What Deutsche Krebshilfe does

Deutsche Krebshilfe, legally constituted as Stiftung Deutsche Krebshilfe, is a charitable foundation under German civil law headquartered in Bonn, founded in 1974 to fight cancer in Germany through a three-pillar mission: Help (patient support), Research (research funding), and Information (public education). Operating with approximately 61 staff and a network of subsidiaries focused on children's cancer (Stiftung Deutsche KinderKrebshilfe der Deutschen Krebshilfe), research funding (Dr. Mildred Scheel Stiftung für Krebsforschung), and education (Dr. Mildred Scheel Akademie), the foundation coordinates a national ecosystem that includes 15 Comprehensive Cancer Centers across 26 university locations, 50+ psychosocial cancer counseling centers, and the ONCOnnect program linking these centers to regional providers.

Free patient-facing services include INFONETZ KREBS personalized counseling (telephone 0800/80 70 88 77 and email), the Blaue Ratgeber (Blue Guides) publication library, the Härtefonds financial hardship fund, the Dr. Mildred Scheel Akademie in Cologne for professional and patient courses, and a Familiärer Krebs genetic counseling service. On the research side, the foundation provides grants and operates the Leitlinienprogramm Onkologie (oncology guidelines program) jointly with professional bodies. In fiscal year 2023, Deutsche Krebshilfe reported total revenue of 158 million EUR, funded almost entirely by individual donations (~351,000 donors contributing 34+ million EUR), legacies and bequests (~86 million EUR), corporate contributions, and benefit events.

The foundation is led by a three-member Vorstand (Lutz M. Heitmüller, Dr. Franz Kohlhuber, and Gerd Nettekoven) following a late-2024 succession in which Dr. Franz Kohlhuber assumed the chair role from Gerd Nettekoven. Deutsche Krebshilfe maintains policy roles within the Federal Ministry of Health's National Cancer Plan and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research's National Decade Against Cancer, and pursues commercial-style partnerships — most notably with PENNY DEL (German Ice Hockey League) and DOSB — to extend prevention and awareness reach. All services are provided at no charge to beneficiaries; no pricing model exists because the organization is not commercial.

Name

Deutsche Krebshilfe

Legal name

Stiftung Deutsche Krebshilfe

Website

https://krebshilfe.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Deutsche Krebshilfe is a Bonn-based non-profit foundation founded in 1974 that funds cancer research, provides free patient counseling and financial support, and runs public cancer education across Germany through a national network of cancer centers and partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Cancer Support Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

Keywords

• Cancer patient support
• Cancer research funding
• Psychosocial counseling
• Charitable health services
• Oncology information materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Research Grants and Project Funding, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donations from private persons, including regular monthly donations, one-time gifts, and commemorative donations. In 2023, approximately 351,000 individual donors contributed over 34 million euros.
2. Legacies and Bequests: Inheritances and legacies from supporters who have included Deutsche Krebshilfe in their wills. In 2023, this represented the largest single revenue source at 86 million euros.
3. Benefit Actions and Campaigns: Revenue from fundraising events and campaigns such as golf tournaments, birthday donations, and corporate anniversaries.
4. Corporate Donations: Donations from companies and foundations, including Jubliee and condolence donations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Deutsche Krebshilfe is a charitable foundation that funds cancer research, provides free personalized counseling and psychosocial support to cancer patients and their families through its INFONETZ KREBS service, and publishes free scientifically verified information materials. The organization also coordinates a national network of 15 Comprehensive Cancer Centers, runs an oncology guideline program, and offers professional education through the Dr. Mildred Scheel Akademie. All services are provided free of charge and funded entirely through donations, legacies, and bequests.

Product overview

Deutsche Krebshilfe is a charitable foundation offering a comprehensive ecosystem of cancer-related services. The core offerings include INFONETZ KREBS for personalized cancer consultation, the Dr. Mildred Scheel Akademie for professional education and patient courses, and psychosocial cancer counseling centers. Financial support is provided through the Härtefonds and research project funding. The organization publishes the Blaues Ratgeber (Blue Guide) series of free educational materials and maintains Onkologische Spitzenzentren (Comprehensive Cancer Centers) as centers of excellence. Additional services include the Mildred Scheel Cancer Conference for scientific exchange, family cancer counseling, and sports partnerships for prevention. The organization also operates online donation and fundraising platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• INFONETZ KREBS: Personal counseling and support service for cancer patients and their families providing information about treatment options and local support services.
• Dr. Mildred Scheel Akademie
• Härtefonds
• Blaue Ratgeber

Products and services

• INFONETZ KREBS (Personalized Cancer Counseling)

Quantifiable outcome

• 47 million EUR invested in research in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and strategic.

