Hans Weisser Stiftung

What Hans Weisser Stiftung does

Hans Weisser Stiftung zur Förderung von Jugendbildung und Wissenschaft is a Hamburg-based charitable foundation (Stiftung bürgerlichen Rechts) established in 2002 by entrepreneur Hans Weisser, whose father founded Marquard & Bahls. The foundation operates two programmatic pillars: (1) youth education (Jugendbildung), funding non-profit organizations that support socially disadvantaged youth aged 15–25 in transitioning from school to vocational training or employment, and (2) a scholarship program (Hans Weisser Stipendium), operated in cooperation with Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft (sdw), supporting young entrepreneurial personalities with international qualification stays abroad.

The foundation's revenue model is not commercial; all operating funds derive from rental income on Hamburg real estate properties contributed by the founder to the foundation capital, generating approximately €1.2 million annually on a base of ~€4 million in initial capital. Capital returns from investment assets are reinvested rather than distributed. Administrative costs consume roughly 7% of total funds, with the remaining budget allocated approximately 75% to youth education partners and 25% to the scholarship program. The foundation does not sell products or services, does not maintain proprietary technology, and does not accept unsolicited funding applications; instead, it identifies partners through network referrals and prefers to co-fund projects in consortiums with other German foundations.

Named partners include SchlauFox e.V. (€341,500 across six funding phases since 2016), Joblinge gAG / Joblinge Hamburg (€193,500 since 2018), and Refugee Canteen (€200,000 since 2019), with measurable impact including a 90% diploma attainment rate in SchlauFox's JEA! program and a 77% transition-to-training rate in Joblinge's LevelUp! program. The foundation is governed by a five-member board chaired by Dr. Markus Baumanns, with Michael Kutz as deputy chair and Verena Lenzen appointed Managing Director effective November 1, 2025. The organization is a member of Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen, Netzwerk Stiftungen und Bildung, and the Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft.

Name

Hans Weisser Stiftung

Legal name

Hans Weisser Stiftung zur Förderung von Jugendbildung und Wissenschaft

Website

https://hans-weisser-stiftung.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Hans Weisser Stiftung is a Hamburg-based charitable foundation that funds non-profit organizations supporting disadvantaged youth (ages 15–25) through school-to-work transitions and operates a scholarship program for young entrepreneurial personalities in cooperation with Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft, funded by ~€1.2M annual rental income on founder-contributed real estate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation / Educational Grant-Making

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH)

Keywords

• Charitable foundation
• Youth education grants
• Scholarship programs
• Vocational training support
• Educational grant-making

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Real Estate Rental Income: All foundation funds come from rental income from Hamburg real estate properties that the founder contributed to the foundation capital. These rental revenues are recurring and stable, providing approximately 1.2 million euros annually. Capital returns from investment assets are reinvested (thesauriert).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Hans Weisser Stiftung is a Hamburg-based charitable foundation that channels recurring rental income from Hamburg real estate into two core activities: (1) the Hans Weisser Stipendium scholarship program, operated in cooperation with Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft (sdw), which funds international qualification stays for young entrepreneurial personalities, and (2) a youth education (Jugendbildung) program that funds non-profit partner organizations helping disadvantaged youth aged 15–25 transition from school to vocational training and employment. Additional instruments include the 2022 Jubiläumsfonds anniversary fund and the LevelUp! Ausbildungsbegleitung apprenticeship support program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hans Weisser Stipendium (Scholarship Program) A scholarship program operated in cooperation with Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft (sdw) that funds international qualification stays abroad — research trips, study programs, or startup expeditions — for young entrepreneurial personalities (typically with at least a bachelor's degree or master craftsman certificate and 2+ years of professional or founding experience).
• Jugendbildung (Youth Education Programs) Funding program supporting non-profit partner organizations that work with socially disadvantaged youth aged 15–25 in Hamburg, helping them achieve school qualifications and successfully transition into vocational training or employment through mentoring, tutoring, career orientation, and job placement support.
• Jubiläumsfonds (Anniversary Fund) A 1 million euro special funding program launched for the foundation's 20th anniversary in 2022 to support non-profit actors in Hamburg's neighborhood social work and social enterprises focused on educational initiatives.
• LevelUp! Ausbildungsbegleitung A pilot apprenticeship support program providing individual accompaniment for apprentices and training companies to identify and address challenges early in vocational training, improving completion rates among disadvantaged youth.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of participating youth in SchlauFox JEA! program achieve their first school diploma
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered secondary, minor and core.

