help and hope Stiftung
help and hope Stiftung is a Dortmund-based German charitable foundation that operates experiential educational, holiday-care, and family programs for disadvantaged children and youth out of Gut Königsmühle, a 12-hectare heritage estate. It is funded primarily through donations and corporate sponsors, with paid school and kindergarten programs and the forthcoming help and hope Haus guesthouse extending its reach.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersDortmund-Mengede, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What help and hope Stiftung does
help and hope Stiftung is a legally capable charitable foundation under German civil law (rechtsfähige Stiftung des bürgerlichen Rechts), founded 23 December 2005 and headquartered at Gut Königsmühle, a 12-hectare historic estate in Dortmund-Mengede that the foundation acquired in May 2016. The organization operates programs for families with children and for educational institutions across North Rhine-Westphalia, structured around experiential learning at the Gut Königsmühle site. Its offerings comprise Mehrtagesprogramme (3- and 5-day residential programs in the forthcoming help and hope Haus), Eintagesprogramme (single-day project programs in subjects such as nature, team-building, food origins, fairness and democracy, and digital media), Ferienbetreuung holiday care for children aged 6–14, U6-Angebote for infants and parents (FIP-Café, Stillcafé, Griffbereit, KIDIX, Lesezeit), and the Schulstarter-Aktion which in 2026 distributed 2,500 school supply packages across 49 Dortmund primary and special-needs schools.
The core operating model combines (i) donations from individuals, corporate sponsors (Gold/Silver/Bronze tiers including TEDi, Dortmunder Volksbank, ATLAS GmbH, Lusebrink Kinderstiftung, Baker Tilly), and other foundations; (ii) program fees, with published unit pricing of €69 per person/night for multi-day stays (full board and pedagogical program), €50 plus €5 per child for single-day programs, and €50 flat for courtyard usage; and (iii) event revenue (Clown August tickets at €5 via Eventim Light, Flohmarkt booth fees at €20). Distribution is principally on-site at Gut Königsmühle and via online booking, direct school outreach, and partner referrals through the Kommunales Integrationszentrum Dortmund and the kefb Catholic adult and family education organization. Marketing is conducted through the redesigned website, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, email newsletters, press releases, and community events.
Governance is provided by a five-member executive board (Vorstand) chaired by Sandra Heller and a seven-member supervisory board (Kuratorium) chaired by Stefan Heinig. Operations are supported by 13 employees, with Nathalie Varga as Pedagogical Director (Pädagogische Leitung), Laura Kirch heading administration (Leitung Verwaltung), and Fabian Neuser leading on-site estate management (Leitung Hofmanagement). An independent audit is conducted by Baker Tilly. The foundation is a member of the Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen, and its operations are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and NRW BNE (Education for Sustainable Development) guidelines. The organization's identity is that of a regional nonprofit education-and-welfare operator centered on a unique physical site, with no meaningful proprietary technology stack.
help and hope Stiftung firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- help and hope Stiftung
- Legal name
- help and hope Stiftung
- Website
- https://helpandhope-stiftung.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- help and hope Stiftung is a Dortmund-based German charitable foundation that operates experiential educational, holiday-care, and family programs for disadvantaged children and youth out of Gut Königsmühle, a 12-hectare heritage estate. It is funded primarily through donations and corporate sponsors, with paid school and kindergarten programs and the forthcoming help and hope Haus guesthouse extending its reach.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
help and hope Stiftung industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Charitable Youth Education and Family Services
- NAICS
- Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (6117)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Newcomer & Refugee Student Support Programs (EDAJAGAH), Family-School Collaboration & Inclusion Planning Support (EDAKABAK)
Keywords
Where help and hope Stiftung is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dortmund-Mengede
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
help and hope Stiftung business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: The foundation is almost entirely financed through donations (Spendengelder). It receives one-time donations, project-specific donations, and ongoing support from corporate and individual donors at Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers.
- Program Fees: Revenue generated from educational programs including multi-day stays (69€ per person per night including full board and pedagogical program), single-day project programs (50€ base fee plus 5€ per person), and playground/cafe usage fees.
- Venue Rental and Events: Income from events such as the Clown August show (5€ tickets), flea market stand fees (20€ per stand), and potentially other event-based revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Multi-day programs at help and hope Haus including full board, water flat rate, and pedagogical program |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single-day project programs for school and kindergarten groups |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Basic courtyard usage without pedagogical program |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Clown August family magic show ticket |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Flohmarkt vendor booth fee |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
help and hope Stiftung product offering
Product offeringCore offering
help and hope Stiftung is a charitable foundation that operates Gut Königsmühle, a 12-hectare estate in Dortmund-Mengede, as an out-of-school learning and experience location for children, youth, and families. It sells multi-day and single-day educational programs to schools and kindergartens, holiday care for children aged 6–14, U6 programs for families with infants and toddlers, and runs the Schulstarter-Aktion annual school-supply initiative. The upcoming help and hope Haus (bookable from 2027) adds overnight guesthouse capacity for up to 100 guests.
Product overview
help and hope Stiftung operates a unified portfolio of educational and leisure programs centered at Gut Königsmühle, a 12-hectare estate in Dortmund-Mengede. The offering comprises multi-day programs (Mehrtagesprogramme) and single-day programs (Eintagesprogramme) for schools and kindergartens; holiday care (Ferienbetreuung) for children aged 6-14; U6-Angebote for families with infants and toddlers; and the Schulstarter-Aktion providing school supply packages. Supporting facilities include the help and hope Haus (youth guesthouse for overnight stays), an open-access playground, and the Landcafé kleiner König. All offerings are oriented around the foundation's mission of supporting disadvantaged children and youth through sustainable education and community experiences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mehrtagesprogramme (Multi-day Programs)
Quantifiable outcome
- 2,500 school starter packages distributed in 2026 to first-graders from disadvantaged families across 49 Dortmund schools
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use help and hope Stiftung
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
help and hope Stiftung technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
help and hope Stiftung partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.
