Queeres Netzwerk NRW

What Queeres Netzwerk NRW does

Queeres Netzwerk NRW e.V. is a non-profit registered association (eingetragener Verein) headquartered at Lindenstraße 20 in Köln, Germany, founded on June 15, 1991, as Schwules Netzwerk NRW and renamed on September 26, 2020, to signal its expanded mandate across lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, inter*, asexual, and queer communities. The organization functions as the statewide Fachverband (professional association) for LGBTQIA+ self-help, empowerment, and anti-discrimination work in North Rhine-Westphalia, serving as an umbrella body for over 90 (now 100+) member groups, clubs, and initiatives that meet in biennial Mitgliederversammlungen to elect the board and approve the budget. It is recognized as a freier Träger der Jugendhilfe (free youth welfare provider) and as gemeinnützig und besonders förderungswürdig, giving it access to recurring state funding and tax-deductible donations.

The association operates through a portfolio of twelve specialized Fachstellen and projects: Kampagne ANDERS & GLEICH (anti-discrimination awareness), SCHLAU NRW (educational workshops on sexual and gender diversity in schools and sports clubs), Fachstelle Queere Jugend NRW, Q_munity (intersectional work with queer youth with migration backgrounds), Landeskoordination Trans* and Inter* NRW, Fachstelle #MehrAlsQueer, Fachstelle Regenbogenfamilien NRW, Trans*sensibel, Vielfalt in Bewegung (with Landessportbund NRW), MIQ NRW (documentation and analysis of queerphobic incidents), Kompassnadel and CouLe awards, plus BO LiNA and the online shop. Technical infrastructure is built on a WordPress website, CleverReach newsletter with double opt-in, Matomo analytics, Yumpu ePaper for digital publications, and HostEurope hosting under a GDPR data processing agreement. Distribution relies on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, an online shop, member-based reselling through the 90+ member groups, and flagship events such as the annual CSD-Empfang co-hosted with Aidshilfe NRW (1,000+ guests in 2026).

Revenue derives from a mixed model: recurring supporting membership fees (Förder-Mitglieder), private donations and corporate sponsorships, state funding as a free youth welfare provider, and project-based grants for specific initiatives such as SCHLAU NRW, Q_munity, and Fachstelle Queere Jugend NRW. With 14-17 core office staff plus project coordinators embedded across the Fachstellen, the organization operates exclusively within NRW (regional scope) and is governed by an elected Vorstand under the leadership of Geschäftsführer Benjamin Kinkel, with deputy managers Debbie Timm and Jessica Friedsam. There is no parent company, equity ownership, or investor base; governance rests entirely with the member assemblies.

Name

Queeres Netzwerk NRW

Legal name

Queeres Netzwerk NRW e.V.

Website

https://queeres-netzwerk.nrw

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Queeres Netzwerk NRW e.V. is a Köln-based non-profit Fachverband serving as the statewide umbrella association for over 100 LGBTQIA+ member groups in North Rhine-Westphalia. It funds twelve specialized Fachstellen and projects covering youth work, anti-discrimination, trans*/inter* coordination, rainbow families, queerphobia documentation, and inclusion in sports through membership fees, donations, and state grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

LGBTQIA+ Advocacy and Community Services

NAICS

Business Associations (81391), Business Associations (813910), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (813990)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Minority, Indigenous & Disability Rights (BPADAGAH)

Keywords

• LGBTQIA+ advocacy
• Queer youth support
• Anti-discrimination education
• Community network
• Rainbow families services

Headquarters

HQ city

Köln

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Regular membership fees from supporting members (Förder-Mitglieder) who contribute financially on an ongoing basis
2. Donations and Sponsoring: Private donations and corporate sponsorships; organization is recognized as charitable and particularly worthy of support (gemeinnützig und besonders förderungswürdig)
3. Government Funding: State funding as a free youth welfare provider (freier Träger der Jugendhilfe)
4. Project-based Funding: Funding for specific projects such as SCHLAU NRW, Q_munity, Fachstelle Queere Jugend NRW, and others

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Queeres Netzwerk NRW is the statewide Fachverband (professional association) and umbrella voice for LGBTQIA+ Selbsthilfe- und Initiativgruppen in North Rhine-Westphalia. It operates specialist offices for queer youth, trans* and inter* communities, rainbow families, and intersectional projects, alongside education programs (SCHLAU NRW, ANDERS & GLEICH), a queer-hostility reporting center (MIQ NRW), and statewide events and awards.

Product overview

Queeres Netzwerk NRW is a statewide professional association for LGBTQIA+ organizations in North Rhine-Westphalia, founded in 1991 and rebranded in 2020. The organization serves as an umbrella organization with over 90 member groups, offering networking, counseling, and advocacy services. Its portfolio includes multiple specialized offices (Fachstellen) and projects: ANDERS & GLEICH for anti-discrimination, SCHLAU NRW for educational workshops, Fachstelle Queere Jugend NRW for youth work, Landeskoordination Trans* NRW, Landeskoordination Inter* NRW, Fachstelle #MehrAlsQueer for intersectional work, Fachstelle Regenbogenfamilien for rainbow families, Q_munity for queer youth with migration backgrounds, Trans*sensibel, Vielfalt in Bewegung for sports inclusion, and MIQ NRW for documenting queerphobia. Additional offerings include the Kompassnadel and CouLe awards, an online shop with publications, and various events including the annual CSD-Empfang.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SCHLAU NRW
• ANDERS & GLEICH
• MIQ NRW (Melde- und Informationsstelle Queerfeindlichkeit)
• Q_munity
• Fachstelle Queere Jugend NRW
• Fachstelle Regenbogenfamilien NRW
• Landeskoordination Trans* NRW
• Landeskoordination Inter* NRW
• CSD-Empfang NRW
• Kompassnadel Award
• CouLe – Preis für Couragierte Lesben

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual CSD-Empfang reaching 1000+ guests from politics, civil society, and communities
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and moderate.

• Aidshilfe NRWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with Aidshilfe NRW as co-organizers of the annual CSD-Empfang since 2000. Both organizations collaborate on joint advocacy for LGBTQIA+ rights, democracy protection, and against queerphobia.
• Landessportbund NRWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project 'Vielfalt in Bewegung' (Diversity in Motion) promoting visibility, acceptance, and participation of queer people in sports. Published joint digital guide 'Von Haltung zu Handlung' for queer-inclusive sports environments.
• Paritätischer NRWmajorOthersMember of Der Paritätische NRW, a major welfare association, providing structural support and networking within the German welfare sector.
• Arcus StiftungmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation partner for LGBTQ+ issues, co-organizer of annual Holocaust memorial event for LGBTQIA+ victims of National Socialism alongside other state-level organizations.
• LAG Lesben in NRWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration with LAG Lesben NRW (State Working Group Lesbians in NRW). Joint activities include shared events like the 2017 New Year's reception and ongoing advocacy.
• Netzwerk Geschlechtliche Vielfalt Trans* NRWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose cooperation with the Network for Gender Diversity Trans* NRW, which was founded in 2016. The Landeskoordination Trans* NRW operates within this framework.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ILGA-Europe: European-region LGBTQ+ advocacy umbrella. Comparable in advocacy, capacity-building, and network-coordination functions, but operating at European rather than German state level; useful as a pressure-group and standard-setting peer.
• LSVD – Lesben- und Schwulenverband Deutschland: Germany's largest federal LGBTQ+ civil rights association. Operates as a national-level Fachverband analogous to Queeres Netzwerk NRW at state level, with broader geographic scope and similar advocacy, policy, and member-network functions.
• Der Paritätische NRW: Major NRW welfare association umbrella. Queeres Netzwerk NRW is a member, and Paritätischer provides comparable structural support, policy engagement, and member-services frameworks — relevant as an institutional/funder peer and sector benchmark.

Emerging players

• dgti – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Transidentität und Intersexualität: German advocacy and identification-card organization for trans and inter* people. Overlaps with Queeres Netzwerk NRW's Landeskoordination Trans* and Landeskoordination Inter* functions, particularly on community services and visibility.

Direct peers

• Bundesverband Trans*: Federal German advocacy organization for trans* people. Comparable in civil society advocacy, networking, and policy engagement functions, though at federal level and narrower subject focus than Queeres Netzwerk NRW's full LGBTQIA+ scope.
• Aidshilfe NRW: State-level AIDS advocacy and services organization in NRW. Co-organizes the annual CSD-Empfang with Queeres Netzwerk NRW and shares comparable advocacy, member-network, and government-funding model within the same geography and community.

Regional players

• Schwules Netzwerk Bayern: Statewide LGBTQ+ network association in Bavaria. Closely comparable in mission and organizational model to Queeres Netzwerk NRW, serving the LGBTQ+ community in a different German federal state.
• KISS Hamburg – Kontakt- und Informationsstellen für Selbsthilfegruppen: Hamburg-based support network for self-help groups. Comparable in self-help group coordination, networking, and member services functions — operating in a different federal state but addressing similar community self-help infrastructure.
• Magnus-Hirschfeld-Centrum Hamburg: Regional LGBTQ+ community, counseling, and cultural center in Hamburg. Comparable in intersectional LGBTQ+ community services, counseling, and visibility work — geographically distinct but functionally similar at community level.
• Lambda BW – Landesnetzwerk LSBTTIQ Baden-Württemberg: Statewide Fachverband for LSBTTIQ organizations in Baden-Württemberg. Directly comparable organizational structure (state-level member association, Fachstellen, political advocacy) operating in a different German federal state.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SchwulesNetzwerkNRW
• Facebookfacebook.com/QueeresNetzNRW
• Instagraminstagram.com/queeresnetznrw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/queeres-netzwerk-nrw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Queeres Netzwerk NRW