European Research Network On Philanthropy

What European Research Network On Philanthropy does

European Research Network On Philanthropy (ERNOP) is a Netherlands-based membership association founded in 2008 that connects approximately 300 academic researchers, foundation professionals, nonprofit executives, and policy makers from 30 European countries around the study of philanthropy. Its core offering is a knowledge ecosystem rather than a software product: a Knowledge Portal housing country profiles for 23+ European nations, the flagship "Philanthropy in Europe" cross-national study (documenting €104.5 billion in annual giving), 14 quarterly Research Notes issues translating academic work for practitioners, an annual Snapshot of European Philanthropy Research, a newer Snapshot of European Philanthropy Education (2026), a PhD Perspectives series, and the ERNOP Online Series webinar programme running five annual themes since 2021-2022.

The organization's primary products are its biennial International Research Conference (now in its 13th iteration, rotating across European cities — Paris 2015, Copenhagen 2017, Basel 2019, Dublin 2021, Zagreb 2023, Heidelberg 2025, Geneva 2027), the Safe Spaces for Philanthropy pre-conference dialogues co-organized with Philea, the biannual AGAPE Europe gatherings for institutional leaders, and the Dialogue Paper Series published with the Journal of Philanthropy and Marketing and Voluntary Sector Review. ERNOP does not operate a software platform, API, or proprietary technology layer; its outputs are content and convening rather than technology.

ERNOP is funded through tiered annual membership subscriptions (€595 institutional, €95 individual, €80 student/retired) and biennial conference registration fees (€349–€599 depending on participant category), with conference attendance requiring membership. It is organized as a Dutch association governed by an elected Board, with no venture capital, private equity backing, parent company, or subsidiaries disclosed. Headcount is approximately 7 employees, with operations coordinated from Amsterdam and significant institutional anchoring at WU Vienna (home of ERNOP President Tobias Jung), the University of Basel CEPS, the University of Heidelberg, the University of Geneva, and ESADE.

Name

European Research Network On Philanthropy

Legal name

European Research Network On Philanthropy Association

Website

https://ernop.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

European Research Network On Philanthropy (ERNOP) is a Netherlands-based membership association connecting approximately 300 European academic researchers, foundation staff, and nonprofit leaders through biennial research conferences, quarterly Research Notes, country-level philanthropy profiles, and webinars on philanthropy research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropy Research and Knowledge Networking

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAL

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYEDAEALAO

Research Administration & Grants Management Support (Pre/Post-Award, Compliance)

Education/Education Facilities & Support Services/Outsourced Operations & Managed Services for Education (BPO/Contracted Support)

SECONDARYFSAAABAH

Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments)

Financial & Insurance/Asset & Wealth Management/Private Banking & HNW/UHNW Wealth Management

Keywords

• Philanthropy research network
• Academic knowledge exchange
• Nonprofit sector research
• Civil society studies
• Membership association publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: ERNOP generates primary revenue through various membership categories: Institutional membership for European Higher Education Institutes (€595/year), Associated Institutional membership for non-HEI institutions (€595/year), Individual membership for European HEI researchers (€95/year), Associated individual membership (€95/year), Student membership (€80/year), and Retired membership (€80/year). Members receive access to conference papers, proceedings, Research Notes, seminar recordings, and conference participation.
2. Conference Participation Fees: Revenue generated from conference registration fees for the biennial International Research Conference and pre-conference events. Fees vary by participant category: PhD students/retirees/small nonprofits (€349-€399), Scholars/mid-size nonprofits (€449-€499), Other categories/commercial sector (€549-€599). Early bird discounts available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

European Research Network On Philanthropy (ERNOP) is a membership-based research association that connects philanthropy researchers and practitioners across Europe. It convenes biennial international research conferences, publishes quarterly Research Notes, country profiles, and major studies such as 'Philanthropy in Europe', and runs webinars and intimate gatherings to translate academic research into actionable practitioner insights.

Product overview

The European Research Network on Philanthropy (ERNOP) operates as a research coordination network rather than a unified software product. Its offerings consist of multiple interconnected research and knowledge-sharing services: the Knowledge Portal serves as the central hub, with the ERNOP Online Series and Research Notes providing structured content delivery; Country Profiles and the Snapshot publications offering systematic research outputs; the Philanthropy in Europe Study providing comprehensive data; Conference Proceedings documenting annual academic gatherings; and the Membership Portal providing member access. All services are delivered through web-based platforms and publications, with no dedicated software product or API offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ERNOP Knowledge Portal A web-based resource hub providing members and visitors with access to philanthropy research outputs including Research Notes, Country Profiles, Online Series content, and Snapshot publications. It serves European HEI researchers, foundation professionals, and philanthropy practitioners.
• ERNOP Membership Program Subscription membership offering annual access to conference papers, proceedings, Research Notes, seminar recordings, and the member portal, available in tiered formats for European HEI affiliates, non-HEI institutions, individuals, students, and retired scholars.
• ERNOP Biennial International Research Conference Flagship biennial academic conference rotating across European cities, bringing together researchers, foundation professionals, nonprofit executives, and policymakers to present and discuss philanthropy research. Requires paid registration ranging from €349 to €599 depending on participant category.
• ERNOP Research Notes

