DRK KV Berlin-Zentrum e.V.

What DRK KV Berlin-Zentrum e.V. does

DRK-Kreisverband Berlin-Zentrum e.V. is a registered charitable association (eingetragener Verein) and a local chapter of the German Red Cross (DRK), operating under the Landesverband Berliner Rotes Kreuz. Formed in 2017 via the merger of the former DRK-Kreisverbände Berlin-City and Tempelhof/Kreuzberg, the chapter serves Berlin's central districts — Charlottenburg, Mitte, Tiergarten, Kreuzberg, and Tempelhof — and runs an unusually broad portfolio of humanitarian and social services. Program lines include Sanitätsdienst (event medical standby), first aid training courses for the general public and seniors, the Nachbarschaftshaus am Lietzensee community center, the Jugendrotkreuz (youth program), the Kleiderkammer (largest DRK clothing distribution point in Berlin), BACIM (counseling center for migrants predominantly from Turkey), senior services, the Kinderkrankenhaus-Besuchsdienst (operating across 8 hospitals and 2 residential facilities since 1988), the Frühchen-Patenschaft (premature-baby mentorship since 2010), the Rettungshundestaffel rescue dog unit, the volunteer-run Rotkreuz-Laden second-hand store, and jointly operated crisis services including the 'Helfen in Berlin' hotline.

The revenue model is structurally diversified and non-commercial. Recurring income comes from Fördermitgliedschaften (supporting member subscriptions) and donations; transaction-based income from first aid course fees (e.g., €45 for the senior course) and second-hand store sales; project-based revenue from professional medical standby services at concerts and festivals (e.g., Lollapalooza Berlin 2025); and public funding, including Berlin Senate support for the Kinderkrankenhaus-Besuchsdienst. Go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven: outreach happens via direct neighborhood presence, volunteer recruitment, member drives, and on-site medical deployment at large public events. The technology footprint is intentionally light — no proprietary platform, mobile app, or API layer disclosed — with service delivery reliant on physical locations (Herbartstraße 25 headquarters, Moabit community center at Gotzkowskystraße 8, Rotkreuz-Laden at Klausenerplatz 9, Chausseestraße 84 dissemination office), volunteer coordination, and the parent DRK's institutional infrastructure (e.g., communications and IT support from the Landesverband during large deployments).

Operationally the chapter acts as a coordinating hub within a wider DRK and ASB network, demonstrated most recently by the multi-organization Lollapalooza Berlin 2025 deployment and the cross-KV crisis hotline. Headcount of 14 employees reflects a lean professional core supported by a substantially larger volunteer base across Bereitschaften (emergency response), Wasserwacht, Jugendrotkreuz, and FSJ/BFD programs. Governance is run by an elected board led by Vorstandsvorsitzender Peter Bauer, with Rolf Erbe as deputy, Christian Lübke as Kreisschatzmeister, and operational leadership currently held by Kreisgeschäftsführer Jacob Molte following Katja Potzies' tenure, which itself succeeded Fritz-Jünger in April 2018.

Name

DRK KV Berlin-Zentrum e.V.

Legal name

DRK-Kreisverband Berlin-Zentrum e.V.

Website

https://drk-berlin-zentrum.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DRK-Kreisverband Berlin-Zentrum e.V. is a Berlin chapter of the German Red Cross delivering event medical services, first aid training, community-based humanitarian programs, and social welfare support to residents across Charlottenburg, Mitte, Kreuzberg, and Tempelhof.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian and Social Welfare Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (624110), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Paramedicine & Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH/CP) Programs (HLAFANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG), Refugee, Migration & Displacement Support (BPAGABAH)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid services
• Emergency medical services
• First aid training
• Social welfare programs
• Community disaster response

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership Fees: The organization is financed primarily through monthly fees from supporting members (Fördermitglieder) and one-time donations. It operates strictly on a non-profit basis, with all revenues directed toward funding humanitarian aid programs and social projects.
2. First Aid Training Courses: Revenue generated from first aid training courses (Erste-Hilfe-Kurse), including specialized courses for seniors and organizations. These fees contribute to covering operational costs of the organization.
3. Event Medical Services (Sanitätsdienst): Revenue from providing medical standby services at concerts, festivals, and large public events. During Lollapalooza 2025, the organization provided medical coverage with 6 Unfallhilfsstellen, 2 First Responder teams, 2 KTW, and 2 motorcycles, handling approximately 500 medical cases.
4. Second-Hand Store (Rotkreuz-Laden): The Rotkreuz-Laden at Klausenerplatz 9 sells donated second-hand clothing. Proceeds fund social projects such as the Frühchen-Projekt. The store is run entirely by volunteers.
5. COVID-19 Emergency Funding: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization faced significant revenue shortfalls as event cancellations eliminated income from sanitary services and first aid courses. Financial losses reached the six-figure range, prompting public donation appeals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

DRK-Kreisverband Berlin-Zentrum e.V. is a charitable non-profit association and a local chapter of the German Red Cross that delivers humanitarian services across central Berlin. Its core offerings include on-site event medical standby (Sanitätsdienst) at concerts and festivals, first aid training courses (Erste-Hilfe-Kurse) for the general public, seniors, parents, and organizations, social welfare programs (clothing, food, migrant counseling, crisis hotline), family and children's services (premature-baby mentorship, hospital visitations, youth programs), and community-center programming at the Nachbarschaftshaus am Lietzensee and DRK Kiezeck Mitte.

