What Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk does

Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk e.V. is a charitable nonprofit association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 1972 in Munich and headquartered at Leipziger Straße 116-118 in Berlin-Mitte. Operating as Germany's leading child rights organization for over 50 years, it serves children, families, schools, kindergartens, municipalities, and individual donors through three primary program categories: direct welfare services (Kinderhäuser children's houses, Kindernothilfefonds emergency aid, Schulranzenaktion school backpacks), project funding (Förderfonds having supported 2,008 projects with approximately €12.97 million over five years across areas including participation, educational equity, nutrition, and child-friendly urban development), and research/advocacy (Kinderrechte-Index annual study of 101 indicators across all 16 German states, Kinderreport series, recurring surveys on media literacy and co-determination).

The organization's technology footprint is conventional and procurement-led rather than proprietary: its public web presence runs on Typo3 CMS across 13+ thematic domains (kinderrechte.de, kindersache.de, weltkindertag.de, foerderfonds.dkhw.de, among others), supported by Amazon CloudFront CDN, Google Analytics 4, and Google Tag Manager. Online donations are processed through third-party fundraising platforms twingle GmbH and RaiseNow (formerly Altruja), with PCI-certified SSL handling. The e-commerce shop (shop.dkhw.de) handles publication and merchandise sales. No public API, SDK, mobile application, or proprietary technology product is offered.

Revenue derives from five streams: individual donations (63% of 2025 annual income), supporting memberships (Fördermitgliedschaft), corporate partnerships (playground funding, children's house sponsorship, donation containers), federal/state grants and project funding (including Saarland Förderfonds), and merchandise/publications sales. The organization holds DZI-Spenden-Siegel certification, Erbschaftssiegel, Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft membership, Charta der Vielfalt commitment, Eurochild international membership, and recognized tax-exempt charitable status. Leadership comprises Bundesgeschäftsführer Holger Hofmann (Executive Director), Präsidentin Annemarie Lütkes (President), and Pressesprecher Uwe Kamp (Press Officer), with a volunteer Vorstand (board) and statutory Kinder- und Jugendbeirat (Children and Youth Advisory Board).

Name

Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk

Legal name

Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk e.V.

Website

https://dkhw.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk is a German charitable nonprofit founded in 1972 that promotes children's rights through direct welfare services, project funding, research, and advocacy across all 16 German states, serving children, families, schools, and municipalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare Nonprofit

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

Keywords

• Children's rights advocacy
• Charitable project funding
• Nonprofit donation programs
• Child welfare services
• Social impact research

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations constitute 63% of 2025 annual income (including withdrawal from purpose fulfillment reserves). Primary revenue stream.
2. Supporting Membership: Fördermitgliedschaft program with annual/multi-year subscriptions providing calendar benefits.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Company sponsorships including playground funding, children's house adoption, donation containers, and general corporate cooperation.
4. Project Funding: Federal state and foundation grants for specific programs and initiatives including Kinderrechte-Index research.
5. Publications and Merchandise: Online shop selling publications, calendars, and materials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk is a registered nonprofit association (e.V.) that delivers charitable services for children's rights in Germany. Its core offerings include direct child welfare services via Kinderhäuser (children's houses providing meals, support, and play), the Kindernothilfefonds emergency assistance fund for families in crisis, and a Projektförderung grant program that has supported 2,008 projects with approximately €12.97 million over five years. The organization also operates a Fördermitgliedschaft supporting membership program and accepts corporate sponsorships for playgrounds and children's houses.

