Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V.
Helden e.V. is a German nonprofit association delivering experiential prevention programs on bullying, cyberbullying, racism, and extremism to children and youth through mobile workshops, the Wildnisschule Senne, and a certified freelance trainer network of roughly 90 across Germany.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersHövelhof, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. does
Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. (Helden e.V.) is a registered German nonprofit association (gemeinnütziger eingetragener Verein) headquartered in Hövelhof in the Senne region of North Rhine-Westphalia, founded in 2015. Its operational focus is the prevention of bullying, cyberbullying, racism, and extremism among children and adolescents, delivered through experiential pedagogy (Erlebnispädagogik), social-psychology-based workshops, and wilderness education. Programs are delivered primarily to K-12 schools across Germany free of charge, using a hybrid model that combines traveling Mobile Escape Rooms, the Wildnisschule Senne outdoor education facility, and curriculum products such as the Heldenakademie, Deine Wahl, Global Bystander, and the more recent SaveSpace! program targeting cybergrooming.
The core product portfolio comprises copyrighted prevention curricula (Heldenakademie, Deine Wahl, Global Bystander, SaveSpace!), mobile experiential workshop formats (Mobile Escape Rooms), and a fixed-site wilderness school at the roughly 18,000 sqm Senne site. Delivery is executed by approximately 90 freelance trainers (certified through the organization's own trainer program) supported by 5 full-time staff. Quality assurance is anchored in third-party certifications including the beQ quality seal, the PHINEO-Wirkt-Siegel 2025, and academic backing from Stanford psychologist Philip Zimbardo as a patron, alongside research collaborations with the University of Bonn.
The business model is that of a German gemeinnütziger Verein: revenue is generated from donations, foundation grants, public-sector program funding (NRW, LWL, Kreis Herford), lottery-channel funding (Deutsche Fernsehlotterie), and certification fees from trainers. Disclosed inflows across multiple recent years total roughly 245,000 EUR plus undisclosed amounts from lottery and major foundations. The model implies concentration risk typical of grant-funded nonprofits but is partially mitigated by a diversified funder base and an expanding certification revenue stream.
Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V.
- Legal name
- Helden – Verein für Nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V.
- Website
- https://helden-ev.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Helden e.V. is a German nonprofit association delivering experiential prevention programs on bullying, cyberbullying, racism, and extremism to children and youth through mobile workshops, the Wildnisschule Senne, and a certified freelance trainer network of roughly 90 across Germany.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Education and Prevention Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Health Promotion, Prevention & Wellness Education (EDALAFAF)
Keywords
Where Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hövelhof
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: The nonprofit association relies on donations from individuals, companies, and charitable foundations to fund free programs for children and youth.
- Foundation and Government Funding: Projects funded by foundations including Fernsehlotterie, Stiftung Umwelt und Entwicklung NRW, Heidehof Stiftung, and government bodies like Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (LWL).
- Trainer Training and Certification: Revenue from certified training programs that qualify participants as experiential educators with specialization in bullying and racism prevention.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free programs for children and youth |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Helden e.V. delivers experiential prevention programs for children and youth in Germany, targeting bullying, cyberbullying, cybergrooming, extremism, and racism through mobile workshops, escape rooms, and wilderness-based learning. The nonprofit association also runs a wilderness school (Wildnisschule Senne), certified trainer education in experiential pedagogy, and supporting offerings such as parent evenings, webinars, and holiday camps. Programs are delivered on-site at schools, youth centers, and at their own outdoor facility, funded primarily through donations, grants, and charitable foundations.
Product overview
Helden e.V. operates as a non-profit educational association offering a comprehensive portfolio of prevention programs for children and youth. The core offerings include: the Heldenakademie (Hero Academy) as the flagship prevention program establishing positive values frameworks; Mobile Escape Rooms addressing cyberbullying and extremism; experiential education programs like Der magische Wald and Wildnisschule Senne for wilderness-based learning; Global Bystander workshops combining environmental and political education; Psychisch gesund durch die Krise for resilience building; and Deine Wahl for democratic education. Supporting offerings include trainer certification programs, parent evenings, webinars, language camps, holiday programs, and the 'I need a hero' podcast. The programs are delivered through a team of approximately 90 freelance trainers and are designed to be mobile and deployable at schools, youth centers, and their own wilderness school facility.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Heldenakademie: Flagship prevention program that establishes a positive norms and values framework to prevent (cyber-)bullying, racism, violence, and exclusion among children and youth.
- I need a Hero
- Wildnisschule Senne
- Psychisch gesund durch die Krise
- SaveSpace!
