What Hoffnungszeichen Sign Of Hope E.v. does

Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope e.V. is a German-registered nonprofit association (eingetragener Verein, VR 380978, Amtsgericht Freiburg) founded in 1983 and headquartered in Konstanz, with a secondary office in Berlin and a regional East Africa Branch in Nairobi. The organization delivers humanitarian aid, development cooperation, and human rights work across 18 project countries — primarily in East/Central Africa, Southern Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, plus Ukraine — through 61 funded projects reaching 1.4 million people in 2025. Operations are executed via a mix of own-country offices and local partners (e.g., Diocese of Rumbek, Loreto-Orden, Missionaries of Charity, HPP-Congo), following a 'Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe' (help for self-help) philosophy.

The core product surface is a digital donation ecosystem: an Online-Spenden platform (FundraisingBox integration) supporting one-time and recurring giving via SEPA, credit card, and PayPal with country- or theme-specific allocation; a Spendenshop offering symbolic gift purchases such as sheep for Armenian self-sufficiency programs; a TV-Magazin; and a Newsletter2Go-managed newsletter. The technology stack is conventional — Drupal CMS, Google Analytics, Google Maps integration, FundraisingBox, Newsletter2Go — with ChatGPT used only for selected AI-labeled marketing imagery.

Revenue derives entirely from private donations, German federal grants (BMZ and Auswärtiges Amt each exceeding 10% of annual revenue), membership contributions from 25 association members, bequests, and an affiliated Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope Stiftung (legally independent since 2007, €1.67M capital) that channels larger endowments. The organization reports 89.4% of donations flowing to statutory purposes, with 4.8% administration and 5.8% advertising overhead, and holds UN consultative status, German Spendenzertifikat certification, and Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft signatory status. Total staff is approximately 108 across German offices (49) and field locations in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Armenia, and Ukraine.

Name

Hoffnungszeichen Sign Of Hope E.v.

Legal name

Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope e.V.

Website

https://hoffnungszeichen.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope e.V. is a German Christian-motivated nonprofit, founded in 1983, delivering humanitarian aid, development cooperation, and human rights work across 18 countries through 61 projects reaching 1.4 million people in 2025, funded by private donations and German federal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK), International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD), Refugee, Migration & Displacement Support (BPAGABAH)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid services
• Development cooperation
• Human rights advocacy
• Disaster relief programs
• Nonprofit fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Konstanz

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Private Donations: Individual donors contribute one-time or recurring donations. Regular donors enable long-term project planning and sustainability. Donors can specify project countries or focus areas, or allocate to 'Where most needed' for flexible deployment.
2. Government Grants: Funding from Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) and Auswärtiges Amt (German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and German Foreign Office). These public institutions provide significant funding exceeding 10% of annual revenue.
3. Membership Contributions: 25 association members paying membership fees.
4. Foundation Support: Hoffnungszeichen Stiftung (Sign of Hope Foundation), legally independent since 2007, receives financial and personnel support from the association. Foundation capital stands at €1.67 million.
5. Bequests and Inheritances: Donors can include the organization in their wills. Bequests are completely tax-free according to foundation non-profit status.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope e.V. is a Christian-motivated humanitarian organization that delivers emergency relief, sustainable development cooperation, and human rights advocacy across 18 project countries in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Eastern Europe, and Central America. It operates an online donation ecosystem (one-time and recurring donations, a symbolic gift shop), a related independent civil-law foundation (Hoffnungszeichen Stiftung), and runs field projects through local partners in sectors including hunger relief, healthcare, education, clean water, and poverty reduction.

