V.