What Hanseatic Help E.v. does

Hanseatic Help e.V. is a Hamburg-registered nonprofit charitable association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 2015 that functions as a clothing donation collection, sorting, and redistribution operator. It channels donated clothing, shoes, and daily essentials free of charge to people with low income through three physical Hanseatic Help Stores (Ballindamm, Hamburger Meile, Phoenix Center) and through direct fulfillment to more than 200 social partner organizations in Hamburg, including homeless shelters, refugee accommodations, women's shelters, youth centers, and counseling facilities. Internationally, the organization coordinates aid transports to Ukraine and other crisis regions.

The operating model combines in-kind donation logistics with a portfolio of targeted programs: Fairer Schulstart (backpacks for school enrollment), Hello Baby Bags (newborn supply packages), #wärmegeben (winter warmth campaign), Festival-Aktion (Hurricane, altonale), Materialpool (upcycling fabric supply), Arbeitsmarkt-Teilhabe (labor market reintegration via ESF Plus), Schulkooperationen, and Spendenläufe. In 2025, the organization reports 936,567 articles distributed, 105 aid transports, and 32,268 people served through Helpstores. Underlying technology is a logistics workflow relying on 150+ weekly volunteers and 200+ annual corporate Social Days, without disclosed automation or proprietary digital infrastructure.

Funding flows from three streams: financial donations (Hanseatic Help Supporters recurring program plus one-time and corporate giving), ESF Plus subsidies through Hamburg's Social Authority covering labor-market reintegration positions (over 10% of annual budget), and corporate partnership contributions. The organization is tax-exempt under §53 AO and all beneficiary services are free of charge. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. Governance is provided by a five-person Vorstand (Karin Prätorius, Julika Hettlich, Niels Rasmussen, Michael Wagner, Maria Würfel) with Claudia Meister as Managing Director (Geschäftsführerin). Hanseatic Help holds a 21% minority interest in GoBanyo gemeinnützige GmbH (acquired 2019) and in 2025 received the Max-Brauer-Preis from the Alfred Toepfer Stiftung F.V.S. for its 10-year charitable record.

Name

Hanseatic Help E.v.

Legal name

Hanseatic Help e.V.

Website

https://hanseatic-help.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hanseatic Help e.V. is a Hamburg-based nonprofit founded in 2015 that collects and distributes donated clothing and essentials to low-income individuals through three Helpstores and a 300+ partner social organization network, both locally and in international crisis regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Shelter, Camp Management & Non-Food Items (NFI) (BPAGAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Emergency Shelter, NFIs & Winterization for Displaced Populations (BPADAHAG)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid services
• Clothing donation logistics
• Nonprofit social services
• Charitable relief distribution
• Aid network coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Financial Donations: Regular and one-time monetary donations from individuals and corporate supporters, including recurring Dauerspende (standing order donations) through the Hanseatic Help Supporters program. The organization notes declining donations in 2025 (-9% nationally) and emphasizes the importance of ongoing financial support for operational planning.
2. Government Grants and Subsidized Employment: ESF Plus funding through Hamburg Social Authority for Arbeitsmarktreintegration of long-term unemployed persons. 34 positions fully funded through European Social Fund and Jobcenter. This covers subsidized labor costs rather than direct revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hanseatic Help e.V. collects donated clothing, shoes, home textiles, and hygiene articles, then sorts and distributes them free of charge to people in need. Distribution occurs through three physical Helpstores in Hamburg for low-income individuals and via a network of 300+ partner social organizations, supplemented by international aid transports to crisis regions. The organization also runs targeted projects (school backpacks, baby supply packages, winter warmth campaigns) and a labor market reintegration program for long-term unemployed persons.

Product overview

Hanseatic Help E.v. is a charitable organization based in Hamburg, Germany, founded in 2015. The organization operates a network of social services centered around clothing donations and redistribution. Its core offerings include the Hanseatic Help Stores (providing free clothing to people with low income), Kleiderspenden (clothing donation collection and distribution), Geldspenden (financial donations for logistics and essential purchases), and Mitmachen (volunteering opportunities). The organization runs multiple charitable projects including Fairer Schulstart (school supplies for disadvantaged families), Hello Baby Bags (baby supply packages), #wärmegeben (winter warmth campaign), Festival-Aktion (festival-based donations), Materialpool (upcycling materials), Arbeitsmarkt-Teilhabe (labor market reintegration program), and Schulkooperationen (school partnerships). The Hanseatic Help Supporters program offers recurring monthly donations for sustainable funding. The organization distributes donated goods to over 300 partner organizations across Hamburg and internationally to crisis regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hanseatic Help Stores

