Stiftung Aktive Burgerschaft

What Stiftung Aktive Burgerschaft does

Stiftung Aktive Bürgerschaft is a private nonprofit foundation headquartered in Berlin, legally recognized on December 10, 2014 by the Berlin Senate for Justice and Consumer Protection, continuing the work of the predecessor association Aktive Bürgerschaft e.V. founded in 1997 in Münster. The foundation operates as the central support organization for Germany's 435 citizen foundations (Bürgerstiftungen), serving as the designated competence center for civic engagement of the cooperative financial group (Genossenschaftliche FinanzGruppe) under the patronage of the Bundesverband der Deutschen Volksbanken und Raiffeisenbanken (BVR). Its beneficiary base spans 400,000+ engaged citizens and the foundation supports mobilization of over 1 billion EUR for public welfare via the citizen foundation network.

The foundation's product portfolio centers on two core programs: (1) the sozialgenial Service-Learning program, implemented in 1,240+ secondary schools across Germany, connecting classroom instruction with civic engagement projects and reaching 200,000+ young people; and (2) comprehensive support services for citizen foundations including donor and volunteer recruitment, board succession planning, digitalization, and strategic management. Supplementary offerings include the bürgerAktiv newsletter (11 issues/year, 20,000+ readers, Germany's largest civil society information service), annual Report Bürgerstiftungen research publications, endowment fund administration under the Stiftungsfonds umbrella (including the w!r-Stiftungsfonds with Berliner Volksbank and the Bildung ist Vielfalt fund with DZ HYP), the Förderpreis Aktive Bürgerschaft award (established 1998), training programs for new board members, and a podcast series. Mobile apps are available on iOS and Android.

The organization employs approximately 15 staff at its Berlin-Charlottenburg office and is governed by a seven-member board (Vorstand) and a 36-member foundation council (Stiftungsrat). Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the foundation is financed through donations from the cooperative financial group and through Förderpartnerschaften (funding partnerships) with companies, foundations, and private individuals who establish funds under the foundation's umbrella. Distribution is largely free-of-charge to schools and citizen foundations, with select publications sold at fixed prices (e.g., guidebooks at 2.00 EUR, the Diskurs Bürgerstiftungen volume at 10.00 EUR). The foundation's technology stack is non-proprietary, with one recent AI-assisted buildout of the so-geht-sozialgenial portal using the Vibe Coding agent Manus in 2026.

Name

Stiftung Aktive Burgerschaft

Legal name

Stiftung Aktive Bürgerschaft

Website

https://aktive-buergerschaft.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stiftung Aktive Bürgerschaft is a Berlin-based nonprofit foundation that supports Germany's 435 citizen foundations and runs the sozialgenial Service-Learning program across 1,240+ schools, financed primarily by the cooperative banking sector under BVR patronage.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Philanthropy and Civic Engagement Support Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Civic engagement programs
• Service-learning education
• Citizen foundation support
• Community philanthropy services
• Nonprofit capacity building

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. Förderpartnerschaften (Funding Partnerships): Companies, foundations, and private individuals can support civic foundations and school projects through funding partnerships, establishing foundation funds or donation funds under the umbrella of Aktive Bürgerschaft.
2. Publications and Magazines: The foundation sells publications including the bürgerAktiv magazine, reports on citizen foundations, and guidebooks for pocket rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Stiftung Aktive Bürgerschaft is a private nonprofit foundation that provides support services to Germany's 435 citizen foundations (Bürgerstiftungen), including management assistance, donor and volunteer recruitment, board succession planning, digitalization, and strategic guidance. It also operates the sozialgenial Service-Learning program in 1,240+ schools, connecting student civic engagement with classroom instruction, and administers endowment funds (Stiftungsfonds) under its umbrella for partners including cooperative banks.

Product overview

Stiftung Aktive Bürgerschaft operates as a support organization for civic engagement in Germany, offering a multi-product portfolio centered around two core programs: (1) the sozialgenial Service-Learning program for schools, which connects classroom learning with civic engagement across more than 1,240 schools, and (2) comprehensive support services for 435 citizen foundations and 400,000+ citizen philanthropists. The organization supplements these core offerings with a news service (bürgerAktiv), endowment fund administration (Stiftungsfonds including w!r-Stiftungsfonds), training programs (Weiterbildung), research publications (Report Bürgerstiftungen), and a crowdfunding platform (Viele schaffen mehr). The organization's mission focuses on promoting innovative civic engagement concepts, with particular emphasis on supporting democratic participation, education, and social cohesion through the genossenschaftliche FinanzGruppe network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• sozialgenial: Service-Learning program for schools that connects student engagement with classroom learning
• bürgerAktiv

Products and services

• sozialgenial Service-Learning Program Service-Learning program for secondary schools (Sekundarschulen I and II) that connects student civic engagement with classroom instruction. The program supports teachers in 1,240+ schools across Germany in implementing service-learning projects where students engage in community service while developing key competencies. Schools can join free of charge; partners (cooperative banks) support the program financially.
• Citizen Foundation Support Services Support services for Germany's 435 citizen foundations and 400,000+ citizen philanthropists, including assistance with recruiting donors and volunteers, board succession planning, digitalization, and strategic management tasks. The foundation serves as the national competence center for citizen foundations under the patronage of the BVR.
• Stiftungsfonds (Endowment Fund Administration) Customized endowment fund administration service under the umbrella of Stiftung Aktive Bürgerschaft, allowing companies, foundations, and individuals to establish dedicated funding vehicles for supporting citizen foundations and schools. Examples include the w!r-Stiftungsfonds established by Berliner Volksbank with 100,000 EUR starting capital, and the 'Bildung ist Vielfalt' fund co-established with DZ HYP.
• Weiterbildung 'Guter Start für neue Vorstände' (Board Member Training) Continuing education program for new board members of citizen foundations, helping them focus on important strategic goals rather than only urgent tasks. Provided as part of the foundation's training events for volunteer-led community foundations.
• Förderpreis Aktive Bürgerschaft (Civic Engagement Award) Germany's first private award for civic engagement, established in 1998 to promote innovative developments and strengthen recognition culture in civil society. Recognizes outstanding civic engagement projects.
• Report Bürgerstiftungen (Citizen Foundation Reports) Annual research publications documenting the development and impact of citizen foundations in Germany, including factual reports and thematic analyses on topics like digital citizenship foundations, emergency engagement during COVID-19, and collaboration with volunteers. Sold as publications.
• bürgerAktiv Magazin Annual magazine publication featuring stories about citizen foundations and their engagement for democracy, education, and sustainability, including interviews with supporters and partners. Sold as a publication.
• Freundeskreis (Friends' Circle Membership) Annual membership group for supporters of Stiftung Aktive Bürgerschaft, providing networking opportunities and participation in regular meetings. Membership is available on an annual basis.
• Crowdfunding Platform 'Viele schaffen mehr' Crowdfunding platform of Genossenschaftsbanken (cooperative banks) that enables associations and initiatives to raise donations for concrete projects. Launched in 2021.
• sozialgenial hilft Förderfonds Funding mechanism enabling Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken to directly participate in sozialgenial and financially support schools within their business areas through Stiftung Aktive Bürgerschaft.
• so-geht-sozialgenial Web Portal AI-assisted web portal for the sozialgenial Service-Learning program, developed using Vibe Coding with the KI agent 'Manus'. Demonstrates AI-supported web development as a realistic option for nonprofit organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 435 citizen foundations supported across Germany with over 400,000 engaged citizens
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Berliner VolksbankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2021Established the w!r foundation fund with 100,000 EUR starting capital in 2021 to support projects strengthening social cohesion in Berlin and Brandenburg. The fund is managed by Stiftung Aktive Bürgerschaft, which works with the bank to select and support citizen foundation projects.
• DZ BANK AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2021DZ BANK co-sponsors the sozialgenial Service-Learning program together with Aktive Bürgerschaft and other cooperative banks to introduce young people to civic engagement early.
• Bundesverband der Deutschen Volksbanken und Raiffeisenbanken (BVR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation operates under the patronage of the BVR (Federal Association of German Cooperative Banks). The foundation is the competence center for civic engagement of the cooperative financial group. BVR supports the foundation's mission to promote civic foundations and youth engagement through the sozialgenial program.
• DZ HYPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDZ HYP co-established the citizen foundation fund 'Bildung ist Vielfalt' (Education is Diversity) with Aktive Bürgerschaft, providing annual funding of 10,000 EUR for educational projects of citizen foundations, such as the Würzburg Education Fund.
• Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken (Cooperative Banks)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMore than 4 out of 5 citizen foundations benefit from engagement with their local cooperative bank. These banks serve as key partners and funders of the foundation, supporting both citizen foundations and the sozialgenial Service-Learning program.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Robert Bosch Stiftung: Major German foundation with programs in education, democracy, and civil society comparable to Aktive Bürgerschaft's mission, but with a much larger endowment and a broader portfolio of operating programs.
• Körber-Stiftung: Hamburg-based German foundation running civic-engagement and education programs including the 'Deutschlands Engagement' award — comparable thematic focus on citizen engagement and education, though at much larger scale.
• Bertelsmann Stiftung: One of Germany's largest operating foundations, active in education, democracy, and civic engagement — overlapping thematically with Aktive Bürgerschaft's sozialgenial and civic-participation programs, but operating at vastly larger scale and scope.
• VolkswagenStiftung: One of Germany's largest foundations, funding education, civic, and scientific initiatives. Comparable as a major German operating foundation but with a much broader programmatic footprint.
• Deutsche Stiftung für Engagement und Ehrenamt (DSEE): Federal German government-funded foundation that supports civic engagement and voluntary work nationwide. Already a funding partner of Aktive Bürgerschaft for sozialgenial expansion, it operates comparable programs at a national-policy level and represents both collaborator and potential competitor.

Regional players

• Charities Aid Foundation (CAF): International charity-services organization that helps donors, companies, and foundations give effectively and manages donor-advised and endowment funds — comparable service model to Aktive Bürgerschaft's Stiftungsfonds offering but operating primarily in the UK and globally.
• Independent Sector (US): US national membership organization for charities, foundations, and corporate giving programs — a regional equivalent of Aktive Bürgerschaft's coordinating role, but serving the American non-profit ecosystem rather than German citizen foundations.

Direct peers

• Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen: The German umbrella association of more than 28,000 foundations. It is a direct peer because it serves the same German foundation ecosystem, providing advocacy, knowledge, and networking services to foundations and foundations-supporting organizations similar to Aktive Bürgerschaft's role for citizen foundations.
• PHINEO gAG: German non-profit analysis and advisory firm that assesses, certifies, and supports civil-society organizations. It is a direct peer in providing professional services and analysis to German non-profits and foundations, mirroring Aktive Bürgerschaft's support role for citizen foundations.

Emerging players

• Stiftung Neue Verantwortung (now: Interface): Berlin-based policy think tank focused on civic engagement, digital civil society, and democratic participation — overlapping thematically with Aktive Bürgerschaft's Bürgergesellschaft work but with a policy and technology focus rather than foundation-support focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/AktiveBuergers1
• Facebookfacebook.com/aktive.buergerschaft
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stiftung-aktive-buergerschaft

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Stiftung Aktive Burgerschaft