Herzenssache e.V.

What Herzenssache e.V. does

Herzenssache e.V. is a registered German nonprofit association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 2000 as a joint initiative of regional public broadcasters SWR and SR and ethical banking group Sparda-Bank. Headquartered in Mainz, the organization collects and redistributes 100% of donated funds as grants to nonprofit projects benefiting children and youth (ages 0–18) in the three Southwest German states of Rheinland-Pfalz, Baden-Württemberg, and Saarland. As of 2025, the organization celebrated its 25th anniversary with approximately €66 million in cumulative donations distributed across nearly 1,600 projects and raised approximately €5.4 million in 2025 alone. Its core offerings consist of an online donation platform (via Fundraisingbox, PayPal, and bank transfer), a structured project funding program for nonprofit applicants, the Herzenssache-Bus vehicle initiative (25 vehicles delivered to date), a celebrity ambassador program ("Promis mit Herz"), and a grassroots community fundraising platform ("Mitmach-Blog" and "Benefizaktionen").

The business model is donation-funded with no products or services sold; all revenue is voluntary giving, and the six-person operation is overseen by a board drawn from the founding organizations (SWR, SR, Sparda-Bank). Distribution leverages free broadcast inventory from the SWR and SR media partnership, augmented by social media (Facebook, Instagram), an email newsletter, and recurring benefit events (marathons, benefit concerts, including the May 2025 Federal President's Benefit Concert). The grant-making portfolio spans social inclusion, pediatric palliative care, music and arts education, media-literacy, crime prevention, and — newly — nature and climate education. No proprietary technology, software platform, or AI/ML capability is described in the source material; the technology footprint is limited to standard third-party SaaS for payment processing, web analytics, newsletter delivery, and bot protection.

Operationally, Herzenssache is in a planned leadership transition: Stefanie Brich will become Geschäftsführerin (Managing Director/CEO) on January 1, 2026, succeeding Gitta Haucke, who led the association for 17 years. Brand awareness exceeds 50% of the Southwest German population, and the organization holds tax-deductible Körperschaft status under §§ 51 ff. AO and § 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 9 KStG with annual independent audits and publicly disclosed financial reports.

Name

Herzenssache e.V.

Legal name

Herzenssache e.V.

Website

https://herzenssache.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Herzenssache e.V. is a Mainz-based German nonprofit association, founded in 2000, that collects and redistributes 100% of donations as grants to roughly 1,600 children's and youth projects across Rheinland-Pfalz, Baden-Württemberg, and Saarland, raising approximately €5.4 million in 2025 via a joint initiative with broadcasters SWR and SR and Sparda-Bank.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Charity Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)

Keywords

• Children's charity
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Youth aid programs
• Donation platform
• Community grantmaking

Headquarters

HQ city

Mainz

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Herzenssache e.V. operates exclusively through donated funds. Individual donors contribute via online donation portals (Fundraisingbox), bank transfer, PayPal, and in-kind event support. All donated funds are distributed as grants to charitable projects benefiting children and youth in the Southwest region.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Herzenssache e.V. is a registered nonprofit association that raises donations from individuals, businesses, and broadcast-driven fundraising campaigns in the Southwest German states, and redistributes 100% of donated funds as grants to vetted nonprofit organizations running projects that protect, support, and empower children and youth. Complementary programs include the Herzenssache-Bus vehicle initiative (25 buses delivered), a celebrity ambassador program, and community-driven Mitmach-Aktionen fundraising campaigns.