Quantifiable outcome

• Philanthropy in Europe study documents €104.5 billion annual giving across 23 European countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Philanthropy Europe Association (Philea)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Philea (formerly European Foundation Centre) is ERNOP's key strategic partner for the Safe Spaces for Philanthropy initiative. The collaboration brings together the philanthropy practitioner community with academic researchers for in-depth dialogue sessions. Philea hosts icebreaker sessions and co-designs the Safe Spaces format. The partnership produces Policy and Practice Papers published in Voluntary Sector Review and Dialogue Papers in the Journal of Philanthropy and Marketing.
• Journal of Philanthropy and MarketingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaboration on the 'Dialogues' special issue series featuring central pillar articles on trending themes in philanthropy with practitioner commentaries. The Journal publishes five open access dialogue papers per Safe Spaces event, written by academic and practitioner moderators together.
• Nonprofit Policy Forum JournalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on special issues related to ERNOP conference themes. The journal publishes research articles, policy briefs, and commentaries from conference presenters. Special issues include 'Philanthropy and Crises' (2023) examining roles and functioning of philanthropy in times of societal upheavals.
• Voluntary Sector Review JournalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Policy and Practice Paper Series connected to Safe Spaces for Philanthropy discussions. Each paper is co-authored by the academic and practitioner moderating a session, translating insights into actionable knowledge.
• International Society for Third Sector Research (ISTR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerERNOP members are active in ISTR's international research community. Connection provides access to global third sector research network and collaborative opportunities.
• ARNOVA (Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerERNOP maintains engagement with ARNOVA, the North American counterpart, for knowledge exchange and international research collaboration between European and North American philanthropy scholars.
• WU Vienna - Institute for Nonprofit ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey institutional partner hosting ERNOP leadership (Tobias Jung as ERNOP President) and contributing research expertise. WU Vienna's Michael Meyer delivered keynote at ERNOP 2023 and leads the Institute for Nonprofit Management. Hosted AGAPE 2024.
• University of Basel - Center for Philanthropy Studies (CEPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost of ERNOP Conference 2019. Georg von Schnurbein leads CEPS, contributing research on foundation governance and sunset foundations. CEPS is a key institutional member supporting European philanthropy research.
• University of Heidelberg - Centre for Social InvestmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost of ERNOP Conference 2025. The Centre for Social Investment at the Max Weber Institute for Sociology is a leading German philanthropy research center. Katy Adams conducted PhD research at Heidelberg University.
• University of Zagreb - Faculty of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost of ERNOP Conference 2023. Gojko Bežovan from University of Zagreb served as guest editor for the Nonprofit Policy Forum special issue on Philanthropy and Crises.
• University College Dublin - Sutherland School of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost of ERNOP Conference 2021 (held virtually). Partnership with Trinity College Dublin and Philanthropy Ireland for the conference focused on bridging divides in the aftermath of Covid-19.
• University of Geneva - Geneva Centre for PhilanthropycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost of ERNOP Conference 2027 at Campus Biotech. The Geneva Centre for Philanthropy is described as a leading academic institution advancing research, education, and dialogue on philanthropy. Geneva location provides connection to international humanitarian and diplomatic institutions.
• Assifero (Italian Association of Foundations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian philanthropy infrastructure organization collaborating on AGAPE Europe 2026 in Venice. Assifero represents and supports Italian foundations, facilitating ERNOP's connection to the Italian philanthropy sector.
• The Human Safety NetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for AGAPE Europe 2026 in Venice. The Human Safety Net is a philanthropy organization that will provide the venue and potentially engage in discussions on philanthropy and social impact.
• Institute for Nonprofit Management at WU ViennacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey institutional partner where ERNOP President Tobias Jung and Michaela Neumayr (supervisor for ERNOP-affiliated PhD Antonia Muhr) are based. The Institute is a leading European center for nonprofit management research.
• ESADE Center for Social Impact (ECSI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch center contributing to ERNOP knowledge production through governance of philanthropy research. Valentin Held's PhD project on governing social impact in philanthropic foundations was conducted in collaboration with ECSI. The center provides research infrastructure and expertise.
• Spanish Association of FoundationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with ESADE on research exploring how community foundations leverage social capital for social value creation. The association provides access to Spanish foundation sector expertise.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WINGS (Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support): WINGS is a global network of philanthropy support organizations. While ERNOP focuses on European research and WINGS on infrastructure support, both serve to connect and strengthen the global philanthropy field through membership-based convening.
• Alliance Magazine: Alliance Magazine is a global philanthropy magazine that connects and informs the philanthropic sector. It serves a comparable audience of philanthropy professionals and researchers with content and convening.
• Philea (Philanthropy Europe Association): Philea (formerly European Foundation Centre) is ERNOP's closest sector peer and core strategic partner. Both serve the European philanthropy ecosystem with research, convening, and policy engagement, with Philea focusing on grantmaking foundations and ERNOP on research.
• The Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP): CEP is a US-based research and consulting organization providing data and analysis on foundation effectiveness. While US-focused, CEP shares ERNOP's evidence-based philanthropy mission and produces research used by foundation practitioners globally.
• ARNOVA (Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action): ARNOVA is the North American counterpart organization for nonprofit and philanthropic research. ERNOP maintains formal engagement with ARNOVA for cross-Atlantic knowledge exchange, making it a direct peer with comparable scholarly mission and conference format.
• Centre for Philanthropy Studies (CEPS), University of Basel: CEPS is a leading European philanthropy research center and key ERNOP institutional partner that hosted the 2019 conference. It conducts comparable academic research on foundations and philanthropy governance across Europe.
• WU Vienna Institute for Nonprofit Management: The WU Vienna Institute is a leading European center for nonprofit management research and houses ERNOP's President. It hosts ERNOP-affiliated PhD students and produced comparable scholarship on European civil society.
• International Society for Third Sector Research (ISTR): ISTR is a global academic society advancing research on the third sector. ERNOP members actively participate in ISTR, and the organizations share a comparable membership-based research society model focused on civil society scholarship.
• Geneva Centre for Philanthropy (GCP): GCP is the host institution for ERNOP Conference 2027 and a peer academic center advancing philanthropy research, education, and dialogue with strong international connections through Geneva's humanitarian ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• European Policy Centre (EPC): EPC is a Brussels-based think tank producing cross-sector policy research. While broader than ERNOP, EPC engages with civil society and philanthropy policy topics relevant to ERNOP's practitioner audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/european-network-on-philanthropy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 European Research Network On Philanthropy