• Homann StiftungsecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Co-funder of the LevelUp! apprenticeship support program alongside Hans Weisser Stiftung, Bundianer Hilfe e.V., and Friedel und Walter Hoyer Stiftung. Partnership focuses on improving vocational training completion rates among disadvantaged youth.
• Friedel und Walter Hoyer StiftungsecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Co-funder of the LevelUp! apprenticeship support program alongside Hans Weisser Stiftung, Homann Stiftung, and Bundianer Hilfe e.V. Focus on supporting young people with difficult starting conditions through vocational training.
• Bundianer Hilfe e.V.secondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Co-funder of the LevelUp! apprenticeship support program alongside Hans Weisser Stiftung. Partnership demonstrates HWS's approach to consortium-based funding with organizations sharing similar educational missions.
• Kurt & Maria Dohle StiftungsecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017The Dohle foundation co-funded the Refugee Canteen project alongside Hans Weisser Stiftung and Schöpflin Stiftung, demonstrating consortium funding approach. This partnership enabled continued support for the refugee integration program when initial funding from the employment agency ended.
• Schöpflin StiftungsecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017The Schöpflin foundation joined as a co-funder of Refugee Canteen in 2017 and continues to co-support the project with HWS. This consortium approach aligns with HWS's stated preference for collaborative funding with other foundations.
• Bundesverband Deutscher StiftungenminorOthers · 1 January 2014The foundation is a member of the Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen (Federal Association of German Foundations) and commits to the principles of Good Foundation Practice (Grundsätze Guter Stiftungspraxis).
• Netzwerk Stiftungen und BildungminorOthers · 1 January 2014The foundation is a funder and member of Netzwerk Stiftungen und Bildung (Network of Foundations and Education) and its coordination office, supporting collaboration among foundations focused on educational initiatives.
• BürgerStiftung HamburgminorOthers · 1 January 2014HWS board member Michael Kutz serves concurrently on the Stiftungsrat (foundation council) of BürgerStiftung Hamburg, creating an informal connection between the two Hamburg-based foundations.
• Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft (sdw)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004The Hans Weisser scholarship program is operated in cooperation with Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft (sdw). The sdw administers the application process, provides access to their networks including the Gründer- und Unternehmerforum and Alumniverein, and contributes to the selection of scholarship recipients. This partnership has been in place since the program's inception.
• Initiative Transparente ZivilgesellschaftminorOthersHWS has committed to the transparency criteria of the Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft (Transparent Civil Society Initiative) led by Transparency International Germany, committing to disclose organizational goals, funding sources, decision-makers, and activities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft (sdw): Direct program partner administering the Hans Weisser scholarship application process and contributing to selection. sdw operates a similar scholarship-and-talent-promotion model across Germany and is structurally the closest peer in mission and operating mechanics.
• BürgerStiftung Hamburg: Hamburg-based community foundation with board-level personnel overlap (Michael Kutz serves on both boards). Same city, same community-foundation governance model, and overlapping civic-education mission.
• Schöpflin Stiftung: Co-funder of Refugee Canteen and like-sized German foundation with youth-education and democratic-culture focus. Operates in the same consortium-funding ecosystem and pursues similar learning-oriented grantmaking practices.
• Kurt & Maria Dohle Stiftung: Co-funder of Refugee Canteen alongside HWS and Schöpflin Stiftung. Comparable Hamburg-rooted family foundation funding youth and education initiatives through consortium arrangements.
• Bundianer Hilfe e.V. Co-funder of LevelUp! with HWS. A nonprofit association funding disadvantaged-youth vocational pathways, comparable in mission and co-funding posture.
• Homann Stiftung: Co-funder of the LevelUp! apprenticeship-support program with HWS. Comparable size and mission profile focused on disadvantaged-youth transitions into vocational training.
• Friedel und Walter Hoyer Stiftung: Co-funder of LevelUp! alongside HWS, Homann Stiftung, and Bundianer Hilfe e.V. Same consortium model and youth-vocational-training focus, making it directly comparable in operating practice.

Broad incumbents

• Robert Bosch Stiftung: One of Germany's largest endowed foundations with substantial programs in education and international scholarship. Operates a comparable scholarship-and-youth portfolio but at far greater scale and with broader geographic reach.
• Körber-Stiftung: Larger Hamburg-based foundation with broad programs in education, science, and civic engagement. Overlaps HWS in youth-education and civic-learning themes but operates at materially greater scale across multiple thematic areas.
• ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius: Established Hamburg foundation with international scope in education, science, and culture. Larger and broader than HWS but operates in the same city and shares an education-promotion mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hans-weisser-stiftung

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Hans Weisser Stiftung