Hirschfeld-Eddy-Stiftung

What Hirschfeld-Eddy-Stiftung does

Hirschfeld-Eddy-Stiftung is a German nonprofit foundation established in summer 2007 on the initiative of the Lesben- und Schwulenverband (LSVD), focused on international human rights work for LGBTQI+ people. It is administered by LSVD-Verein für europäische Kooperation e.V. (registered legal entity headquartered in Köln with the foundation's main office at Almstadtstr. 7, 10119 Berlin), which performs all administrative and public relations functions so that project-related donations flow directly to grantees without deductions. The foundation serves LGBTQI+ human rights organizations in the Global South and Eastern Europe, German and international development cooperation organizations seeking LGBTQI+ expertise, and German civil society (NGOs, migrant organizations, faith-based organizations, and the general public). It addresses pain points including funding gaps for grassroots LGBTQI+ work, limited rainbow competence in development cooperation, stigmatization, criminalization, and violence against LGBTQI+ individuals. Its quantifiable outcomes include 200+ projects funded from 2007-2022 across multiple countries and successful advocacy that led to the German federal government's first LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Plan for Foreign Policy and Development Cooperation in 2021.

The foundation operates three core functional pillars: direct financial assistance (collecting and distributing donations to threatened LGBTQI+ people and organizations), international lobbying and advocacy (human rights conferences, UN Human Rights Council engagement, Yogyakarta Alliance), and knowledge production and information sharing (research, publications, education in Germany). Its core programmatic asset is the LGBTIQ+-Plattform für Menschenrechte (LGBTIQ+ Platform for Human Rights), active since 2011, which serves as a networking platform connecting activists, government officials, scholars, migrant organizations, faith-based organizations, development cooperation specialists, and NGOs. This platform is supplemented by annual thematic projects: 'Internationale Menschenrechtsdebatten' (2020), 'Menschenrechtsverteidiger*innen' (2021), 'Do No Harm – Risiken minimieren' (2022), 'We believe in change' (2023), 'Kulturen und Kolonialismus' (2024), and the current multi-year 'Der pinke Faktor' (2025-2026) analyzing instrumentalization of queer people in geopolitics. Supporting outputs include the HES-Schriftenreihe publications series, bilingual webtalks and podcasts (distributed via SoundCloud), and a bilingual newsletter reaching approximately 1,000 subscribers. No proprietary technology underpins these activities; distribution relies on standard channels (SendCockpit email, LSVD blog at blog.lsvd.de, social media, conferences, and the online donation portal at Bank für Sozialwirtschaft).

The foundation has no commercial revenue model. Its funding base comprises private donations and institutional project grants. Since 2020, the Federal Ministry of Justice (BMJV) has provided annual one-year project funding following a German Bundestag resolution, and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) funds the Masakhane project for queer women in southern Africa (Mozambique, Eswatini, Botswana) — the largest BMZ-funded LGBTQ+-inclusive project to date. From 2011 to 2020, the LGBTIQ+ Platform for Human Rights was primarily supported by Dreilinden gGmbH. Strategic partners include ILGA World, Yogyakarta Alliance, Coalition of African Lesbians, Outright International, filia.die frauenstiftung, and Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland ISD Bund e.V. Geographic reach spans 25+ countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans, the Middle East, and Central America, with no geographic restrictions stated in the source data.

Name

Hirschfeld-Eddy-Stiftung

Legal name

LSVD-Verein für europäische Kooperation e.V.

Website

https://hirschfeld-eddy-stiftung.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Hirschfeld-Eddy-Stiftung is a German nonprofit foundation established in 2007 by LSVD that provides direct financial support, international advocacy, and knowledge production for LGBTQI+ human rights organizations across 25+ countries in the Global South and Eastern Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International LGBTQ+ Human Rights Advocacy and Grantmaking

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE)

Keywords

• LGBTQ+ human rights funding
• International development cooperation
• Human rights advocacy
• Grassroots project grants
• Rainbow competence training

Headquarters

HQ city

Köln

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Project Funding: The foundation raises funds through donations and state project funding to support LGBTQ+ human rights projects globally, particularly in the Global South and Eastern Europe. The LSVD (Lesben- und Schwulenverband) handles all administrative and public relations work for the foundation, allowing project-related donations to be transferred directly to human rights projects.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Hirschfeld-Eddy-Stiftung is a German nonprofit foundation that provides direct financial assistance, international advocacy, and information dissemination for LGBTQ+ human rights, particularly supporting grassroots organizations and activists in the Global South and Eastern Europe. It distributes donations to threatened LGBTQ+ activists, advocates for LGBTIQ+ inclusion in German foreign policy and development cooperation, and produces educational research, publications, and events under the LGBTIQ+ Platform for Human Rights.