Product overview

Herzenssache e.V. is a charitable children's aid organization operated as a non-profit association, not a technology company. Its core offerings consist of a donation collection platform for funding children and youth projects in southwestern Germany, combined with a project funding program that awards grants to non-profit organizations. The organization runs complementary programs including the Herzenssache-Bus vehicle initiative (25 buses as of 2025), a celebrity ambassador program (Promis mit Herz) featuring celebrity supporters, a newsletter service, and a charitable action platform (Mitmach-Aktion) enabling individuals to create their own fundraisers. Additional offerings include a virtual project map and FAQ resource. The organization does not offer technology products, APIs, or SaaS platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Donation Platform Digital donation platform enabling secure online donations for children and youth projects in southwestern Germany. Supports multiple payment methods including bank transfer, PayPal, and Fundraisingbox.
• Project Funding Program (Förderung) Competitive grant program for nonprofit organizations to fund projects protecting, supporting, and empowering children and youth in Rheinland-Pfalz, Baden-Württemberg, and Saarland.
• Herzenssache-Bus Program Vehicle program providing colorful buses to children's projects for transportation to activities, excursions, and events. 25 buses distributed as of 2025, used as children's rights bus, rainbow bus, and hero bus.
• Celebrity Ambassador Program (Promis mit Herz) Celebrity ambassador program featuring artists like Max Giesinger, Mark Forster, LOTTE, and Hartmut Engler supporting charitable campaigns and visiting project sites to amplify awareness and donations.
• Mitmach-Aktion (Benefizaktionen Community Fundraising) Charitable action platform allowing individuals to create their own online fundraising projects for children and youth, including charity runs, cake sales, and birthday donations.
• Virtual Project Map Interactive map displaying children's aid projects across southwestern Germany, filterable by location and thematic area.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approx. €66 million in donations distributed across nearly 1,600 projects over 25 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SWR (Südwestrundfunk)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSWR is one of the three founding media partners of Herzenssache e.V. The regional public broadcaster provides media coverage, broadcast airtime for donation appeals, event co-organization (SWR Sommerfestival, benefit concerts), and editorial content featuring Herzenssache projects across its television, radio, and online platforms.
• SR (Saarländischer Rundfunk)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSR is one of the three founding media partners of Herzenssache e.V., operating alongside SWR and Sparda-Bank. SR provides broadcast coverage, radio airtime, and co-organizes charitable events for the Saarland region, amplifying Herzenssache's reach within the state.
• Humor hilft Heilen (Stiftung)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation initiated by Dr. Eckart von Hirschhausen runs OP-Clown programs in hospitals. Herzenssache co-funds the expansion of these programs to new regions, including Landau in Rhineland-Palatinate. The program is scientifically evaluated and was awarded the MSD-Gesundheitspreis in 2023.
• Caritasverband der Diözese Rottenburg-Stuttgart e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHerzenssache co-funds the Caritas youth orientation project in Winnenden, which helps at-risk youth find direction through nature-based activities, healthy cooking, and vocational preparation. The project targets youth struggling in school due to high demands or difficult home environments.
• Digital Balance e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHerzenssache funds the Digital Balance program in Enzkreis, which teaches children and adolescents (600 youth per year) how to use digital media in a healthy way, using tandem teams of formerly media-addicted individuals and pedagogical professionals.
• SichtWaisen e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by former offender Maximilian Pollux, SichtWaisen provides crime, violence, and drug prevention coaching for juvenile offenders. Herzenssache funding supports training 30 additional mentors for youth intensive offenders. The program reports positive measurable impact on local crime statistics.
• Bündnis für Familien Tübingen (Initiative Schwimmen für alle Kinder)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHerzenssache co-funds the 'Schwimmen für alle Kinder' initiative by the Tübingen Family Alliance, providing swimming lessons for elementary school children from families who cannot afford private lessons, helping prevent drowning accidents and promoting social inclusion.
• Jugend-Musik-Werk BadenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHerzenssache has funded the Jugend-Musik-Werk Baden for the second time, supporting its work with youth facing challenging life circumstances. Funding was used to restore facilities after water damage and continues to provide a music-based safe space for vulnerable adolescents.
• Gesellschaft für Umweltbildung (GUB) WeinheimminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHerzenssache delivered its 25th Herzenssache-Bus to the GUB Weinheim in 2025, enabling urban children to participate in nature expeditions, outdoor education, and climate awareness activities. GUB received the national UNESCO award for Education for Sustainable Development in 2024.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• SWR1 Spendenaktion / Sternstunden: SWR's flagship annual fundraising drive benefiting children's aid projects, tied to SWR's coverage area. The closest intra-SWR peer to Herzenssache, though Brand-unique and event-driven rather than a continuous grantmaking organization.
• Stiftung Lesen: German foundation promoting reading and media literacy among children and youth, funded through donations, sponsorships, and project grants. Overlaps with Herzenssache's media-education and youth-development funding, though focused on literacy as a single thematic area.

Broad incumbents

• SOS Kinderdorf: Germany's largest children's welfare nonprofit, operating villages, educational programs, and family support services nationwide. Directly comparable as a national-scale grantmaking and direct-service children's charity, though it operates direct programs rather than primarily redistributing donor funds.
• Save the Children Germany: German national organization of the international children's rights NGO, focused on children's welfare through advocacy, emergency response, and project funding. Comparable as a major children's charity in the German donor market, though operating with a global rather than regional mandate.
• UNICEF Germany: National committee of UNICEF operating in Germany, raising funds for children's welfare globally and domestically. Comparable as a brand-driven children's charity with strong donor recognition, though it operates at much larger scale and with a global mandate.

Regional players

• BR Sternstunden: Bavarian regional children's charity associated with Bayerischer Rundfunk, raising funds through annual telethon and broadcast partnerships. Directly comparable broadcaster-charity model in a different German state, analogous to Herzenssache's role in the Southwest.
• Licht ins Dunkel (ORF): Austrian public broadcaster (ORF) charity initiative supporting families, children, and people with disabilities. Comparable as a public-broadcaster-led regional fundraising platform distributing to charitable projects, but operating under Austrian jurisdiction.

Direct peers

• Stiftung RTL – Wir helfen Kindern: RTL Germany's annual children's charity telethon distributing funds to national and international projects. Comparable in broadcaster-led fundraising scale, though it operates nationally with a single annual telethon rather than continuous donor engagement.
• Deutsche Kinderhilfswerk: One of Germany's largest non-partisan children's aid organizations, focused on child participation, political advocacy, and project funding. Closely comparable to Herzenssache in its grantmaking-plus-awareness model, though it operates nationally and with a stronger advocacy frame.
• Sterntaler (NDR-Aktion): Regional children's charity of NDR (Norddeutscher Rundfunk), structurally closest to Herzenssache as a broadcaster-led children's fundraising drive for Northern Germany. The broadcaster-charity model is nearly identical, making it the most direct structural peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/herzenssache
• Instagraminstagram.com/herzenssache_ev
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/herzenssache-e.v.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Herzenssache e.V.