DONOR-ADVISED FUND FOR GERMANY
The digital foundation
for a New Way of Giving.
With bcause, individuals and families can align their generosity for the long term, support non-profit organizations, and make impact-oriented investments – with the possibilities of having their own foundation, without the effort of a traditional setup.
No. 1 Philanthropy Platform
Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft
Over €30 million mobilized
B-Corp
WHAT IS BCAUSE?
Your digital home for philanthropic engagement.
bcause is the digital platform where the essential steps of social engagement come together – from charitable dedication to subsequent funding. At the center is the digital foundation based on the model of a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF): charitably dedicated capital can remain invested with an impact-oriented focus, while funding decisions mature over time. Administration, documentation, and certificates run in the background.
Known from:
THE BCAUSE PRINCIPLE
Structure, impact and exchange in one place.
These three elements intertwine at bcause: the structure of a digital foundation, the impact through organizations and curated portfolios, and the exchange within the Club Neues Geben. Together, they create a continuous framework for long-term engagement. We call this approach The New Giving.
01 · Create structure
The digital foundation
A professional and flexible framework to deploy assets for long-term charitable purposes, without having to establish and administer a classic foundation yourself.
02 · Create an impact
Individual commitment
Organizations, projects, and curated portfolios offer different ways to support social impact. The choice remains self-determined.
03 · Shaping together
Club Neues Geben
A curated circle for people who share a similar understanding of wealth responsibility. For confidential exchange, new perspectives, and collective action.
Why bcause
"The portion of an estate that is never spent can already do good today – visibly, self-determined, and together with others who give in a similar way. What has stood in the way so far are the structures."
Felix Oldenburg
Founder, bcause
BCAUSE PROFESSIONAL FOUNDATION
Self-determined Giving
The Professional Foundation is the digital foundation of bcause based on the model of a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF). It combines flexible funding with a double impact: contributed capital can be granted immediately or gradually, while the balance is invested sustainably until payout, doing good even before the funding is distributed.
OCCASIONS
When the Professional Foundation provides the right framework
The digital foundation of bcause provides a reliable framework when wealth is transferred, realigned, or when social impact is to be carried forward across generations.
Inheritance
Bringing responsibility into a clear form
Inherited wealth is given a reliable framework for self-determined engagement.
Family and Succession
Enabling shared decision-making
Several generations shape values and funding decisions together.
Existing Engagement
Develop a strategy from funding opportunities
Existing activities are being bundled and further developed over the long term.
Company Sale or Exit
Realign assets
Corporate wealth becomes private — and is intended to have a long-term impact.
“With my foundation, Climate Impact Strategies, I invest to advance the energy transition. And thus help solution-oriented approaches move forward.”
Christian Vollmann, Entrepreneur & Impact Investor
Climate Impact Strategies
MAKE AN IMPACT
Focus your giving
bcause opens up access to over 500,000 non-profit organizations and projects – or to curated portfolios put together by experts in the respective fields of impact. This creates the freedom to manage engagement in a targeted and self-determined manner.
FOUR WAYS TO MAKE AN IMPACT WITH BCAUSE
Running your own foundation
Deploying capital for impact and investing it in an impact-oriented manner until concrete funding is provided.
Targeted funding for organizations
Select and support individual non-profit organizations directly.
Use curated portfolios
Bundle several verified organizations or approaches within an impact theme.
Give together
Make joint funding decisions with family, co-donors, or a community.
THE BCAUSE PLATFORM
All your engagement in a digital overview.
This is where structure and impact come together seamlessly: from managing foundation assets to selecting organizations and portfolios, all essential steps are bundled on a single, shared platform.
Manage centrally: Assets, records, and funding activities at a glance
Discover diversity: Direct access to over 500,000 organizations and curated portfolios
Self-determined funding: Direct donations and funding with just a few clicks
Invest effectively: Invest unallocated balances sustainably
SHAPE TOGETHER
Giving becomes stronger in exchange with others
The Club Neues Geben creates a curated and confidential environment for people who bear responsibility for wealth. This exchange strengthens orientation and confidence regarding one's own philanthropic engagement.
