Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen E.v.

What Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen E.v. does

Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen e.V. is the German national umbrella association for foundations, founded in 1948 and headquartered in Berlin at Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 34. With more than 4,300 member foundations and charitable organisations, it is the largest and oldest foundation association in Europe and serves as the unified representative body for the German Stiftungs sector vis-à-vis politics, regulators, and the public. Its member base spans foundations of all legal forms, foundation administrations, would-be founders (Gründerinnen und Gründer), and commercial service providers (Stiftungspartner), all served through a portfolio of networking, advisory, advocacy, and information services.

The association's core products and services are not technology platforms but membership services: the Stiftungssuche foundation database (a free Basic tier covering ~12,000 foundations and a paid StiftungssuchePlus tier covering ~30,000), the Stiftungswelt magazine, the annual Deutscher Stiftungstag conference, 16+ thematic Arbeitskreise (working groups), regional statistics (Bundesländer-Datenblätter), the Chancenpatenschaften mentoring program, the Tag der Stiftungen public-awareness day, and a member portal. Distribution is direct-to-member: digital portal, telephone, email, events, and publications. No proprietary technology, API, or AI/ML capability is offered.

The business model is membership-fee based on a solidarity principle scaled to each member's financial capacity: foundations and charitable legal entities from €200/year, natural persons without commercial interests from a similar low tier, and natural/legal persons with commercial interest (Stiftungspartner) from €600/year, with commercial job postings at €500 per ad for non-members. Ancillary revenue comes from events, paid data products, and publications. The organisation is led by Prof. Dr. Joachim Rogall (Vorstandsvorsitzender) and Kirsten Hommelhoff (Generalsekretärin).

Name

Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen E.v.

Legal name

Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen e.V.

Website

https://www.stiftungen.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen is Germany's largest and oldest foundation association, founded in 1948, representing over 4,300 member foundations, charitable organisations, and commercial partners through advocacy, networking, advisory services, publications, and the annual Deutscher Stiftungstag conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foundation Association and Nonprofit Advocacy Services

NAICS

Business Associations (81391)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarly Societies & Conference Proceedings Publishing (MPAJABAK), Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB)

Keywords

• Foundation association services
• Membership nonprofit organization
• Philanthropy advocacy networks
• Foundation search database
• Foundation sector events

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. Membership fees: The association generates revenue through annual membership fees assessed on a solidarity principle, scaled according to each member's financial capacity. Foundations and charitable organizations pay from 200 Euro per year, while natural and legal persons with commercial interests pay from 600 Euro per year.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen is Germany's largest and oldest foundation association, operating as a registered nonprofit (e.V.) that delivers membership-based advisory, information, networking, and representation services to over 4,300 foundations and partner organizations. Its core portfolio comprises legal advisory support, the Stiftungssuche foundation database, the Stiftungswelt magazine, the Deutscher Stiftungstag annual conference, thematic working groups, regional statistics, and publications.

Product overview

The Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen is a non-profit membership association (e.V.) representing foundations in Germany, founded in 1948. Rather than offering a unified technology product, the organization provides a portfolio of membership services including the Stiftungssuche foundation search database (with Basic at 12,000+ foundations and Plus at 30,000 foundations), the Stiftungswelt magazine, the annual Deutscher Stiftungstag conference, thematic working groups (Arbeitskreise), regional statistics (Bundesländer-Datenblätter), publications such as the Stiftungswissen guide series, and an exclusive member portal. Core offerings center on networking, knowledge sharing, advocacy, and professional development for Germany's foundation sector rather than a commercial software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Stiftungswelt: Magazine/publication of the Bundesverband covering foundation-related topics, current developments, and sector news
• Stiftungssuche
• Deutscher Stiftungstag

Products and services

• Stiftungssuche A foundation search service (Stiftungssuche Basic and StiftungssuchePlus) that lets users search across profiles of German foundations, used by grant-seekers, researchers, donors, and the general public looking to identify and learn about foundations.
• Deutscher Stiftungstag Annual flagship conference for foundations in Germany, organized by the Bundesverband, providing networking and professional development for foundation professionals.
• Arbeitskreise (Working Groups) Member-exclusive thematic working groups covering areas such as education, civic foundations, diversity, international affairs, law, finance, environment, science, and communications, facilitating peer exchange and professional networking for foundation professionals.
• Mitgliederbereich (Member Portal) Exclusive online portal for members providing access to articles, template documents, the Stiftungsinfo newsletter, and the ability to post jobs, news, and events.
• Bundesländer-Datenblätter Annual regional statistics product providing detailed profiles with numbers, data, and facts about foundations across all 16 German federal states, used by researchers, policymakers, journalists, and foundations themselves.
• Stiftungswelt (Magazine) The association's flagship magazine publication covering topics on foundation management, transformation, philanthropy trends, and sector news, targeted at foundation professionals and the broader public.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Evonik StiftungminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsor of the Westerwelle Startup Haus powered by Evonik Stiftung in Kigali, Rwanda, supporting young entrepreneurs in Africa through the startup ecosystem.
• Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner for the 'Jugend präsentiert' competition, a project of the Klaus Tschira Stiftung, supporting presentation skills for students in STEM subjects.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stifterverband: German association for science, education, and innovation funding, with strong foundation membership overlap. Closely comparable as a German nonprofit membership association serving foundations and donors with advocacy and analytics.
• Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support (WINGS): Global network of philanthropy-support organisations. Comparable as the supranational counterpart to national foundation associations, with a peer knowledge-sharing and advocacy mission similar to Bundesverband's role within Europe.
• Charities Aid Foundation (CAF): UK-based charity helping donors, companies, and foundations give more effectively through advisory, grantmaking, and research services. Comparable as a foundation-sector intermediary offering member-style support and sector research.
• SwissFoundations: The national association of grant-making foundations in Switzerland. Closely comparable as a neighbouring European national foundation association with similar advocacy, networking, and knowledge-brokering roles.
• Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF): UK membership body for charitable foundations and grant-makers. Directly comparable in mission, structure, and offerings (membership services, policy advocacy, networking events, publications) for a national foundation sector.
• European Foundation Centre (EFC): Brussels-based pan-European membership association for foundations and funders. EFC is the closest cross-border analogue to Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen, with overlapping mission around advocacy, networking, and knowledge sharing for the European foundation sector.

Broad incumbents

• Council on Foundations: The largest US-based membership association for grantmaking foundations and philanthropy-serving organisations. Comparable as a mature national umbrella association providing advocacy, conferences, and member services to foundations.

Emerging players

• European Venture Philanthropy and Impact Investing Initiative (EVPA): European membership association for venture philanthropy and impact investing organisations. Comparable as a sector membership body serving foundations and impact investors with networking, knowledge, and advocacy — though more specialised than BVDS.

Regional players

• Maecenata Stiftung: Berlin-based think tank on civil society and the foundation sector in Germany. Comparable as a domestic organisation producing sector research, policy commentary, and convening for German foundations, partially overlapping BVDS's knowledge function.
• Fondation de France: France's largest foundation network, managing hundreds of sub-foundations and providing foundation-establishment services. Comparable as a major European foundation hub with both advocacy and operational service roles.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/stiftungskanal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bundesverband-deutscher-stiftungen
• Instagraminstagram.com/deutsche_stiftungen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen E.v.