Product overview

Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope e.V. is a German Christian-motivated humanitarian aid and human rights organization that offers a digital donation ecosystem centered around its Online-Spenden platform. The core offering includes an online donation platform where supporters can give to specific countries or causes, a Spendenshop for symbolic gift purchases, and a TV-Magazin for project reports. The organization also operates the Hoffnungszeichen Stiftung (Sign of Hope Foundation) as a legally independent sub-brand for endowment-based giving. Communication products include a newsletter service and protest/advocacy campaign tools. The organization works across 18 project countries in Africa and Asia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Donation Platform (Online-Spenden) Digital donation platform enabling supporters to make one-time or recurring donations via SEPA direct debit, credit card, or PayPal. Donors can specify purpose (by country, focus area, or 'Where most needed'). For individual donors seeking tax-deductible giving.
• Donation Gift Shop (Spendenshop) Online shop where donors can purchase symbolic gifts (e.g., a sheep for self-sufficiency programs in Armenia) where the purchase doubles as both a donation and a meaningful gift for a recipient.
• TV-Magazin Television-style magazine featuring reports and documentaries about humanitarian projects and the organization's work worldwide, distributed via the website and broadcast partners.
• Email Newsletter Email newsletter providing subscribers with information about current projects, campaigns, events, and reports from the organization, delivered via Newsletter2Go.
• Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope Stiftung (Foundation) Independent civil-law foundation offering endowment-based donations and large individual gifts (over EUR 5,000) for charitable projects worldwide, with foundation capital standing at EUR 1.67 million.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.4 million people reached in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Humana People to People Congo (HPP-Congo)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2019Local partner implementing hunger-fighting project in Sud-Ubangi province of DR Congo. Project runs from October 2019 to September 2024, teaching sustainable farming and community nutrition programs.
• Loreto-Orden RumbekcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2018Religious order running elementary school and girls' boarding school with secondary education in Maker Kuei, South Sudan. Organization supports school meals program feeding 1,750 pupils.
• Sternstunden e.V.strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2018German charitable organization co-funding school meals project for children in South Sudan alongside the organization.
• Diocese of RumbekcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2017Local church partner managing health clinic in South Sudan since March 2017. Organization provides food supplies, medicines, and wage subsidies. Clinic provides outpatient care, nutrition programs, pregnancy care, and vaccinations.
• Deutscher Spendenrat e.V.coreOthers · 1 January 1997Member since 1997 of the German Charities Council, a Dachverband (umbrella organization) promoting transparency, efficiency, and ethical standards in charitable fundraising. Holder of donation certificate.
• Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope StiftungcoreOthersIndependent civil law foundation established in 2007 with €1.67 million capital. Receives personnel and financial support from the association. Two supervisory board members are delegated by the association.
• VENROstrategicOthersMember of Verband Entwicklungspolitik und Humanitäre Hilfe deutscher Nichtregierungsorganisationen e.V., the largest German coalition of development and humanitarian aid NGOs.
• EU-CORDminorOthersMember of European Christian Rural Organisation Network connecting European NGOs working in development cooperation.
• Missionaries of CharitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReligious order operating feeding program for malnourished children in South Sudan. Regularly receives essential food and supplies from the organization for their service to the poorest.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Welthungerhilfe: One of Germany's largest private humanitarian and development NGOs, headquartered in Bonn. Directly comparable as a German, faith-rooted, multi-country humanitarian/development organization funded by donations and institutional grants.
• Misereor: German Catholic development and humanitarian aid agency. Closely comparable in mission, donor-funded model, multi-country field operations, and BMZ co-funding approach.
• Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe: German Protestant humanitarian relief organization, similarly faith-motivated and donor-funded, operating across conflict and disaster zones with comparable BMZ/government co-funding.
• Menschen für Menschen: German humanitarian development NGO founded by Karlheinz Böhm, focused primarily on Ethiopia. Comparable in donor-driven model, German institutional co-funding, and integrated rural development approach.
• World Vision Germany: German arm of World Vision International, a Christian child-focused humanitarian NGO. Comparable in faith motivation, donor-driven funding, multi-country child welfare and emergency relief work.
• SOS-Kinderdörfer weltweit: German-based international children's welfare and humanitarian organization. Comparable in donor-funded NGO model, multi-country field operations, and family/community-support programming.
• Brot für die Welt: German Protestant development and humanitarian aid service agency. Comparable in scale, donor base, project-based international programming, and German institutional funding relationships.
• HelpDirect Wohlfahrtswerk: German welfare/development NGO supporting self-help projects internationally. Comparable in donor-funded, project-partner-driven international development programming.

Others

• Sternstunden e.V. German charitable foundation co-funding humanitarian projects for children. Listed as an actual funding partner for Hoffnungszeichen's South Sudan school meals project; comparable as an institutional co-funder in the German NGO ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Caritas Germany: Germany's largest Catholic welfare/humanitarian confederation. Overlaps significantly in humanitarian and development work but is far larger and offers a broader welfare-services portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hz_soh
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/hoffnungszeichen
• Facebookfacebook.com/Hoffnungszeichen
• Instagraminstagram.com/hoffnungszeichensignofhope
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hoffnungszeichen-sign-of-hope-e-v

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Hoffnungszeichen Sign Of Hope E.v.