What Renovabis E.V. does

Renovabis E.V. is the Eastern Europe aid organization of the Catholic Church in Germany, established on March 3, 1993 by the German Bishops' Conference at the initiative of the Zentralkomitee der deutschen Katholiken (ZdK). It is a registered charitable association (eingetragener Verein) headquartered at Domberg 38/40 in Freising, with a representative office in Berlin and tax-exempt status under German law. The organization operates in 29 countries across Central, Eastern, and Southeast Europe — covering Catholic parishes, dioceses, Caritas affiliates, social NGOs, and educational institutions — and has funded approximately 27,400 projects since founding. Its core service is Projektförderung (project funding) directed at church construction, pastoral infrastructure, priest formation, and civil-society development, supplemented by Stipendien (scholarships for priests, seminarians, religious orders, and laity), humanitarian aid coordination, and partner dialogue.

Renovabis's revenue model is donation-based rather than commercial. It draws on individual donations processed via Fundraisingbox with SEPA direct debit, an annual Pentecost collection (Pfingstaktion) routed through all Catholic parishes in Germany, institutional funding from the Verband der Diözesen Deutschlands (VDD) and BMZ federal development funds channeled through the Katholische Zentralstelle für Entwicklungshilfe (KZE), designated scholarship endowments, and modest publication revenue from the quarterly OWEP journal (EUR 22.80/year subscription, EUR 7.50 single issue, EUR 5.99 eBook) co-published with ZdK. Suggested donation levels on its website are EUR 25 and EUR 50.

Technically, Renovabis runs no proprietary platform; it operates on standard third-party infrastructure — Fundraisingbox for donation processing, Algolia for website search, Mapbox for an interactive project map, CleverReach for newsletters, YouTube for video, and a new browser-based online project application portal launched June 1, 2026. Its go-to-market is community-led through German Catholic parish and diocesan networks and event-driven through the annual Pfingstaktion campaign, the Internationaler Kongress, traveling exhibitions (FriedensMenschen), the Ostblick podcast with DOMRADIO.DE, multilingual publications (OWEP journal, NÖK newsletter, prayer booklets in 14+ languages), and educational materials for schools and youth groups.

Name

Renovabis E.V.

Legal name

Renovabis e.V.

Website

https://renovabis.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Renovabis E.V. is the Eastern Europe aid organization of the German Catholic Church, founded in 1993 to fund church construction, pastoral work, scholarships, and social projects across 29 countries in Central, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, financed via donations and the annual Pentecost collection from German Catholics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid and Development Cooperation

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid services
• Development cooperation programs
• Project funding grants
• Religious education materials
• Humanitarian fundraising campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Freising

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations from private supporters: Individual donors contribute through online donation forms (Fundraisingbox), SEPA bank transfers, and legacy bequests. Renovabis operates a dedicated donorservice and sends targeted newsletters to supporters.
2. Pentecost collection: Annual collection in Catholic churches across Germany during Pentecost season, which represents a significant annual fundraising moment.
3. Diocesan and institutional funding: Renovabis receives funding from German Catholic bishops' conference (Verband der Diözesen Deutschlands, VDD) and the Katholische Zentralstelle für Entwicklungshilfe (KZE), which provides BMZ (German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development) funding.
4. Publication sales: Revenue from selling the quarterly OWEP journal (EUR 7.50 per issue, EUR 22.80 annual subscription) and eBook versions (EUR 5.99 per issue). Shipping costs apply.
5. Stipendien (Scholarship endowments): Renovabis administers scholarship programs for priests, seminarians, religious orders, and laity from Eastern Europe, funded by specific donations designated for educational support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Renovabis is the Eastern Europe aid organization of the Catholic Church in Germany. It funds pastoral, social, and community projects for churches, NGOs, and civil society organizations in 29 countries across Central, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, administers scholarships for clergy and laypeople, and produces multilingual publications and educational media to support dialogue between East and West. Its activities are funded primarily through donations, an annual Pentecost collection across German Catholic parishes, and institutional grants from German Catholic bodies and the federal BMZ development ministry.

Product overview

Renovabis E.V. is the Eastern Europe aid organization of the Catholic Church in Germany, founded in 1993. Rather than a technology company with a unified product platform, Renovabis offers a portfolio of charitable services including project funding for churches and civil society in 29 countries, scholarships for students and clergy, and various educational/cultural offerings. The core service is project funding (Projektförderung) supporting pastoral work and community development. Supplementary offerings include publications such as the quarterly journal OST-WEST. Europäische Perspektiven, the bi-weekly NÖK newsletter, multilingual prayer booklets, and the Ostblick podcast produced with DOMRADIO.DE. Annual campaigns (Pfingstaktion) feature educational materials, geocaching activities, and the FriedensMenschen traveling exhibition. Since June 2026, Renovabis has digitized its project application process with online forms accessible to partner organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Project Funding (Projektförderung)
• Scholarships (Stipendien)
• OWEP Journal (OST-WEST. Europäische Perspektiven)
• Nachrichtendienst Östliche Kirchen (NÖK) Newsletter
• Renovabis Prayer Booklet "Öffne mein Herz"
• Ostblick Podcast
• Pfingstaktion (Pentecost Campaign)
• Internationaler Kongress Renovabis (Annual International Congress)
• FriedensMenschen Traveling Exhibition
• Online Donation Service
• Online Project Application Portal
• Renovabis-Magazin "OST - Orte. Spuren. Traditionen"

Quantifiable outcome

• 27,400 projects funded since 1993 across 29 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Forum Religion & Gesellschaft in Ost und West (Forum RGOW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Co-publisher of the NÖK (Nachrichtendienst Östliche Kirchen) newsletter with Renovabis. Forum RGOW provides editorial leadership while Renovabis serves as co-publisher. The partnership advances shared goals of dialog between East and West and awareness of challenges in Eastern European churches.
• Zentralkomitee der deutschen Katholiken (ZdK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-publisher of the quarterly journal 'OST-WEST. Europäische Perspektiven' (OWEP) with Renovabis. The ZdK represents lay Catholics in Germany and shares Renovabis's mission of solidarity with Eastern Europe.
• Bistum MünstercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the FriedensMenschen traveling exhibition featuring 24 portraits of peace advocates. Bistum Münster co-developed the exhibition concept and serves as host for related events. The partnership leverages the diocese's network for Pfingstaktion events.
• MisereorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced the Toolbox 'Menschenrechte' educational material for schools, combining Misereor's development education expertise with Renovabis's Eastern Europe focus.
• DOMRADIO.DEcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint podcast partner for 'Ostblick - Der Podcast über Osteuropa.' DOMRADIO.DE is the Catholic broadcaster producing the podcast with Renovabis, reaching audiences interested in Church and society topics.
• Facebook (Meta Platforms Ireland)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFacebook Ireland provides the platform for Renovabis's Facebook page, used for social media outreach and community engagement.
• Bildungszentrum Kardinal-Döpfner-HausminorOthersPreviously housed Renovabis headquarters (until April 2021) in Freising. Renovabis moved to adjacent Marstall building during construction renovation.
• Caritas-Spes UkrainecoreOthersMajor project partner providing psychosocial support and humanitarian aid to war-affected families in Ukraine, particularly in the Kyiv area. Supported through Renovabis funding.
• Concordia SozialprojektecoreOthersProject partner operating social programs for marginalized communities including Roma populations in Kosovo and Bulgaria. Supported for housing, education access, and social integration projects.
• Mayak Center KazakhstancoreOthersProject partner providing day center services for people with disabilities in Kazakhstan. Supported for therapy, inclusion programs, and community building activities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Misereor: Misereor is the German Catholic Bishops' development aid organization focused on the Global South, structurally comparable to Renovabis as a fellow German-Catholic grantmaking body established by the Bishops' Conference. Renovabis and Misereor already co-produce educational materials (Toolbox Menschenrechte), confirming operational comparability.
• Deutsche Welthungerhilfe: Deutsche Welthungerhilfe is one of Germany's largest privately funded aid organizations, comparable to Renovabis in its mix of project funding, partner grants in developing/transition countries, public fundraising campaigns, and DZI certification. It overlaps thematically on humanitarian aid and structural development support.
• Brot für die Welt: Brot für die Welt is the German Protestant development and relief service, sharing Renovabis's faith-based grantmaking model, German donor base, project-partner structure, and annual campaign mechanics. Both operate as church-networked solidarity actions with a global project footprint.
• Kindernothilfe: Kindernothilfe is a German faith-based child sponsorship and development organization with an analogous partner-grant model, individual-donor fundraising base, and DZI-certified donation practices. Its sponsored-child and project-funding structure mirrors Renovabis's portfolio of Eastern European partner projects.
• Aid to the Church in Need (Kirche in Not): Aid to the Church in Need is a Catholic pontifical foundation supporting persecuted Christians worldwide with project grants for church construction, formation, and pastoral work — directly mirroring Renovabis's core use cases in Eastern Europe and sharing the same donor profile.

Broad incumbents

• Malteser International: Malteser International is the Catholic Order of Malta's relief agency, comparable to Renovabis in Catholic humanitarian aid, Eastern European field activity, and church-network fundraising in Germany. It is broader in scope (emergency response, health) and larger in scale.
• Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe: Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe is the Protestant counterpart emergency aid arm of Diakonie, comparable to Renovabis in disaster response and humanitarian project funding but focused on acute emergency relief rather than long-term church-and-society development.
• Caritas Germany (Deutscher Caritasverband): Caritas Germany is the umbrella Catholic welfare organization in Germany and parent/major partner of multiple Renovabis grantees (Caritas-Spes Ukraine, Caritas Armenien). It shares the Catholic identity and Eastern European field footprint but operates far more broadly across welfare, elderly care, and domestic social services.

Emerging players

• Andheri-Hilfe Bonn: Andheri-Hilfe is a smaller German Catholic development organization supporting partner projects in India and Bangladesh, comparable to Renovabis in its Catholic-identity, partner-grant model, and DZI-certified donation practices — though smaller in scale and outside Eastern Europe.

Others

• Aktion Deutschland Hilft: Aktion Deutschland Hilft is an alliance of German aid organizations that jointly fundraises for major disasters, including Ukraine. It is not a direct competitor but a parallel fundraising channel that overlaps with Renovabis's emergency-response narrative and competes for donor mindshare on Ukraine appeals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/renovabis1993
• Facebookde-de.facebook.com/Renovabis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/renovabis-e.v.
• Instagraminstagram.com/renovabis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Renovabis E.V.