• Deutsche Eishockey Liga (PENNY DEL)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Deutsche Krebshilfe became the official health partner of the German professional hockey league (PENNY DEL) starting with the 2025/2026 season. The long-term cooperation aims to promote cancer awareness, prevention, and health consciousness in the German professional hockey environment.
• DOSB (Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrengthened cooperation with the German Olympic Sports Confederation to promote more exercise and physical activity as part of the 'Rezept für Bewegung' (Prescription for Movement) initiative.
• Comprehensive Cancer Centers (CCCs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 15 oncological centers of excellence with 26 university locations that Deutsche Krebshilfe has funded and initiated over 15 years, creating essential care and research structures in Germany.
• ONCOnnect ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram connecting all 15 Comprehensive Cancer Centers with regional healthcare providers including clinics, oncology practices, and general practitioners to ensure wider access to high standards of care.
• Deutsche Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg for the annual National Cancer Prevention Week and joint advocacy for cancer prevention policy.
• Deutsche KrebsgesellschaftmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint organization of the National Cancer Prevention Week and collaborative efforts in cancer awareness and policy advocacy.
• Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (National Cancer Plan)strategicOthersDeutsche Krebshilfe is closely involved in the National Cancer Plan initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Health and contributes expertise in improving cancer patient care.
• Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (Nationale Dekade gegen Krebs)strategicOthersInvolvement in the National Decade Against Cancer initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Cancer Institute (NCI): US federal agency leading cancer research and training. As a public-sector counterpart, NCI provides a useful comparison for the scale and structure of cancer research funding that Deutsche Krebshilfe complements in the German ecosystem.
• Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ): Germany's national cancer research center in Heidelberg. Functions as both a strategic partner (joint National Cancer Prevention Week) and a broader incumbent conducting large-scale biomedical research that Deutsche Krebshilfe helps fund through grants and alliances.

Direct peers

• Macmillan Cancer Support: UK charity focused on cancer patient support services including information, financial assistance, and counseling. Comparable patient-services pillar to Deutsche Krebshilfe's INFONETZ KREBS and psychosocial counseling network, though less focused on research funding.
• American Cancer Society: The largest US voluntary health organization focused on cancer, combining research funding, patient support, and public education. Comparable operating model to Deutsche Krebshilfe's Helfen/Forschen/Informieren triple mission, with significantly larger scale.
• Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft (DKG): Germany's leading oncology professional society and certification body for oncological centers. Direct German peer that co-organizes the National Cancer Prevention Week with Deutsche Krebshilfe and works in adjacent areas of certification, guidelines, and professional education.
• Cancer Research UK: The UK's largest cancer charity, funding research, providing patient information, and running awareness campaigns. Directly comparable to Deutsche Krebshilfe in mission structure (research funding + patient support + public education), though operating at larger scale across the UK.
• Ligue contre le cancer: France's leading cancer charity federation supporting research, patient aid, and prevention. Direct European peer with a similar three-pillar structure and broad national footprint, though organized as a federation of local committees.
• Swiss Cancer League (Krebsliga Schweiz): Switzerland's national cancer charity providing research funding, patient support, and prevention programs. Comparable in scale and mission, though serving the smaller Swiss market; provides a useful regional-peer benchmark.

Emerging players

• Susan G. Komen: Largest US breast cancer charity, funding research and patient navigation services. Comparable patient-support and research-funding model but limited to breast cancer; illustrates how cause-specific brands can scale alongside broader cancer charities.
• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: US disease-specific cancer charity focused on blood cancers, funding research and providing patient support. Comparable model but narrower disease scope than Deutsche Krebshilfe's pan-cancer mission; useful for benchmarking disease-focused fundraising and research investment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/DeutscheKrebshilfe
• Facebookfacebook.com/deutschekrebshilfe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deutsche-krebshilfe
• Instagraminstagram.com/deutschekrebshilfe

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Deutsche Krebshilfe