- EDG DortmundminorEnvironmental services company co-hosting the World Clean Up Day event at Gut Königsmühle on September 20, 2026. EDG aims to sensitize visitors for environmental and resource protection through a joint trash collection activity and upcycling workshop.
- Schwarz+Matt GmbHflagshipDortmund-based branding and design agency that developed the foundation's new website as a pro bono service donation. The agency was subsequently elevated to Gold-Förderer status in recognition of this exceptional support. CEO André Schirmer stated the agency aims to give the foundation greater visibility through the modern digital presence.
- Kommunales Integrationszentrum DortmundcoreMunicipal integration center partnering with the foundation on the Griffbereit program for families with and without migration backgrounds. The program promotes early childhood development and multilingualism.
- kefb (Katholische Erwachsenen- und Familienbildung an der Ruhr)minorCatholic adult and family education organization partnering on KIDIX parent-child courses. The program can be attended once per child in their first year of life free of charge (up to 15 sessions), with fees for additional participation.
- Bundesverband Deutscher StiftungenminorThe foundation is a member of the German Federal Association of Foundations, providing networking and institutional recognition.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
help and hope Stiftung competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Aktion Mensch e.V. Germany's largest private social lottery funding inclusion and accessibility for people with disabilities, including inclusive education programs. Comparable as a nonprofit channeling funds into educational inclusion, with partial overlap given help and hope's Schulstarter work with special needs schools.
- Stiftung Lesen: Mainz-based nonprofit foundation promoting literacy and reading among children and youth in Germany. Comparable as a donation-funded Stiftung running school-facing educational programs, though narrower in scope (literacy-only) and without a physical experiential campus.
Direct peers
- Deutsche Kinder- und Jugendstiftung (DKJS): National German foundation focused on education and youth development, particularly for children facing social disadvantage. Highly comparable as a privately funded Stiftung operating programs that complement school-based education, with similar BNE/esd curricular framing.
- Children for a Better World e.V. Hamburg-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children in Germany through education and participation programs. Comparable mission, donation-funded structure, and education-focused program portfolio (similar to help and hope's project days and holiday care).
- SOS-Kinderdorf e.V. One of Germany's largest charitable organizations supporting disadvantaged children and youth through residential and community programs. Directly comparable mission of enabling equal opportunities for children, with comparable reliance on donations and a mix of stationary and outreach services.
- Kindernothilfe e.V. One of Germany's largest child welfare NGOs funding education and protection projects for disadvantaged children. Comparable as a donation-driven Stiftung with portfolios weighted toward educational access for at-risk youth, though operating more internationally.
- nph Deutschland e.V. German arm of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos, funding residential communities and education for orphaned and disadvantaged children. Comparable donation-funded nonprofit model centered on children and youth, though operating primarily in Latin America rather than domestically.
Broad incumbents
- Bertelsmann Stiftung: One of Germany's largest operational foundations, with major programs in education, democracy, and social cohesion. Operates in the same broad nonprofit education space but at dramatically larger scale and with policy/advocacy capabilities that help and hope does not attempt.
- Vodafone Stiftung Deutschland: Corporate foundation funding education and digital participation programs for children and youth in Germany. Comparable as a Stiftung funding K-12 educational programing, but with a corporate funder behind it and a much larger national footprint.
Regional players
- Heinz Nixdorf Stiftung: Paderborn-based German foundation supporting education, science, and community development in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe region. Comparable as a regional Stiftung with programs that benefit local children and schools, though geographically adjacent rather than overlapping.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
help and hope Stiftung social profiles
Digital presencehelp and hope Stiftung financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
help and hope Stiftung leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
help and hope Stiftung funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
help and hope Stiftung 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 help and hope Stiftung
What does help and hope Stiftung do?
help and hope Stiftung is a charitable foundation that operates Gut Königsmühle, a 12-hectare estate in Dortmund-Mengede, as an out-of-school learning and experience location for children, youth, and families. It sells multi-day and single-day educational programs to schools and kindergartens, holiday care for children aged 6–14, U6 programs for families with infants and toddlers, and runs the Schulstarter-Aktion annual school-supply initiative. The upcoming help and hope Haus (bookable from 2027) adds overnight guesthouse capacity for up to 100 guests.
Is help and hope Stiftung a public or private company?
help and hope Stiftung is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was help and hope Stiftung founded?
help and hope Stiftung was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is help and hope Stiftung based?
help and hope Stiftung is headquartered in Dortmund-Mengede, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does help and hope Stiftung make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are program Fees and venue Rental and Events.
Who are help and hope Stiftung's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Aktion Mensch e.V. and Stiftung Lesen. Direct peers are Deutsche Kinder- und Jugendstiftung (DKJS), Children for a Better World e.V., SOS-Kinderdorf e.V., Kindernothilfe e.V. and nph Deutschland e.V.. Broad incumbents are Bertelsmann Stiftung and Vodafone Stiftung Deutschland. Heinz Nixdorf Stiftung is listed as a regional player.
Does help and hope Stiftung have an API?
No public API is recorded for help and hope Stiftung.
What industry is help and hope Stiftung in?
help and hope Stiftung's product category is Charitable Youth Education and Family Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAH, Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits, with a secondary code of EDAJAGAH, Newcomer & Refugee Student Support Programs. Its NAICS code is 813 and its SIC code is 8300.