Product overview

The Hirschfeld-Eddy-Stiftung is a German foundation established in 2007 by the Lesben- und Schwulenverband (LSVD) focused on international human rights work for LGBTQI+ people. The organization's main service is the 'LGBTIQ+-Plattform für Menschenrechte' (LGBTIQ+ Platform for Human Rights), which builds networks and provides information and resources. This core platform is supported by annual thematic projects including 'Der pinke Faktor' (2025-2026), 'Kulturen und Kolonialismus' (2024), 'We believe in change' (2023), and 'Do No Harm' (2022). The organization also produces publications (HES-Schriftenreihe), webtalks/podcasts, and a bilingual newsletter to disseminate knowledge about LGBTQI+ human rights issues globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LGBTIQ+ Platform for Human Rights A networking platform that builds connections and provides information and resources for human rights advocacy. Active since 2011, it works with activists, government officials, scholars, migrant organizations, faith-based organizations, development cooperation specialists, and NGOs.
• Project 2022: Do No Harm – Risiken minimieren A one-year project (January-December 2022) focused on minimizing risks in international project work for LSBTI. The project collected best and first-practice examples for risk reduction through exchange with activists and experts, promoting 'rainbow expertise' in international human rights work.
• Project 2023: We Believe in Change A project addressing human rights in the context of freedom of religion and protection from violence and discrimination against LSBTIQ*. The project ran from January to December 2023 and promoted dialogue between otherwise separated discourse groups.
• Project 2024: Kulturen und Kolonialismus (Cultures and Colonialism) A project linking anti-racism and decolonization with human rights of LSBTIQ* worldwide. Focuses on processing German and European colonial history, queer colonial experiences, and empowerment, with dialogue with NGOs and organizations on the African continent.
• Project 2025 & 2026: Der pinke Faktor (The Pink Factor) Current project (January 2025 - December 2026) analyzing the role of LSBTIQ* in global conflict over values, resources, and dominance. Examines how queer people are instrumentalized in geopolitics and promotes their active role in human rights and democracy movements.
• HES-Schriftenreihe (Publications Series) A series of publications including research reports, fact sheets, conference readers, and books documenting the foundation's work on LSBTIQ+ human rights topics, available for free download or ordering.
• Webtalks & Podcasts Online discussions and podcast episodes featuring activists from the Global South and experts discussing topics related to LSBTIQ+ human rights, available via SoundCloud and web platforms.
• Newsletter (SendCockpit) Regular newsletter providing information about activities, events, studies and reports on international LSBTIQ+ human rights. Available in German and English, with approximately 1,000 subscribers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Projects funded from 2007-2022 across multiple countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe
• +1 more outcomes

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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner for the Masakhane project, a regional empowerment initiative for queer women in southern African countries (Mozambique, Eswatini, Botswana). The foundation serves as German partner NGO alongside filia.die frauenstiftung. Cornelia Sperling acts as German Project Supporter.
• Yogyakarta AllianceflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn open network for integrating LGBTI rights into foreign policy and development cooperation. The foundation played a leading role in establishing this network. After years of advocacy, the German federal government passed the LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Plan for Foreign Policy and Development Cooperation in 2021.
• ILGA WorldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe LSVD is a member organization of ILGA World and lobbied for the extension of the UN Expert on SOGI mandate at the UN Human Rights Council.
• Outright InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublished the Guide for the inclusion of LGBTI people in development and foreign policy (November 2021) which informed the foundation's do-no-harm approach.
• Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland ISD Bund e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Crossings & Alliances series, collaborating on the 2015 Parallel Report on Racism and Homophobia for the UN Antiracism Convention (ICERD).
• LesbenMigraS/Lesbenberatung Berlin e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the ICERD Parallel Report, with Beatrice Cobbinah authoring the background report on LGBTQ+ and racism.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung: German political foundation affiliated with the Greens, operating international offices and funding human rights, democracy, and gender projects globally; broadly comparable as a German political-affiliated foundation with an international human-rights grantmaking footprint.
• Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung: Germany's oldest political foundation with extensive international human-rights, democracy, and social-justice programming; broadly comparable as a German political foundation funding rights work in the same target regions, though broader in mandate.
• Open Society Foundations: Large global foundation with a long-standing LGBTQ+ rights and human rights portfolio; broadly comparable as a major international human-rights funder operating in overlapping geographies, though not specialized to the LGBTQ+ niche.

Direct peers

• Hivos: Dutch international development organization with established programs on LGBTI rights and inclusion in the Global South; directly comparable in integrating LGBTQ+ rights into development cooperation and rainbow-competence capacity building.
• Dreilinden gGmbH: German grantmaking foundation specifically funding LGBTQI+ human rights internationally; primary historical financial supporter of the Hirschfeld-Eddy-Stiftung's LGBTIQ+ Platform (2011-2020) and directly comparable in mission, geography, and funding model.
• filia.die frauenstiftung: German feminist foundation funding girls' and women's rights projects globally; co-partner with Hirschfeld-Eddy-Stiftung on the Masakhane project and directly comparable as a small, dedicated German grantmaker operating internationally.
• Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice: Global grantmaker focused specifically on LGBTQI+ human rights, feminist movement-building, and Global South grantees; directly comparable as a thematic grantmaker with overlapping geographies and constituencies (LBQ women, intersex activists).
• Outright International: International NGO advancing LGBTQ+ human rights globally, particularly at the UN and in restrictive jurisdictions; a documented partner of Hirschfeld-Eddy-Stiftung and directly comparable in international advocacy and capacity-building work.
• ILGA World: International federation of national and local LGBTQ+ organizations coordinating advocacy at the UN and globally; a documented strategic partner of Hirschfeld-Eddy-Stiftung and directly comparable in international LGBTQ+ human rights lobbying.
• Arcus Foundation: US-headquartered global foundation with a primary programmatic focus on LGBTQ+ human rights and social justice; directly comparable as a dedicated LGBTQ+ grantmaker supporting international advocacy, movement-building, and the Global South.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hirschfeld-eddy-stiftung

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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