Product overview

DRK KV Berlin-Zentrum e.V. (German Red Cross District Association Berlin-Centre) is a charitable humanitarian organization offering a diverse portfolio of social services across central Berlin. The organization operates as a unified service provider with multiple interconnected programs including emergency medical services (Sanitätsdienst), first aid training courses (Erste-Hilfe-Kurse), family support services (Kinder und Familie), community center programming (Nachbarschaftshaus am Lietzensee), senior care, poverty relief (Existenzsichernde Hilfen), rescue dog operations (Rettungshundestaffel), youth programs (Jugendrotkreuz), and clothing assistance (Kleiderkammer/Rotkreuz-Laden). Services are delivered through volunteer and professional staff, with revenue generated through course fees, service charges, donations, and membership contributions. The organization does not offer technology products or platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sanitätsdienst (Event Medical Standby) Provision of on-site medical standby and emergency response services at concerts, receptions, festivals, and large public gatherings in Berlin, ranging from small first-aid posts to large multi-team deployments (e.g., 6 Unfallhilfsstellen, 2 First Responder teams, 2 KTW, 2 motorcycles). Serves event organizers needing mandated medical coverage.
• Erste-Hilfe-Kurse (First Aid Training Courses) First aid training courses for the general public, including standard first aid, refresher courses, senior-specific courses (Fit in Erster Hilfe – für Senioren, €45), first aid for parents, and specialized emergency training for organizations.
• Kinder und Familie (Children and Family Services) Family and children services including the premature baby sponsorship program (Frühchen-Patenschaft), the children's hospital visiting service (Kinderkrankenhaus-Besuchsdienst across 8 Berlin hospitals and 2 residential facilities), and the youth Red Cross (Jugendrotkreuz).
• Nachbarschaftshaus am Lietzensee (Multi-Generational Community Center) Community center providing space and programming for neighborhood events, cultural activities, tutoring, dance evenings, and intergenerational programs at the Kreisverband headquarters.
• Senioren (Senior Services) Senior services supporting elderly residents in maintaining independence and dignity, including age-specific first aid training and social programming at the Nachbarschaftshaus am Lietzensee.
• Existenzsichernde Hilfen (Subsistence/Poverty-Relief Services) Subsistence assistance programs countering poverty and social exclusion: emergency shelter referrals, clothing room (Kleiderkammer), food assistance (Kieztisch), crisis hotline "Helfen in Berlin" (030 23 989 30 90), and migrant counseling (BACIM).
• Rettungshundestaffel (Rescue Dog Unit) Search and rescue operations using trained rescue dogs to locate missing persons in rubble, wilderness, and disaster areas.
• Jugendrotkreuz (JRK) – Youth Red Cross Children's and youth organization of the DRK providing first aid training for children and youth, organizing school medical services, and engaging young people in Red Cross activities.
• Freiwilligendienste (Volunteer Service Programs FSJ/BFD) Voluntary service programs including the Freiwilliges Soziales Jahr (FSJ) and Bundesfreiwilligendienst (BFD), providing structured full-time placements for young people in social services.
• Rotkreuz-Laden (Second-Hand Clothing Store) Second-hand clothing store at Klausenerplatz 9 in Berlin-Charlottenburg, run entirely by volunteers. Proceeds support DRK social projects including the Frühchen-Patenschaft.
• Kleiderkammer (Clothing Distribution Center) Clothing distribution center in Berlin-Moabit; the largest DRK clothing distribution site in Berlin, providing clothing to people in need.
• BACIM (Migrant Counseling and Integration Center) Contact and counseling center for migrants (predominantly from Turkey), offering integration support, open language cafés, and the inter-cultural women's group, in cooperation with Bethania Diakonie's Stadtteilmütter.
• Krisenhotline "Helfen in Berlin" (Crisis Hotline) Crisis hotline providing social counseling and coordinating further specialized assistance for Berlin residents, jointly operated with neighboring DRK Kreisverbände.
• DRK Kiezeck Mitte (Neighborhood Center Moabit) Neighborhood center in Berlin-Moabit providing community support, self-help groups, group activities, and volunteer engagement opportunities for residents of the Mitte district.