Quantifiable outcome

• 936,567 articles distributed to people in need
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Hamburger SV (HSV)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Sports partnership started in 2025. Joint campaign for clothing donations at Volksparkstadion before home games for the #wärmegeben campaign.
• GoBanyo gemeinnützige GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Non-profit shareholder (21% stake in share capital). Hanseatic Help is a charitable shareholder since 2019.
• TchibomajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-term partnership of 10 years. Tchibo supports with donations and the partnership operates on equal terms, helping where support is most needed.
• Aurubis AGmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-standing corporate partner supporting with donations and promoting voluntary engagement and intercultural exchange.
• FC St. PaulicoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSports partnership contributing to organizational reach and visibility in Hamburg.
• Veolia Towers Hamburg (Hamburg Towers)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSports partnership for donation collections and visibility.
• Thalia TheatercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural partnership including presence at Lessingtagen, upcycling workshops, and podium discussions.
• Deutsches Schauspielhaus HamburgcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural partner engaging since the beginning of the Ukraine war with donation appeals. Coordinated 87 truckloads of aid goods in 2025.
• BeiersdorfcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner providing ongoing donation collection opportunities on campus.
• WeischerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner conducting donation collections.
• HOCHBAHNmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerTransport partnership including #wärmegeben on Tour collecting warm clothing across the city, and an Engagement-Bus celebrating volunteering.
• Kampnagel Int. Kulturfabrik GmbHcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural partner sharing values of solidarity and pragmatic help.
• Stadtreinigung HamburgcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPublic utility partner supporting organizational operations.
• Hapag-LloydcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerShipping company partner aligned with 'We care' corporate values.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Welthungerhilfe: Major German humanitarian aid organization with international crisis response capabilities. Comparable in international aid transport operations (105 transports for HH) but operates at a much larger scale globally.
• Aktion Deutschland Hilft: German umbrella alliance of 25+ humanitarian aid organizations coordinating disaster relief nationally and internationally. Provides the broader institutional context for HH's international aid work and disaster response activities.
• SOS Kinderdörfer weltweit: Large international humanitarian NGO with established corporate partnership, donor, and volunteer programs in Germany. Comparable scale of recurring donor funding and corporate partnership-driven GTM motion.

Direct peers

• Berliner Stadtmission: Berlin-based nonprofit providing social services for people in need including clothing distribution, shelter, and crisis aid. Comparable humanitarian aid model serving a major German city with similar donation-driven operations and partner network structure.
• Diakonie Hamburg: Major Hamburg social services organization serving homeless, refugees, and low-income populations. Directly overlaps with Hanseatic Help's beneficiary segments and partner organization ecosystem (Diakonie shelters likely among HH's 300+ recipients).
• Die Tafeln (Bundesverband): Germany's largest foodbank network with similar donation-collection-and-distribution model serving low-income populations. Both operate community-led GTM with corporate partnerships and volunteer workforces; Hamburg Tafel operates in same geography as Hanseatic Help.
• Caritas Hamburg: Large Hamburg-based social welfare organization providing clothing, supplies, and social services to vulnerable populations. Operates in the same beneficiary space and likely partners with Hanseatic Help as a recipient organization.
• Deutsche KleiderStiftung: Germany-wide clothing donation foundation that collects, sorts, and redistributes clothing to people in need. Closest direct match on the core clothing donation logistics business that is Hanseatic Help's central activity.
• Hamburg Leuchtfeuer: Hamburg-based nonprofit providing social services and support to people with HIV/AIDS, homelessness, and poverty. Shares the same regional social services ecosystem and likely operates as a partner organization within HH's 300+ network.

Emerging players

• GoBanyo gemeinnützige GmbH: Nonprofit social services organization in which Hanseatic Help holds a 21% minority stake as a charitable shareholder. Operates in adjacent social/hygiene services space and represents the only direct corporate relationship of HH.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@HanseaticHelp
• Facebookfacebook.com/HanseaticHelp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hanseatic-help-e-v
• Instagraminstagram.com/hanseatic_help
• TikToktiktok.com/@hanseatic.help

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Hanseatic Help E.v.