Akademie für Ehrenamtlichkeit Deutschland

What Akademie für Ehrenamtlichkeit Deutschland does

The Akademie für Ehrenamtlichkeit Deutschland is a Berlin-based, registered non-profit training and consulting institute founded in 1994 as a business unit of Förderverein für Jugend und Sozialarbeit e.V. (fjs). It specialises in volunteer management (Freiwilligenmanagement) and engagement promotion (Engagementförderung), serving gemeinnützige Organisationen — associations, federations, foundations, welfare and faith-based organisations, environmental groups, and municipal actors — across Germany. Its core products are multi-day in-person and online seminars (Basiskurs Freiwilligenkoordination, Organisationsberatung, Management von Netzwerken), a self-paced E-learning course on volunteer coordination (€300 regular / €265 reduced), a multi-day certified 'Organisationsberatung: Fokus Engagement' programme (€1,250), and a 'Handreichung FWK' content library released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0. The organisation's proprietary intellectual property centres on the 'Riesenrad der Engagementförderung' analytical model, used pedagogically across seminars and presented in federal policy forums including the Bundestag Unterausschuss Bürgerschaftliches Engagement.

The Akademie's revenue mechanics blend fee-for-service training (seminars, e-learning, in-house consulting) with foundation and public grant funding for thematic projects such as House of Resources Berlin (10-year-old engagement/migration programme), Projektschmiede, Kosmosviertel, Quifd (quality certification for volunteer services), and Digitalisierung und KI. Pricing is publicly disclosed, with reduced rates for low-income earners, retirees, job seekers, and students; group discounts available for e-learning cohorts of 10+. Distribution combines Berlin-based seminars, on-site delivery nationwide via 'Akademie unterwegs' (enterprise-style channel for large NPOs and municipal clients), and a self-serve e-learning channel restricted to EU-based organisations for private buyers. Around 16 internal staff plus roughly five associate trainers operate the institute.

Beyond training, the Akademie maintains the Quifd quality-seal certification programme for volunteer service organisations and runs free top-of-funnel webinars in partnership with Haus des Stiftens on volunteer recruitment, retention, digital coordination, and AI. Its 30th anniversary in October 2024 (funded by Heidehof Stiftung) doubled as a positioning moment for the next decade, anchored by the new 'KI+Leadership' four-part executive AI qualification and the 'Austauschraum Diversität' practitioner format. Geographic scope is Germany-wide, with EU-restricted e-learning; the organisation holds no equity, no funding rounds, and no listed subsidiaries.

Name

Akademie für Ehrenamtlichkeit Deutschland

Legal name

Akademie für Ehrenamtlichkeit Deutschland im Förderverein für Jugend und Sozialarbeit e.V.

Website

https://ehrenamt.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Akademie für Ehrenamtlichkeit Deutschland is a Berlin-based non-profit training institute, operating since 1994 under Förderverein für Jugend und Sozialarbeit e.V., that delivers seminars, e-learning, organisational consulting, and quality certification (Quifd) to German non-profits on volunteer management and engagement promotion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin-Friedrichshain

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Seminar and Workshop Fees: The Akademie charges registration fees for in-person and online seminars. Published prices range from €300 (E-learning, reduced €265) to €1,250 (Organisationsberatung programme, reduced €1,060). Reduced rates are available for low-income earners, retirees, job seekers, and students.
2. Inhouse Training and Process Accompaniment: The Akademie offers customised on-site workshops, organisational consulting, and process accompaniment for non-profit organisations, delivered at the client's location. This is a significant revenue stream targeting organisations seeking tailored engagement promotion solutions.
3. Project Grants and Public Funding: The organisation operates multiple funded projects (House of Resources Berlin, Projektschmiede, Kosmosviertel, Quifd, Digitalisierung und KI) supported by public and foundation grants. Funding partners include Heidehof Stiftung (for the 2024 jubilee event). Funding is instrumental in enabling free webinar offerings.
4. E-Learning and Digital Course Sales: Revenue generated from the sale of the E-learning Einführungskurs Freiwilligenkoordination (€300 regular / €265 reduced). Group discounts for bookings of 10+ participants are offered by direct email enquiry.
5. Free Webinars (via Haus des Stiftens partnership): Free online seminars are offered in cooperation with Haus des Stiftens. These serve as a top-of-funnel marketing tool, building brand awareness and generating leads for paid seminar and consulting services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Akademie für Ehrenamtlichkeit delivers training, consulting, and certification services that help non-profit organisations professionalise volunteer coordination and engagement promotion. Its core offerings are a multi-category seminar programme (including the three-day Basiskurs Freiwilligenkoordination), a self-paced E-Learning introductory course, multi-day consulting training (Organisationsberatung: Fokus Engagement), customised in-house workshops and organisational development delivered on-site, and the Quifd quality certification programme for volunteer service organisations. All offerings are anchored in the proprietary Riesenrad der Engagementförderung framework.

