ZARA - Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeit

What ZARA - Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeit does

ZARA – Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeit is an Austrian non-profit association (Verein) founded in 1999 and headquartered in Vienna, providing free legal and psychosocial counseling to victims of racism and online hate. Its two core counseling centers — !GegenRassismus (for victims of racial discrimination and hate crimes) and #GegenHassimNetz (for victims and witnesses of online hate, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking, operational since September 2017) — handle incident documentation, court accompaniment, platform-reporting, and content-removal requests. All client-facing services are free of charge; the organization does not monetize victims directly. The technology stack supporting these services is conventional and confidentiality-focused: encrypted email via FTAPI, encrypted chat via Aygonet, an online reporting form, and standard tooling (Google Analytics, MailChimp, FundraisingBox, Zoom) — there are no proprietary AI/ML systems.

The business model is grant- and donation-funded. ZARA receives ongoing public funding from the City of Vienna (MA 17 – Integration and Diversity), project funding from federal ministries and EU sources for specific initiatives (Web@ngels 3.0, cyber*power, ver*netzt, Butterfly Effect), private donations (tax-deductible in Austria since 2010 under the Spendengütesiegel), and recurring supporting memberships starting at 20 EUR per month. Complementary products include the annual Rassismus Report (18 editions) and #AgainstHateOnline Report (8 editions), counter-speech resources (Schneller Konter, Z'ruckred'n handbook, Konter Kollektiv with Amnesty International Austria), and educational workshops via subsidiary ZARA Training gGmbH. In 2025, ZARA became Austria's first certified Trusted Flagger under the EU Digital Services Act, granting it statutory priority in submitting content-removal notices to platforms.

The organization faces an acute structural risk: in April 2026 the Austrian Federal Chancellery withdrew all federal funding for the #GegenHassimNetz counseling center due to austerity measures, forcing ZARA to stop accepting new counseling cases and continue only case documentation while it seeks alternative funding. The company employs approximately 17 people (one source cites 23 including voluntary board members) and is governed by a voluntary board chaired by Melinda Tamás. Geographic operations are concentrated in Vienna, serving all of Austria, with a planned nationwide Roadshow in 2026 aimed at extending visibility and partner reach beyond the capital.

Name

ZARA - Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeit

Legal name

ZARA - Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeit

Website

https://zara.or.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ZARA is an Austrian non-profit founded in 1999 that provides free legal and psychosocial counseling to victims of racism and online hate through its #GegenHassimNetz and !GegenRassismus centers, funded by government grants, donations, and memberships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Anti-Racism Counseling & Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (813990)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Racial & Ethnic Justice Organizations (BPAGAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation & Advocacy (BPADAGAK)

Keywords

• Anti-racism counseling
• Online hate support
• Civil society services
• Racism reporting
• Counter-speech training

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: ZARA receives funding from public institutions including the City of Vienna (MA 17 - Integration and Diversity) and federal funding from the Austrian Federal Chancellery for specific projects like #GegenHassimNetz counseling center.
2. Private Donations: Individual donations from supporters, available as one-time or recurring contributions. Donations are tax-deductible in Austria (ZARA has been listed as tax-deductible since 2010).
3. Supporting Membership: Monthly membership contributions starting from 20 EUR per month (Ally/Verbundete*r tier) that fund counseling hours and provide benefits including annual reports and merchandise.
4. Project Funding: Funding for specific projects such as Web@ngels 3.0, cyber*power, ver*netzt, and Butterfly Effect, typically from federal ministries or EU sources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ZARA provides free, confidential legal and psychosocial counseling to victims of racism through its !GegenRassismus center and to victims and witnesses of online hate, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking through its #GegenHassimNetz center. The organization systematically documents all reported incidents to make racism structures visible, accompanies clients to courts and authorities, files content removal requests as Austria's only certified Trusted Flagger, and runs a Legal Aid Fund to finance civil lawsuits.

Product overview

ZARA - Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeit is a non-profit civil courage and anti-racism organization founded in 1999, providing a portfolio of free counseling services and educational products. The core services consist of two counseling centers: #GegenHassimNetz (for victims of online hate since 2017) and !GegenRassismus (for victims of racist discrimination). Supporting products include annual publications (Rassismus Report and #GegenHassimNetz Bericht), the Trusted Flagger reporting tool under the Digital Services Act, and the Rechtshilfefonds legal aid fund. Counter-speech products include the Schneller Konter web tool, Z'ruckred'n handbook, and the Konter Kollektiv community initiative with Amnesty International. ZARA Training provides educational workshops and training programs. Projects include Web@ngels 3.0 counterspeech volunteers, cyber*power on gender-based online violence, and ver*netzt for digital resilience. All services are free, confidential, and available to all victims regardless of background.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ZARA Training: Educational training services offering workshops and courses on racism, diversity, digital civil courage, and anti-discrimination for schools, students, adults, and companies.

Products and services

• #GegenHassimNetz (#AgainstOnlineHate) Counseling Service Free counseling service for victims and witnesses of online hate, cyberbullying and cyberstalking. Provides legal and psychosocial support, documents incidents, and assists with platform reporting and content removal requests.
• !GegenRassismus (!AgainstRacism) Counseling Service Free counseling service for victims of racist discrimination and hate crimes. Offers legal advice, psychosocial support, incident documentation, and court accompaniment.
• Online Incident Reporting Form (Meldeformular)

Quantifiable outcome

• 15,113 documented cases of online hate since 2017, with 1,716 new cases in current reporting period
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Amnesty International AustriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in the Konter Kollektiv initiative - a community of people who actively push back against digital hate and support one another. Joint workshops and coordinated counter-speech actions on Instagram and other platforms.
• DER STANDARDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint implementation of Web@ngels 3.0 project where volunteers are trained as Web@ngels and apply counter-speech strategies in DER STANDARD's online forums and social media channels.
• Magenta TelekomminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupported the presentation of the 8th #AgainstHateOnline Report as part of a journalistic themed evening at Presseclub Concordia.
• International Network Against Cyber Hate (INACH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network founded in 2002 by Magenta (NL) and jugendschutz.net (DE). ZARA participates in international discussions at EU and OSCE levels to combat hate speech online.
• Civic Solidarity Platform (CSP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network of NGOs working to improve human rights situation in Europe, Eurasia, and USA. ZARA joined in autumn 2016.
• Hate Crime Kontern NetzwerkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCivil society network launched within EU project V-START for making hate crime visible and countering it effectively and preventively.
• Facing Facts NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean network of over 30 members in 15 countries working to understand and make visible the impacts of hate crime. ZARA member since 2020.
• ZARA Training gGmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary organization conducting educational workshops and training programs. Operates independently from the association and not affected by current funding challenges.
• Partner Organizations NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of allied organizations including Frauen* beraten Frauen*, Afro Rainbow Austria, Antidiskriminierungsstelle Salzburg/Steiermark, Antisemitismus Meldestelle, Dokustelle, HateAid, HelpChat, HOSI Wien, and others for referrals and collaboration.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/zara.or.at
• Facebookfacebook.com/zara.or.at
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zara-zivilcourage

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 ZARA - Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeit