Initiative Offene Gesellschaft e.V.

What Initiative Offene Gesellschaft e.V. does

Initiative Offene Gesellschaft e.V. is a Berlin-based, registered non-profit civil-society organization (eingetragener Verein) founded in 2016 that operates at the intersection of activism and political consulting, with a stated team of approximately 15 people working in Berlin-Schöneberg and remotely. Its portfolio spans four thematic pillars: dialogue, participation, collective action, and political education. Core programs include the annual Tag der Offenen Gesellschaft nationwide community event, the trinational Faktor D democracy network (with Demokratie21 in Austria and Campus Demokratie in Switzerland), the Offener Prozess documentation and education center on the NSU complex, the Moment Mal! municipal participation program, and the Depolarize methodology project. The organization also sells dialogue and action materials through a Shopify online shop and delivers paid workshops and consulting engagements.

The most differentiated technical offering is the Beteiligungs-KI, an AI-powered tool currently in beta that is designed to accompany municipalities through the entire participation cycle from initial idea to implementation; it uses text-based natural-language processing and generative capabilities to support citizen and administrator dialogue in local participation processes. The underlying AI architecture, model provider, and data-governance posture are not disclosed. Outreach is multi-channel: website, Instagram, LinkedIn, segmented newsletters, the Tag der Offenen Gesellschaft event, downloadable campaign materials, and a 'dafür' magazine series (2017-2019).

The business model is donation- and grant-driven: recurring individual donations (starting at EUR 10/month), project grants from major German-, Swiss-, and Austrian-affiliated foundations (Robert Bosch Stiftung, Stiftung Mercator Schweiz, ERSTE Stiftung), and co-funding from the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (bpb). Secondary commercial streams include e-commerce sales of creative action boxes and workbooks, plus paid workshops and consulting for municipalities and civil-society organizations. No commercial pricing, revenue, or financial statements are publicly disclosed. Governance is provided by a board that includes co-founder André Wilkens, Kübra Gümüşay, Stefan Wegner, and Ulrich Lilie, with Max Bohm serving as Co-Geschäftsführer.

Name

Initiative Offene Gesellschaft e.V.

Legal name

Initiative Offene Gesellschaft e.V.

Website

https://offenegesellschaft.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Initiative Offene Gesellschaft e.V. is a Berlin-based non-profit civil-society organization founded in 2016 that strengthens democracy through participation programs, dialogue projects, civic-education formats, and an AI-powered municipal participation tool, serving municipalities, civil-society organizations, and engaged citizens across the DACH region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Engagement and Democratic Participation Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Other Social Advocacy Organizations (813319), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Inclusion & Civic Tech (Connectivity, GovTech for Social Good) (BPAGALAK), Civil Society Strengthening & Civic Space (BPADAGAD), Civic, Citizenship & Community Engagement Education (EDAAAEAI), Democratic Governance & Public Administration Reform (BPADAGAJ)

Keywords

• Civic engagement programs
• Democracy education services
• Municipal participation consulting
• Political dialogue facilitation
• Civil society advocacy

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. Donations and Membership Support: The organization is funded primarily through donations from individuals and institutional funders. They explicitly request regular donations (starting at €10/month) and mention that 'defending democracy is not a sprint - it needs a long breath and daily commitment.'

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Initiative Offene Gesellschaft e.V. is a non-profit civil society organization that promotes democracy through dialogue projects, civic education formats, and participation tools. Its core offerings include the Beteiligungs-KI AI tool for municipal participation processes, the annual Tag der Offenen Gesellschaft nationwide event, the trinational Faktor D democracy network (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), the Offener Prozess NSU documentation center, the Moment Mal! municipal participation program, the Depolarize project, creative dialogue and action materials sold through an online shop, and workshops and consulting on political participation and dialogue.