Product overview

Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk (German Children's Aid Organization) is a charitable organization founded in 1972, not a technology product company. Its offerings consist of charitable programs and advocacy services organized around child welfare. The core programs include: direct child welfare services through Kinderhäuser (Children's Houses) and the Kindernothilfefonds (Children's Emergency Aid Fund); project funding through Projektförderung and Förderfonds programs supporting 2,008 projects with €12.97 million over five years; participation programs including Kindergipfel (Children's Summit) and Demokratie-Camp (Democracy Camp); and annual research products including the Kinderrechte-Index (Children's Rights Index) measuring UN Children's Rights Convention implementation across 16 German states, and the annual Kinderreport. The organization runs nationwide campaigns including Weltkindertag (World Children's Day), the 'Zu Fuß zur Schule' walking program, and sports challenges for children's rights. Digital services include an e-commerce shop for publications, a funding database portal, and a network of thematic websites. Revenue primarily derives from donations (63% of 2025 income), with additional support from membership fees and public funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kinderhäuser (Children's Houses) Physical child welfare centers providing warm meals, a listening ear, and play opportunities for children affected by poverty; the 'Gelbe Villa' (Yellow Villa) in Berlin exemplifies the model.
• Kindernothilfefonds (Children's Emergency Aid Fund) Emergency financial assistance fund providing direct support to children and families in crisis situations; applications can be submitted through the organization's website.
• Projektförderung (Project Funding) Grant funding program that has supported 2,008 projects with approximately €12,965,000 over the past five years, covering participation in democratic processes, educational equity, healthy nutrition, and child-friendly urban development.
• Förderfonds des Deutschen Kinderhilfswerkes und des Saarlandes Regional funding program jointly operated with the state of Saarland to promote children and youth participation in the Saarland region.
• Fördermitgliedschaft (Supporting Membership) Recurring membership subscription program where supporters pay annual or multi-year fees and receive an exclusive calendar as a thank-you benefit.
• Kinderrechte-Index (Children's Rights Index) Annual research instrument measuring implementation of the UN Children's Rights Convention across Germany's 16 federal states using 101 indicators, with sub-indexes on participation, protection, education, living standards, health, and leisure/culture rights.
• Kinderreport (Children's Report) Annual report series analyzing child welfare conditions in Germany, providing policy recommendations based on research findings; the 2026 edition focuses on equitable education (chancengerechte Bildung).
• Weltkindertag (World Children's Day) Annual nationwide participation campaign celebrating World Children's Day on September 20th, including the 'Mitmach-Aktion' asking children and adolescents what they need to feel strong about the future.
• Kindergipfel (Children's Summit) Flagship participation event where children and adolescents discuss and express their opinions on issues affecting them.
• DKHW-Shop (Publication Shop) Online shop (shop.dkhw.de) selling publications, specialist materials, and promotional items, supporting ordering for personal, private, and non-commercial use.
• Förderdatenbank (Funding Database) Online database (foerderfonds.dkhw.de) providing information about funding opportunities and application processes for project support.
• Zu Fuß zur Schule und zum Kindergarten Annual action days encouraging children to walk, cycle, or scooter to school and kindergarten, promoting physical activity and road safety awareness.
• Sport-Challenge für Kinderrechte Sports fundraising challenge where participants create their own donation actions to support children's rights.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,008 projects funded with approximately 12,965,000 EUR over 5 years through Förderfonds
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BundesNetzwerk Kinder- und JugendbeteiligungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition initiated by Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk to promote child and youth participation across Germany
• Bündnis Recht auf SpielcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition for the right to play, initiated by Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk
• Initiative 'Kinderrechte ins Grundgesetz'coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvocacy coalition to incorporate children's rights into the German Basic Law
• Aktionsbündnis Kinderrechte ins GrundgesetzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance advocating for constitutional protection of children's rights
• Bündnis KINDERGRUNDSICHERUNGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition against child poverty
• Deutscher Paritätischer WohlfahrtsverbandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman welfare association membership
• EurochildcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean network of organizations working with and for children, membership-based
• Nationale ArmutskonferenzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational poverty conference coalition
• National Coalition Deutschland - Netzwerk zur Umsetzung der UN-KinderrechtskonventioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network for UN Convention on the Rights of the Child implementation
• SpielTiger e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner for Schulranzenaktion distributing backpacks to refugee children in Hamburg

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Aktion Mensch: Large German social nonprofit with significant overlap on disability inclusion, child welfare, and family support. Comparable in fundraising scale, donor base, and project-funding distribution model.
• SOS-Kinderdörfer (SOS Children's Villages Germany): Germany's other flagship child welfare nonprofit, focused on alternative care, family strengthening, and child rights. Directly comparable in mission, donor base, and fundraising model to DKHW.
• Kindernothilfe: Large German child-focused nonprofit combining project funding, sponsorship programs, and advocacy. Overlaps strongly with DKHW on children's rights advocacy and donor-supported project funding in Germany and internationally.
• UNICEF Deutschland: National committee of UNICEF, focused on child rights advocacy and fundraising in Germany. Comparable as a high-trust, child-rights-focused nonprofit competing for the same German donor audience.
• Save the Children Deutschland: German arm of Save the Children, operating child welfare, education, and emergency aid programs domestically. Shares DKHW's focus on child rights in Germany and competes for the same corporate and individual donor pool.
• Terre des Hommes Deutschland: German member of the Terre des Hommes federation, focused on child rights, education, and protection. Comparable in advocacy-led, project-funding-driven nonprofit model with similar donor base in Germany.

Broad incumbents

• Diakonie Deutschland: Major Protestant welfare association delivering child, youth, and family services nationwide. Comparable as a large-scale nonprofit service provider in the same donor and policy ecosystem, though broader than DKHW's child-specific focus.
• Caritas Deutschland: Germany's largest welfare confederation, operating extensive child, family, and youth services. Overlaps with DKHW on family support and child welfare but is far broader in scope, covering elderly care, healthcare, and social assistance.

Others

• Bertelsmann Stiftung: Large German foundation publishing influential studies on education, family, and social policy. Adjacent as a research-driven stakeholder whose work intersects with DKHW's Kinderrechte-Index and Kinderreport publications.

Emerging players

• Kinderlachen: Smaller, digitally native child welfare nonprofit focused on fulfilling individual wishes and material aid for children in need. Comparable on mission and donor appeal, but operates at materially smaller scale than DKHW.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/kinderhilfswerkde
• Facebookfacebook.com/dkhw.de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deutsches-kinderhilfswerk/?originalSubdomain=de
• Instagraminstagram.com/deutscheskinderhilfswerk_e.v?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk