KlinikClowns Bayern e.V.

What KlinikClowns Bayern e.V. does

KlinikClowns Bayern e.V. is a registered charitable association (gemeinnütziger eingetragener Verein) founded in 1998 and headquartered in Freising, Bavaria, Germany. The organization's core activity is the delivery of professional clown visits (Clownsvisiten) to 125 healthcare facilities across Bavaria, serving five primary beneficiary segments: children in hospitals, senior citizens in care homes and geriatric wards, people with disabilities, seriously ill adults in oncology and other departments, and palliative/hospice patients. The visits are carried out by a network of 76 professional clown artists under continuous training in improvisation and medical-environment sensitivity, with qualification and ethical standards enforced by the Dachverband Clowns in Medizin und Pflege Deutschland e.V. and the European Federation of Healthcare Clown Organizations (EFHCO), of which the organization is a co-founder.

The organization operates a modest technology stack consisting of a Joomla-based website with Phoca Cart for the online shop, FundraisingBox (Wikando GmbH) for donation processing, Stripe and micropayment for credit-card and wallet payments, CleverReach for newsletter distribution, and Google Analytics for web measurement. A separate facility, Stiftung Lachen Schenken-KlinikClowns, was established in 2022 as a legally independent charitable foundation based in Landshut to secure long-term funding. The organization has reported 48,359 cumulative visits and 1,692,565 cumulative beneficiaries since founding.

The business model is donation-funded with no revenue from services. Funding streams include individual donations (one-time and recurring/Dauerspende), corporate partnership tiers (Premium at EUR 5,000+/year, Regional, and one-off Rendezvous), merchandise sales (books, mugs, plush toys, clothing via the online shop), school and kindergarten fundraising programs, legacy giving/estate planning, and presence on third-party giving platforms (Betterplace, Benevity, Payback, Gooding.de, Buch7.de, Platz schaffen mit Herz). Supplementary revenue streams include paid workshops and seminars for care staff, hospice volunteers, and corporate groups on humor as a therapeutic and resilience tool. Customer concentration is in the healthcare-provider segment, but the donor base is highly diversified across individual giving, corporate partnerships, and foundations.

Name

KlinikClowns Bayern e.V.

Legal name

KlinikClowns Bayern e.V.

Website

https://klinikclowns.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KlinikClowns Bayern e.V. is a Bavarian non-profit founded in 1998 that deploys 76 professional clown artists to perform free visits at 125 hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices, serving children, seniors, disabled persons, and critically ill or palliative patients entirely through donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Freising

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations: The organization is entirely funded through donations from individuals, companies, and organizations. No revenue from the actual clown visit services which are provided free to hospitals and care facilities.
2. Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling branded products including clothing, mugs, books, CDs, toys, and accessories. One-time purchase model with order processing Monday through Thursday only.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

KlinikClowns Bayern e.V. provides regular professional clown visits (Clownsvisiten) to 125 hospitals, pediatric clinics, nursing homes, hospices, and facilities for people with disabilities across Bavaria, using 76 trained clown artists. The service is provided free of charge to facilities and beneficiaries, funded entirely through donations, corporate partnerships, and merchandise sales (books, mugs, plush toys, CDs, clothing) via the online shop. Supplementary offerings include educational workshops/seminars on therapeutic humor for nursing staff, a biannual ClownReport magazine, and a website newsletter.

Product overview

KlinikClowns Bayern e.V. is a charitable organization operating a single integrated service—the professional clown visit program (Clownsvisiten)—supplemented by a merchandise shop, educational workshops, and various donation facilitation mechanisms. The core offering consists of regular clown visits to 125 healthcare and care facilities across Bavaria, serving children in hospitals, seniors in nursing homes, people with disabilities, seriously ill adults, and hospice/palliative patients. These visits are funded entirely through donations and supported by a secondary product line: an online shop selling branded merchandise (books, mugs, clothing, plush toys), plus educational workshops for care staff on humor as a therapeutic tool. The organization also facilitates giving through multiple channels including one-time/recurring online donations, corporate partnerships, legacy bequests, school fundraising programs, and external platforms (Betterplace, Benevity, Payback). The ClownReport postal magazine and newsletter provide engagement for supporters. The portfolio is unified under one mission—bringing laughter to those in need—with all products and services serving as mechanisms to fund or promote the clown visit program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clownsvisiten (Clown Visits) Regular in-person clown visits conducted by 76 professional clown artists at 125 healthcare facilities across Bavaria, serving children, seniors, people with disabilities, seriously ill adults, and palliative/hospice patients. Provided free of charge to facilities and beneficiaries.
• KlinikClowns Online Shop E-commerce shop selling branded merchandise including books, CDs, mugs, plush toys, clothing, bags, and accessories, with proceeds supporting the clown visit program. Operates on Phoca Cart (Joomla) with orders processed Monday through Thursday.
• 'Balsam für die Pflege' Workshop Workshop for nursing home staff on using humor as a resource for resilience and well-being in elderly care settings, combining scientific findings with practical exercises.
• 'Humor als Kraftquelle' Seminar / Vortrag Seminars, workshops, and lectures on 'Humor as a Source of Strength' for general groups, covering therapeutic and everyday applications of humor.
• 'Humor in Begleitungen' Seminar Seminar for hospice volunteers and helpers on using humor in end-of-life accompaniment and palliative care settings, led by clown 'Frl. Dr. Lilo Musi' (Miriam Brenner), a trained hospice helper.
• ClownReport Postal Magazine Biannual postal magazine featuring news about clinic clown activities, clown profiles, donor stories, and behind-the-scenes content. Available digitally as PDF and physically via mail subscription.
• Email Newsletter (CleverReach) Email newsletter delivered via CleverReach providing updates on clinic clown activities, new locations, events, and support opportunities.
• Unternehmenspartnerschaften (Corporate Partnerships) Three corporate partnership tiers: Premium-Partnership (EUR 5,000+/year with twice-yearly visit accompaniment), Regional-Partnership (supporting specific locations), and Rendezvous (one-time engagement). Includes logo placement and recognition in ClownReport.
• Vererben & Vermachen (Legacy Giving) Estate planning and inheritance service offering advice on wills, bequests, and foundation establishment, with a 'Mit Weitblick' brochure and tax advantages for charitable bequests.
• Stiftung Lachen Schenken-KlinikClowns (Foundation) Charitable foundation (Stiftung des bürgerlichen Rechts) established in 2022 to secure long-term funding of the clinic clown visits, accepting Zustiftungen (endowments) up to EUR 1 million tax-deductible per year.

Named customers6 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

Integration17 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AUDI AGcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor corporate supporter; listed among company donors with engagement in supporting clown visits at healthcare facilities
• Sparda-Bank MünchencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate supporter; branch manager Simone Häring quoted as supporting the organization
• Flughafen München (Munich Airport)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as supporter with logo on website
• Bezirk OberbayerncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional government supporter listed on supporters page
• Stadtsparkasse München (with children's foundation)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSavings bank with dedicated children's foundation supporting the organization
• Consorsbank (BNP Paribas)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as supporter with quotes about supporting the work from program manager Rosaria Galfo-Vasseur
• Zott die Genuss-MolkereiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDairy company listed as supporter
• Clarissa und Michael Käfer StiftungcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation supporting the organization; Clarissa Käfer quoted about the touching work
• Wikando GmbH (FundraisingBox)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides secure payment processing infrastructure for online donations; processes bank transfers, direct debits, and other payment methods for donation collection
• Dachverband Clowns in Medizin und Pflege Deutschland e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational umbrella organization co-founded in 2004; provides quality certification, professional standards, and represents 19-20 member organizations
• European Federation of Healthcare Clown Organizations (EFHCO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean umbrella organization co-founded by the association; shares knowledge, certifies members, and protects and strengthens the healthcare clown movement
• Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband Bayern e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWelfare association joined in 2015; operates according to principles of diversity, openness, and tolerance
• Orthopädische Kinderklinik AschaucoreOthersWeekly clown visits bringing joy to young orthopedic patients; featured in BR Abendschau report
• Technische Hochschule DeggendorfcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific partner for CAsHeW study (2019-2022) on effectiveness of clown visits in elderly care, funded by Federal Ministry of Health

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/klinikclownsbayern
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/klinikclowns-bayern-e-v
• Instagraminstagram.com/klinikclowns_e.v/?hl=de

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 KlinikClowns Bayern e.V.