What Stiftung Burgermut does

Stiftung Bürgermut is an independent, registered charitable foundation (Gemeinnützige Stiftung des bürgerlichen Rechts) founded in 2007 in Berlin by Elmar Pieroth, operating as a platform and community to qualify, network, and scale civil society actors in Germany. Its core portfolio centers on the openTransfer program family — Accelerator, Patenschaften (sponsorships), Zusammenhalt (civic cohesion, focused on Eastern Germany), Wohnen (housing/homelessness, launched April 2024), and Klima (climate, launched March 2025) — alongside the D3 – so geht digital online magazine and learning platform, the Digital Social Summit, and the modular Skalierungswerk scaling program. The foundation also co-developed 'codo', an open-source data management tool for mentoring and sponsorship organizations, with BürgerStiftung Hamburg and Aam Digital, piloted with 15 organizations in 2024.

Operationally, Bürgermut runs roughly a dozen staff out of a single Berlin headquarters on Möllendorffstraße, and delivers programming through community-led formats including Barcamps, peer-learning cohorts, webinars (e.g., 900+ participants in one civic-fitness series), MUT-Reisen, and conferences such as the Festival der Skalierung. Its technology stack is conventional — WordPress with Elementor, Matomo analytics, Zoom, Miro — with 'codo' as the only notable custom-built, open-source artifact. All programs are provided free of charge to participants, and the foundation is funded entirely by institutional grants, primarily from Stiftung Mercator, Crespo Foundation, the Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend, Postcode Lotterie, and Körber Stiftung, operating under nonprofit status recognized by the Finanzamt für Körperschaften I, Berlin, and supervised by the Senatsverwaltung für Justiz Berlin.

Name

Stiftung Burgermut

Legal name

Stiftung Bürgermut

Website

https://buergermut.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stiftung Bürgermut is a Berlin-based nonprofit foundation, founded in 2007, that qualifies, networks, and scales German civil society organizations through free programs including openTransfer, D3, the Digital Social Summit, Skalierungswerk, and the open-source 'codo' tool.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Foundation Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Federated Giving Organizations (e.g., United Way-type) (BPAGAKAG)

Keywords

• Civic engagement programs
• Nonprofit capacity building
• Civil society networking
• Social innovation support
• Foundation grant programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation grants and institutional funding: As a nonprofit foundation (Gemeinnützige Stiftung des bürgerlichen Rechts), Stiftung Bürgermut operates entirely on grant funding and institutional support. Major funders include Stiftung Mercator, Crespo Foundation, Postcode Lotterie, Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (BMFSFJ), and others who support specific programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Core offering

Stiftung Bürgermut is a German nonprofit foundation that operates as a platform and community supporting civic engagement and civil society organizations. It qualifies, networks, and helps scale engaged individuals and initiatives through programs including openTransfer (Accelerator, Patenschaften, Zusammenhalt, Wohnen, Klima), D3 – so geht digital, Digital Social Summit, Skalierungswerk, and the open-source data management tool "codo" for mentoring organizations.

Product overview

Stiftung Bürgermut is a foundation that operates as a platform and community supporting engaged citizens and initiatives to become more effective. The organization offers a portfolio of programs centered around networking, professionalizing, and growth for civil society: openTransfer (with sub-programs Accelerator, Patenschaften, Zusammenhalt, Wohnen, Klima) facilitates knowledge transfer across the third sector; D3 – so geht digital provides an online magazine and learning platform for digital transformation; Digital Social Summit is the leading digital conference for the sector; Skalierungswerk supports non-profits in scaling; and MutBlock tells stories of courageous organizations. The foundation also develops the open-source tool 'codo' for mentoring organizations, and conducts research through formats like the Führungskräfte-Umfrage. The organization runs various event formats including Barcamps, webinars, MUT-Reisen (courage trips), and the Festival der Skalierung.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• openTransfer: Program that promotes knowledge transfer and exchange in the third sector, with sub-programs including Accelerator, Patenschaften, Zusammenhalt, wohnen, and Klima.
• D3 – so geht digital
• Digital Social Summit
• Skalierungswerk
• MutBlock
• codo

Products and services

• openTransfer

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BürgerStiftung HamburgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-developed the open-source data management tool 'codo' for mentoring and sponsorship organizations. BürgerStiftung Hamburg collaborated with Stiftung Bürgermut to design and build the tool, which was later implemented with 15 pilot organizations.
• AshokaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-created the 'Preis für offenherzige Weitergabe' (Golden Rudi) award with Wohn:sinn to recognize organizations that openly share their social innovations with others.
• Körber StiftungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the annual MINT-Barcamp in Hamburg, with Stiftung Bürgermut supporting organization, implementation, and moderation.
• BASFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the BASF Mitmach-Markt, where BASF employees meet nonprofit organizations for volunteer team engagements.
• Röchling FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiated and funded the POLYPROBLEM Camp on plastic reduction narratives. Stiftung Bürgermut served as implementation partner.
• Wohn:sinnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-created the 'Preis für offenherzige Weitergabe' (Golden Rudi) award to recognize organizations that openly share social innovations.
• SKala-CampusminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStiftung Bürgermut delivers webinars on LinkedIn and AI topics as part of the SKala-Campus knowledge-sharing platform.
• Deutsche Stiftung für Engagement und Ehrenamt (DSEE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of transform_D Summit and supporter of Digital Social Summit, bringing together civil society actors for digital transformation.
• Aqtivator gGmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner for the Festival der Skalierung 2025.
• ProjectTogetherminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for 'Werkstatt der Mutigen', bringing together regional stakeholders with Bundestag candidates.
• Thünen-Institut für RegionalentwicklungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 'Werkstatt der Mutigen' initiative focusing on sustainable solutions connecting local and federal levels.
• Stiftung DatenschutzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributed to the digital training series on data protection and GDPR compliance for mentoring organizations.
• CorrelAidminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in digital transformation training series, providing expertise on data literacy for civil society organizations.
• Diversify (Deutschlandstiftung Integration)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized digital Meet-up on democracy and Allyship with focus on underrepresented East German perspectives.
• WikimediaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint exhibition stand at Bürgerfest des Bundespräsidenten showcasing civic engagement in eastern Germany.
• KlimaDocsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint exhibition stand at Bürgerfest des Bundespräsidenten.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ProjectTogether: Berlin-based civic-society platform for participation and democratic innovation, co-organizing the 'Werkstatt der Mutigen' with Bürgermut — directly comparable in operating model and mission.
• Haus des Stiftens: Munich-based platform providing services, infrastructure and shared tools for German foundations and nonprofits, including shared back-office and digital services — comparable as a foundation-sector intermediary operating in the same ecosystem.
• Stiftung Neue Verantwortung (SNV): Berlin-based think tank that produces policy and practical analysis on digitalization for civil society and the public sector — overlapping with Bürgermut's D3/digital transformation agenda and Digital Social Summit.
• Ashoka Germany: Germany arm of the global social-entrepreneurship network, supporting and connecting changemakers — directly comparable in mission to Bürgermut's support of civic engagement and an active co-program partner.
• Phineo gAG: German nonprofit that advises and analyzes impact for other civil-society organizations in Germany, providing analysis, qualification and effectiveness programs directly comparable to Bürgermut's openTransfer capacity-building model.

Broad incumbents

• betterplace.org: Germany's leading online donation platform for nonprofits, serving as broader sector infrastructure across many of the same civil-society organizations that Bürgermut supports through openTransfer.
• Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen: Germany's main association representing the foundation sector, providing coordination, advocacy and infrastructure for German foundations — a broader incumbent operating in the same ecosystem as Bürgermut.
• Körber Stiftung: Major Hamburg-based German foundation funding civic engagement, education and MINT programs, and an active Bürgermut partner (MINT-Barcamp). Comparable as a German private operating foundation with civic-society focus.
• Hertie Foundation (Gemeinnützige Hertie-Stiftung): Major Frankfurt-based German foundation supporting civic engagement, education and democracy initiatives — comparable as a large-scale operating foundation with a similar thematic focus.

Regional players

• Allianz für Beteiligung: Baden-Württemberg-based network supporting civic engagement and participation structures across German municipalities — comparable in mission (capacity-building for civic engagement) but with a regional rather than national/ostdeutschland geographic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/buergermut
• Instagraminstagram.com/opentransfer

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Stiftung Burgermut