Quantifiable outcome

• During Lollapalooza Berlin 2025, approximately 500 medical assistance services were provided to ~60,000 festival attendees over two days.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Senatsverwaltung für Arbeit, Soziales, Gleichstellung, Integration, Vielfalt und Antidiskriminierung (Berlin Senate)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Berlin Senate's Department of Labor, Social Affairs, Equality, Integration, Diversity and Anti-Discrimination provides partial funding for the Kinderkrankenhaus-Besuchsdienst (Children's Hospital Visiting Service), supporting the project's operations across Berlin hospitals and residential facilities.
• Charité – Universitätsmedizin BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Frühchen-Patenschaft (Premature Baby Mentorship) project operates in cooperation with Charité, supporting families of premature or disabled newborns by providing volunteer mentors who assist with daily tasks and offer parental respite. The project has operated since February 2010.
• DRK-Kreisverband Schöneberg-Wilmersdorf e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint staffing of the BHP 25-2 (Behandlungsplatz, a medical treatment station) combining volunteers from both Kreisverbände for civil protection and disaster response in Berlin. The two organizations have cooperated for many years.
• DRK-Kreisverbände (Multiple) and ASB Regionalverband NordWestcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFor Lollapalooza Berlin 2025, DRK KV Berlin-Zentrum coordinated medical services with support from: DRK Kreisverbände Wedding/Prenzlauer Berg, Reinickendorf/Wittenau, Müggelspree, Schöneberg/Wilmersdorf, Brandenburg an der Havel, Wernigerode; DRK Ortsvereine Warstein and Schloß Holte-Stukenbrock; BRK Kreisverband Passau; and ASB Regionalverband NordWest and Stadtverband Datteln. The DRK Landesverband's Fernmeldedienst and IT department provided technical support.
• Bethania Diakonie – StadtteilmütterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe inter-cultural women's group (Sprachcafé für migrantische Frauen) at Kiezeck Mitte operates in cooperation with the Stadtteilmütter (neighborhood mothers) program of Bethania Diakonie. Stadtteilmütter provide translation support and help convey knowledge about parenting, child health, and family life.
• DRK-Kreisverband Müggelspree e.V., DRK KV Berlin Schöneberg-Wilmersdorf e.V., and DRK Berlin Steglitz-ZehlendorfcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly established the crisis hotline 'Helfen in Berlin' (030 23 989 30 90), available Monday–Friday 09:00–17:00 and Saturday–Sunday 10:00–16:00. The hotline provides social counseling and coordinates further specialized assistance for Berlin residents during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
• DRK-Landesverband Berliner Rotes KreuzcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRK KV Berlin-Zentrum is a local chapter of the Berlin State Red Cross, which provides organizational oversight, coordination of cross-verbände operations, and technical support (Fernmeldedienst, IT department) for large deployments.
• DRK-Blutspendedienst NordostminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferenced as a related DRK entity on the organization's website footer, providing blood donation services in the greater Berlin area under the broader DRK network.
• DRK-Schwesternschaft BerlinminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferenced as a related DRK entity on the organization's website footer, representing the nursing association of the German Red Cross in Berlin.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Caritasverband für Berlin: Catholic welfare organization providing parallel social services (poverty relief, family support, migrant counseling) in Berlin with comparable persona-targeted programs (homeless services, food assistance, children's family support).
• Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB) Deutschland: Germany's other major humanitarian aid organization, providing comparable emergency medical services, first aid training, social welfare, and civil protection. ASB was deployed alongside DRK KV Berlin-Zentrum at Lollapalooza Berlin 2025, evidencing direct operational overlap in event medical standby.
• Malteser Hilfsdienst: Major German humanitarian organization offering parallel services including Sanitätsdienst at events, first aid training (Erste-Hilfe-Kurse), social services, and youth programs. Operates throughout Berlin with directly comparable offerings to DRK KV Berlin-Zentrum.
• DRK-Kreisverband Berlin Schöneberg-Wilmersdorf e.V. Adjacent DRK Kreisverband covering neighboring Berlin districts, jointly operating the BHP 25-2 medical treatment station and the 'Helfen in Berlin' crisis hotline with DRK KV Berlin-Zentrum. Closest structural peer within the same parent organization.
• DRK-Kreisverband Müggelspree e.V. Another Berlin-area DRK Kreisverband partnering with DRK KV Berlin-Zentrum on joint crisis hotline operations and large event deployments, representing a comparable chapter-level operating model.
• Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe: German humanitarian organization within the Protestant Order of St. John, providing overlapping services in event medical standby, first aid training, civil protection, and social welfare across Berlin and Germany.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/drkzentrum
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/DRKBerlinCityeV
• Facebookfacebook.com/drkzentrum
• Instagraminstagram.com/kvzentrum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/drkzentrum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 DRK KV Berlin-Zentrum e.V.