Products and services
- Heldenakademie
Quantifiable outcome
- Reached over 700 children and youth in SaveSpace cybergrooming prevention project
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V.
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Philip ZimbardocoreEmeritus Stanford Psychology Professor and creator of Stanford Prison Experiment serves as patron (Schirmherr) of Helden e.V. Described program as 'A program with the potential to change the world for the better.'
- Bundesverband Erlebnispädagogik (Federal Association for Experiential Education)majorAssociation awarded BeQ quality seal to Helden e.V., recognizing adherence to quality standards in experiential education.
- Gemeinde Hövelhof (Municipality of Hövelhof)majorPartner in developing Wilderness School (Wildnisschule) in Hövelhof forest. Provided land and collaborated on 70 sqm wooden hut construction funded by 119,000 EUR state grant.
- Gemeindeförster Klaus WullenweberminorCommunity forester collaborated on wilderness school development in Hövelhof forest.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Wildnisschule Charly & Partner: Independent network of wilderness school operators in Germany offering outdoor and nature education for schools and families. Emerging player: directly comparable wilderness school concept, similar target segments (school children, families), smaller scale and more fragmented.
Direct peers
- juuuport e.V. Schleswig-Holstein-based nonprofit running a youth-led cyberbullying prevention platform and peer-to-peer counseling. Direct peer: same target audience (11-18 year olds), same mission (cyberbullying prevention), same nonprofit funding model.
- klicksafe: EU-co-funded German awareness center for online safety and media literacy, operated by Landesanstalt für Medien NRW and LMK. Direct peer: comparable prevention mission for children/youth, large-scale school programs, similar funder overlap (NRW government).
- HateAid gGmbH: Berlin-based nonprofit combating digital hate speech and online violence, with prevention programs for schools and youth. Direct peer: overlapping mission (online violence prevention), similar advocacy and educational programming, similar target demographic.
- Aktion Zivilcourage e.V. Bavarian nonprofit focused on civil courage training, anti-discrimination, and democratic education in schools. Direct peer: nearly identical values-based education mission, school delivery model, similar zivilcourage curriculum philosophy.
- NummergegenKummer e.V. Germany's largest youth and parent helpline nonprofit, providing counseling and prevention services for children and adolescents. Direct peer: comparable nonprofit model, similar youth support and prevention mission, broader national reach.
- Outward Bound Deutschland: Germany's largest experiential education provider, offering wilderness-based programs for schools and youth. Direct peer: same experiential pedagogy methodology, same wilderness/outdoor education focus, same school-delivery model.
- BUNDjugend (Naturschutzjugend NAJU): Germany's largest youth environmental education nonprofit, with regional associations delivering nature-based programming for children and youth. Direct peer: comparable wilderness/nature education focus for youth, similar workshop-based school delivery model, similar nonprofit funding structure.
Broad incumbents
- Bundesvereinigung Kulturelle Kinder- und Jugendbildung (BKJ): Federal umbrella association for non-formal cultural and political youth education in Germany. Broader incumbent: significantly larger scope covering arts, music, and civic education, with membership of major youth organizations — comparable mission of personality development through non-formal education.
- Bund gegen Missbrauch der Kinder e.V. Established German child protection nonprofit focused on prevention and intervention against child abuse. Broader incumbent: comparable child protection mission, school-based prevention programming, larger national footprint and funding base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. social profiles
Digital presenceHelden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V.
What does Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. do?
Helden e.V. delivers experiential prevention programs for children and youth in Germany, targeting bullying, cyberbullying, cybergrooming, extremism, and racism through mobile workshops, escape rooms, and wilderness-based learning. The nonprofit association also runs a wilderness school (Wildnisschule Senne), certified trainer education in experiential pedagogy, and supporting offerings such as parent evenings, webinars, and holiday camps. Programs are delivered on-site at schools, youth centers, and at their own outdoor facility, funded primarily through donations, grants, and charitable foundations.
Is Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. a public or private company?
Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. founded?
Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. based?
Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. is headquartered in Hövelhof, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are foundation and Government Funding and trainer Training and Certification.
Who are Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V.'s main competitors?
Wildnisschule Charly & Partner is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are juuuport e.V., klicksafe, HateAid gGmbH, Aktion Zivilcourage e.V., NummergegenKummer e.V., Outward Bound Deutschland and BUNDjugend (Naturschutzjugend NAJU). Broad incumbents are Bundesvereinigung Kulturelle Kinder- und Jugendbildung (BKJ) and Bund gegen Missbrauch der Kinder e.V..
Does Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V..
What industry is Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V. in?
Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V.'s product category is Youth Education and Prevention Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAM, Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits, with a secondary code of THAAAOAA, Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.