AKLHÜ e.V. - Netzwerk und Fachstelle für internationale personelle Zusammenarbeit

What AKLHÜ e.V. - Netzwerk und Fachstelle für internationale personelle Zusammenarbeit does

vidi (formerly AKLHÜ e.V.), founded in 1962 and headquartered in Bonn, Germany, is the central civil society specialist body and umbrella network for international volunteer and specialist services in Germany. The organization networks 65+ member organizations — including volunteer service providers, development cooperation NGOs, and humanitarian organizations such as the German Red Cross, Brot für die Welt, German Doctors, and AGIAMONDO — that collectively deploy and receive volunteers in international cooperation programs. vidi operates as a coordinating, consulting, and quality-assurance body for state-funded programs including the International Youth Volunteer Service (IJFD), the weltwärts North-South and South-North programs, and the Federal Volunteer Service (BFD) Incoming stream, serving as the sole Incoming Zentralstelle in BFD and one of five Zentralstellen in IJFD.

The organization's product portfolio comprises program-area coordination services (Zentrale Stelle IJFD, Incoming-BFD, Qualitätsverbund weltoffen), digital platforms (the freiwillig-freiwillig.de volunteer comparison portal and the Stellenmarkt job board), and convening events such as the annual ENGAGEMENT WELTWEIT career fair. The technology stack is conventional web infrastructure rather than proprietary technology, and there are no disclosed AI/ML capabilities. In 2024/25, member organizations placed 5,399 international volunteers in 160 countries and received 6,294 volunteers in Germany through these coordinated programs.

Revenue derives primarily from membership dues paid by the 65+ member organizations and from federal government funding and grants supporting the organization's designated Zentralstelle functions. The organization is led by Managing Director Whitney Cecilia Akowuah and operates with a lean staff of approximately 8 employees based in Bonn. Strategic positioning rests on regulatory designations (federal Zentralstelle roles), 60+ years of institutional history, and convening authority across the international personnel cooperation sector.

Name

AKLHÜ e.V. - Netzwerk und Fachstelle für internationale personelle Zusammenarbeit

Legal name

AKLHÜ e.V.

Website

https://entwicklungsdienst.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

vidi (formerly AKLHÜ e.V.) is a Bonn-based German nonprofit umbrella association networking 65+ member organizations operating international volunteer and specialist service programs, coordinating state-funded IJFD, weltwärts, and BFD Incoming programs as a designated federal Zentralstelle.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Volunteer Services Coordination

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADAEAK

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Development & Technical Assistance

Keywords

• International volunteer services
• Civil society network
• Specialist personnel cooperation
• Volunteer program coordination
• Development cooperation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: vidi is funded through membership fees from its 65+ member organizations, which include volunteer service providers and organizations in the international cooperation sector.
2. Government funding and grants: As a central coordination and consulting body for internationally funded volunteer programs (IJFD, weltwärts, BFD), vidi receives government funding to support quality assurance, coordination, and program administration.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

vidi (formerly AKLHÜ) is a civil society umbrella association that networks over 60 member organizations engaged in international volunteer and specialist services. It provides coordination, quality assurance, political representation, and program administration for state-funded initiatives such as IJFD, weltwärts, and BFD, and operates platforms including freiwillig-freiwillig.de and Stellenmarkt to connect volunteers and specialists with deployment opportunities in 160 countries.

Product overview

vidi (formerly AKLHÜ) operates as a civil society network and coordination body for international volunteer and specialist services, rather than a traditional product company. The organization offers a portfolio of programs and platforms including the Stellenmarkt (job board) for connecting organizations with volunteers and specialists, freiwillig-freiwillig.de for finding and comparing international volunteer programs, and ENGAGEMENT WELTWEIT as Germany's only job fair for development cooperation careers. Key program areas include Internationale Personelle Zusammenarbeit, Zentrale Stelle IJFD, Incoming-BFD, and the Qualitätsverbund weltoffen. These services work together to facilitate international volunteer exchanges, support quality development, and advocate for policy frameworks supporting international service programs across Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• freiwillig-freiwillig.de

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,399 international volunteers deployed worldwide in 2024/25
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Bundesforum FIJ (Freiwilliges Internationales Jahr)coreStrategic or Co-development Partnervidi is a coordinating member of the Bundesforum FIJ, which serves as the central civil society coordination body for state-funded international volunteer services in Germany. The forum brings together five major umbrella associations and other key implementing organizations to harmonize positions and advocacy efforts at the federal level.
• Forum on Volunteering for DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partnervidi participates in this international forum to network engagement globally, bring perspectives into professional discourse, and share knowledge with practice. This provides international connectivity for German volunteer organizations.
• Bundesnetzwerk Bürgerschaftliches EngagementmajorStrategic or Co-development Partnervidi participates in this network to advocate for favorable political and legal framework conditions for international services in Germany, ensuring long-term support and security for volunteer services and specialist exchanges.
• Freiwilliges Internationales Jahr (FIJ) initiativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partnervidi leads this initiative bringing together over 100 organizations to provide orientation, ensure quality, and enable engagement. The goal is to reach young people worldwide and make international volunteer services accessible.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Experiment im Denken e.V. A Bonn-based German nonprofit running international voluntary service programs (including the Senior Expert Program) and a vidi member organization. Direct peer in the international volunteer services sector with comparable sending/receiving programs.
• AFS Interkulturelle Begegnungen e.V. A leading German intercultural exchange organization running volunteer and exchange programs worldwide and a vidi member. Direct peer with comparable international volunteer and youth exchange offerings.
• ICJA Freiwilligenaustausch weltweit: A Hamburg-based nonprofit coordinating international voluntary service programs, particularly a vidi member. Direct peer in the international volunteer services sector with parallel sending/receiving programs.
• Weltfriedensdienst e.V. A German nonprofit organization sending and receiving volunteers in international peace and development services, and a vidi member. Direct peer with comparable focus on international personnel cooperation.
• AGIAMONDO: A Cologne-based Catholic personnel service for international cooperation that sends specialists and development workers abroad. As a vidi member organization and fellow German specialist service, it is a direct peer in the international personnel cooperation ecosystem.

Others

• United Nations Volunteers (UNV): UN organization that mobilizes volunteers for peace and development globally. An adjacent global comparator in international volunteer deployment, though operating at a vastly different scale and mandate.
• Forum on Volunteering for Development: An international peer-learning body for volunteer-involving organizations in development cooperation, of which vidi is a member. Adjacent ecosystem participant that vidi engages with for knowledge exchange rather than direct competition.

Regional players

• Bundesnetzwerk Bürgerschaftliches Engagement (BBE): Germany's national network for civic engagement bringing together government, civil society, and business to advance civic engagement frameworks. A peer membership and coordinating body in the same policy and civic engagement space.

Broad incumbents

• engagement global: Germany's federal service for civic engagement and development cooperation initiatives, which administers programs like weltwärts. Broad incumbent that funds and shapes the same ecosystem in which vidi operates as a civil society coordinator.
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH: Germany's federally owned development agency implementing international cooperation programs on behalf of the government. Broad incumbent in international development cooperation with overlapping program mandates and federal funding relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aklh%C3%BC-e-v

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 AKLHÜ e.V. - Netzwerk und Fachstelle für internationale personelle Zusammenarbeit