Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V.

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.

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

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

• Experiential education
• Bullying prevention
• Youth development
• Civic education
• Wilderness education

Headquarters

HQ city

Hövelhof

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The nonprofit association relies on donations from individuals, companies, and charitable foundations to fund free programs for children and youth.
2. 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).
3. Trainer Training and Certification: Revenue from certified training programs that qualify participants as experiential educators with specialization in bullying and racism prevention.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core 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

Named customers4 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, major and minor.

• Philip ZimbardocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmeritus 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)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation awarded BeQ quality seal to Helden e.V., recognizing adherence to quality standards in experiential education.
• Gemeinde Hövelhof (Municipality of Hövelhof)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner 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 WullenweberminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity forester collaborated on wilderness school development in Hövelhof forest.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging 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

• Xx.com/Helden_eV
• YouTubeopen.spotify.com/show/6qt4gA7m7zGLHyOg7M1tfO
• Facebookfacebook.com/HeldeneV
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/helden-ev
• Instagraminstagram.com/helden_ev

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung e.V.