Product overview

Akademie für Ehrenamtlichkeit Deutschland operates as a multi-module education and consulting platform for non-profit organizations. The core offering consists of seminar programs in engagement promotion and volunteer coordination (Basiskurs Freiwilligenkoordination) available both in-person and as E-Learning. Adjacent to the core seminars, the organization offers specialized training programs (Organisationsberatung: Fokus Engagement, Management von Netzwerken), the Quifd certification program for volunteer service organizations, and in-house consulting services. Thematic projects include House of Resources Berlin, Projektschmiede, and Digitalisierung und KI. The organization also provides webinars, publications, and a free 'KI+Leadership' qualification series on AI adoption.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Quifd – Qualität in Freiwilligendiensten: Certification program for volunteer service organizations, providing quality standards development, implementation guidance, and quality seal certification.
• House of Resources Berlin
• Projektschmiede
• Freiwilligenkolleg

Products and services

• Seminarprogramm (Seminare) Multi-category seminar programme delivered in-person and online covering fundamentals of engagement promotion, advanced engagement promotion, organisational development and strategy, and tools and legal aspects — including the three-day Basiskurs Freiwilligenkoordination — for paid staff and volunteer coordinators in non-profit organisations across Germany.
• E-Learning: Einführungskurs Freiwilligenkoordination Self-paced online course covering 10 chapters of volunteer coordination content, based on the proprietary Riesenrad der Engagementförderung model, including videos and worksheets plus a physical handbook shipped to the buyer; access remains active for one year after purchase.
• Organisationsberatung: Fokus Engagement Multi-day training programme that supports employees and members of organisations or associations who advise other organisations on engagement promotion to professionalise their consulting competencies and effectively design consulting processes with volunteer organisations; leads to a certified title.
• Inhouse-Angebote (Akademie unterwegs) Customised on-site workshops, organisational consulting, moderation, and process accompaniment delivered directly at client organisations across Germany, addressing professional development, organisational change, and engagement promotion needs of non-profits.
• Quifd – Qualität in Freiwilligendiensten Certification programme that advises volunteer service organisations on developing quality standards, accompanies them in implementation, and awards a quality seal; supports ongoing peer exchange and quality standards development via a dedicated commission and working groups.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Akademie was instrumental in establishing volunteer coordination as a recognised professional field in Germany over the past 30 years.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Haus des StiftenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Akademie cooperates with Haus des Stiftens (hausdesstiftens.org) to produce and deliver free webinars on volunteer management topics. This partnership enables the Akademie to reach a broader audience at no cost to viewers, with Haus des Stiftens providing the platform and promotional infrastructure.
• Verband deutsch syrischer HilfsvereineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Akademie coordinates its work in the House of Resources Berlin project with the Verband deutsch syrischer Hilfsvereine (Association of German-Syrian Aid Associations), a cooperation partner within the HoR programme supporting organisations at the intersection of engagement and migration.
• Kooperationspartner und Netzwerke (Cooperation Partners and Networks)coreOthersThe Akademie maintains a broad network of cooperation partners and is part of various engagement promotion networks. A dedicated page lists Kooperationspartner und Netzwerke, indicating formalised partnerships in the engagement promotion ecosystem in Germany.
• Förderverein für Jugend und Sozialarbeit e.V. (fjs)coreOthersThe Akademie für Ehrenamtlichkeit is a business unit of the Förderverein für Jugend und Sozialarbeit e.V. (fjs) in Berlin. Fjs is the parent association, with its own board (Chair: Dr. Klaus Spieler; Managing Board: Thomas Schmidt), legal registration (VR 11338 B, Amtsgericht Berlin-Charlottenburg), and tax identification. The Akademie operates within this institutional framework.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Haus des Stiftens: Provides digital infrastructure, training, and funding vehicles for German nonprofits and foundations. Directly comparable as a delivery partner on the Akademie webinars and a fellow capacity-builder for the German civil society sector.
• Deutsche Kinder- und Jugendstiftung (DKJS): Major German foundation running nationwide programmes to strengthen youth engagement and civil society participation. Comparable as a thematic peer in civic engagement promotion with its own training and project offerings.
• Bundesakademie Wolfenbüttel: Federal academy for cultural education in Germany running multi-day seminars and qualification programmes for association and cultural-sector professionals. Comparable as a similarly structured nonprofit training academy delivering residential seminars to a professional civil-society audience.
• PHINEO gAG: Nonprofit consulting and impact-analysis firm advising German civil society organisations on effectiveness and quality. Closely comparable in mission — professionalising nonprofits through advisory and qualification services.

Broad incumbents

• Bertelsmann Stiftung: One of Germany's largest foundations, running extensive civic engagement, governance, and nonprofit-related programmes. Comparable as a much larger incumbent that shapes the policy and funding environment the Akademie operates in.
• Stifterverband: Membership-based association of German foundations and companies focused on education, science, and innovation. Comparable as a broader, well-resourced capacity-builder for the civil society and education ecosystem in which the Akademie operates.

Others

• Bundesnetzwerk Bürgerschaftliches Engagement (BBE): National cross-sector network for civic engagement in Germany, convening government, civil society, and business. Comparable as a sector-shaping ecosystem player that the Akademie regularly engages with but does not directly compete against.

Regional players

• Allianz für Beteiligung: State-level network promoting citizen participation and civic engagement, primarily in Baden-Württemberg. Comparable mission in engagement promotion but with a regional focus and a more networked, less training-led delivery model.

Peers

• Maecenata Institut: Independent research and advisory institute focused on civil society, philanthropy, and volunteering in Europe. Comparable as an adjacent knowledge/strategy peer producing research and consulting for the same civil society audience.

Emerging players

• betterplace.org: Germany's leading online donation platform, increasingly offering learning content and tools for nonprofits. Comparable as a digital-native, partial-overlap peer extending into training for the German civil sector.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ehrenamt.de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/akademie-f%C3%BCr-ehrenamtlichkeit-deutschland
• Instagraminstagram.com/akademiefuerehrenamtlichkeit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Akademie für Ehrenamtlichkeit Deutschland