Product overview

Initiative Offene Gesellschaft e.V. is a civil society organization that operates at the intersection of activism and political consulting. Their product portfolio centers on democratic participation and civic engagement tools. Core offerings include the Beteiligungs-KI (an AI-powered participation tool for municipalities), the annual Tag der Offenen Gesellschaft event, and the trinational Faktor D democracy network. They also provide educational programs like the Offener Prozess NSU documentation center and the Moment Mal! municipal participation program. Additional products include dialog materials, creative action tools sold through their online shop, and workshop/consulting services. The organization focuses on four main thematic areas: Dialog, Participation (#Partizipation), Collective Action (#Kollektiv wirken), and Political Education (#Politische Bildung).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Beteiligungs-KI (Participation AI) An AI-powered tool designed to support and tailor municipal participation processes. It accompanies cities and municipalities through the entire participation cycle, from the first idea to implementation. Currently in testing with municipal participation makers in short online sessions.
• Tag der Offenen Gesellschaft An annual nationwide event where people set out tables and chairs to send an encouraging signal for an open, democratic society. The entire country sets the table and invites people to participate in celebrating open society values.
• Faktor D: Demokratienetzwerk (Democracy Network) A trinational democracy network in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) that strategically brings together democratic forces. Supported by Initiative Offene Gesellschaft (Germany), Demokratie21 (Austria), and Campus Demokratie (Switzerland).
• Offener Prozess (NSU Documentation Center) An interim documentation center about the NSU (National Socialist Underground) complex. A place of remembrance and education that focuses on those affected and their perspectives, critically examines the history of the NSU complex, and strengthens social cohesion.
• Moment Mal! A participation program for municipalities that supports stakeholders in bringing participation projects into implementation. Includes a workbook and qualification series for municipal participation makers.
• Depolarize A project that develops and tests methods together with scientific partners to help people stay in good conversation despite differences, addressing polarized societies.
• Dialog- und Aktionsmaterialien (Dialogue and Action Materials) Creative boxes and action materials that promote strong togetherness. These dialog and action materials make it easy to start conversations, develop attitudes, and initiate own actions, focused on strengthening diversity, cohesion, and justice in democracy. Sold through an online Shopify shop.
• Vorträge und Workshops (Lectures and Workshops) Presentations and workshops that invite new perspectives on topics such as dialog, participation, and cohesion. They offer various formats from workshops to consulting and use diverse methods as well as creative action and dialog materials.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Demokratie21coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Faktor D trinational democracy network (DACH region). Demokratie21 is the Austrian partner bringing together democratic forces in the German-speaking world.
• Campus DemokratiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Faktor D trinational democracy network (DACH region). Campus Demokratie is the Swiss partner in the cross-border democracy network.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Robert Bosch Stiftung: One of IOG's principal funders and a major German foundation operating in democracy, education, and civil society. Operates adjacent programs and the 'Demokratie stärken' program family that overlaps with IOG's mission, but acts as funder/partner rather than direct competitor.
• betterplace.org: Germany's largest online donation platform for non-profits. Serves as an enabling ecosystem partner that channels donations to IOG and similar civic organizations; comparable as a piece of German civic-infrastructure rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• Zebralog GmbH: Germany-based vendor of online participation tools (e.g., Consul-based platforms) for municipalities. IOG's Beteiligungs-KI enters the same municipal e-participation procurement space; comparable as an incumbent technology provider rather than a peer non-profit.

Direct peers

• Mehr Demokratie e.V. German civil society organization advocating for direct democracy, referenda, and citizen participation. Competes for the same municipal participation budgets and civic-education grant pool as IOG.
• Campus Demokratie: Swiss counterpart in the Faktor D DACH network. Runs democracy-strengthening projects, formats, and events in Switzerland with the same civic-education and participation remit as IOG in Germany.
• Gesellschaft für Demokratieförderung und Dialog (GDD): German non-profit focused on democracy promotion and dialogue in the 'Hand in Hand' tradition. Closely aligned with IOG's mission of supporting democratic culture through civic dialogue and is funded by a similar foundation ecosystem.
• Demokratie21: Austrian partner organization in the trinational Faktor D democracy network. Operates a near-identical civic-engagement model in Austria under joint programming with Initiative Offene Gesellschaft, making it the closest direct peer.

Broad incumbents

• Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (bpb): Federal German agency for political education. IOG is listed as a bpb funder/recipient; bpb is the dominant public-sector provider of civic education materials and competes for the same audience while setting the regulatory and funding environment.

Emerging players

• Stiftung neue verantwortung (snv): Berlin-based think tank working on digital civic infrastructure and democratic participation. Overlaps with IOG on civic-tech topics and the Beteiligungs-KI agenda, though positioned as policy/think-tank rather than grassroots implementation.
• openPetition: German e-participation platform for citizen petitions and referenda. Builds civic-tech participation infrastructure using a different mechanism (petitions) but serves overlapping municipalities and civic-participation budgets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/initiative-offene-gesellschaft-e-v
• Instagraminstagram.com/offenegesellschaft

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Initiative Offene Gesellschaft e.V.