Katharina Bauch
Head of Community
FAQ
What people want to know before the first conversation.
What is bcause?
bcause is the digital platform for philanthropic engagement based in Berlin. The goal: to make giving simpler, more flexible, and more effective. At the heart of it is the digital foundation based on the model of a donor-advised fund. Capital is committed today for charitable purposes. Where and when it takes effect can be decided later. Until then, it can be invested with an impact-oriented approach. bcause takes care of administration, documentation, and donation receipts. Over 500,000 non-profit organizations and curated portfolios open up diverse opportunities to support. In the Club Neues Geben, guidance is created through exchange with others. bcause has been active since 2021, is B Corp certified, and is a member of the Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft.
What is a digital foundation, and what does it have to do with a donor-advised fund?
A digital foundation at bcause is a personal foundation fund within a non-profit trust foundation. It follows the principle of a donor-advised fund, functionally comparable to a DAF: provide capital today for charitable purposes and decide later, at your leisure, where it should make an impact. The contribution is treated as a donation for tax purposes. The corresponding donation receipt will be created for you automatically after receipt of the payment. Which organizations are to be supported can be proposed later. The trustee reviews these proposals and is responsible for the use of funds. Unlike a traditional foundation, the digital foundation does not require its own legal form, its own administration, or any minimum capital.
How does the Professional Foundation differ from a traditional foundation?
The Professional Foundation is bcause's offering for a digital foundation based on the principle of a donor-advised fund. It offers many design possibilities of a foundation without the need to set up and manage an independent foundation. A classic foundation with legal capacity requires sufficient assets, in practice often at least 50,000 to 100,000 euros. Added to this are the recognition process, own bodies, accounting, and tax returns. A notary is only required in special cases. Getting started often takes several weeks or months. The Professional Foundation is set up digitally and managed by bcause. It has no minimum capital and is ready to go in just a few minutes. Usage costs 590 euros per foundation per year.
Who is bcause suitable for?
bcause is aimed at individuals and families who want to commit a portion of their assets to charitable causes over the long term and are looking for a reliable structure without their own administrative apparatus. Typical occasions include an inheritance, a company sale or exit, existing funding that is to be bundled into a strategy, and families who wish to make funding decisions together across generations. There is no minimum capital. Advisors and partners, such as family offices or philanthropy consultancies, manage multiple digital foundations for their clients within a single access point at bcause. And non-profit organizations are the other side of the platform: they receive funding from the digital foundations and can maintain a free donation account with digital fundraising tools at bcause.
Are contributions to a digital foundation tax-deductible?
Yes. The tax advantage already arises upon payment, not only when the credit is allocated to an organization. Payments into the Professional Foundation, the digital foundation of bcause, are considered donations to our non-profit trust foundation for tax purposes. bcause automatically issues a donation receipt for this. Individuals can generally deduct donations of up to 20 percent of the total amount of their income. Higher amounts can be carried forward to subsequent years. Partly different limits apply to companies. The special deduction for permanently preserved foundation assets does not generally apply to regular payments into a Professional Foundation. The individual classification belongs in your own tax advice.
Who controls the capital, and how secure is it?
First things first: The capital of a digital foundation is not held by bcause GmbH, but in a non-profit trust foundation. It is officially recognized as a non-profit organization by the state, and an independent foundation board monitors its transactions. Each Professional Foundation is managed there as a separate special fund, separate from other digital foundations and from the assets of the platform operator. Once contributed, capital remains bound to non-profit purposes. It can be distributed to non-profit organizations or invested with an impact orientation, but it cannot flow back into a private account. bcause is a member of the Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft and discloses its structure, decision-makers, as well as the source and use of funds.
What is the Club Neues Geben?
The Club Neues Geben is the confidential circle of bcause for people who bear responsibility for assets and wish to strategically develop their commitment. In monthly formats, professional impulses from the impact sector meet the exchange of experience among members. This is complemented by personal networking and guidance for concrete projects. The club is open to everyone who already donates a five-figure sum annually or wishes to set this as their goal. The exchange is the third pillar of the bcause principle, alongside the structure of the digital foundation and the impact through organizations and portfolios.
