Insights into the association landscape, statistics, history and development: Insights into the association landscape, statistics, history and development

Associations as an important
factor in Germany
Insights into the association landscape,
statistics, history and development

Tim Richter
DGVM – German Society for Association Management
Chief Editor, German Association’s Forum – verbaende.com

Tim Richter, DGVM – www.dgvm.de – www.verbaende.com May 12 1

What is verbaende.com?
• The German speaking associations platform online
• Publisher of press statements for associations
o Nearly 90,000 statements online and searchable
• Publisher of address details
o Nearly 15,000 address information of associations in Germany,
Switzerland and Austria
• Provider of a knowledge base
o 1,000 different articles with in-deep-knowledge transfer
• We also providing
o Basic knowledge of associations and history of associations in
Germany
o Statistics, overall data and facts
• In fact: verbaende.com is solely the one and only provider of
sufficient data regarding associations in Germany, their
development and history


Brief history

As we started
in 1996
We’re getting more
information in 2001

Our first refitting in
1999/2000

More colors in
2002/2003 and so
much more information


Brief history

Really big step
in 2004 And now: big and beautiful, light
and modern since the 2011 refitting

Some minor
steps in 2006


Brief history

The print magazine Verbändereport reaches
with its paid circulation an almost 100 percent
penetration for associations and their
suborganizations in Germany, Austria and
Switzerland.

The online platform verbaende.com reaches a
highly interested public in the last 10 years:
• 24 million visits
• 80 million shown press statements
• 34 million questions for address details


Prominent knowledge provider

DGVM‘s knowledge transfer works mainly
over
• print magazine Verbändereport
• the online platform verbaende.com

That makes us the most prominent provider
of knowledge according the association
landscape, statistics, history and
development!

Even German federal authorities ask us for
numbers, key figures and facts!


Associations in Germany

• So where do they come from?
• How are they designed?
• What is the main structural principal?


Very brief history of
Associations (I)
• Europe is an „associations
continent“, especially Germans
do like clubs and associations
• In most european countries the
right to form a movement
(„forming lobby groups“,
„stakeholders“) is a fundamental
right, derived from the principal
of personal freedom


Associations (II)
• 2,000 years ago the first Egyptian clubs
are forerunners in forming stakeholders
and representation
o The main parts of the statues or „articles of
association“ 2,000 years ago are the same
as today
o It defines the duties and rights of members
in granting them „access to beer and wine
consumption” (see left in old greek
language from the papyri michigan)


Associations (III)
• Though it takes some time to formerly found one:
o in 1665 the Hamburg chamber of
commerce was founded
as a association for Hamburg’s
merchants and to represent
their interests
• A run starts with the industrial
revolution in Europe’s 19th
century
o educational associations
o music and theater chambers
o polytechnic organizations
o organization for sports & leisure
o local clubs for sport shooting activities… and much more…


Associations (IV)
• Now, Associations are a substantial part of our live: from
birth to death, an associations stands with us!

In associations the citizen is born and reared. He is
supplied in case of illness, he does sports in an
association (or directly in a club), he gets a living in
case he needs. He practices his profession in
associations (directly or indirectly) and is a member to
represent its interests.

(german sociologist Günter Büschges)



• How many organizations can be
counted in Germany?
• How are they organized?
• Whom to ask?


The typical german member

• The average:
o every german citizen is a member in at least three associations
o The same average german is members in seven clubs (on a local
level)
• Example: The average german is member in the health care
system which is organized through associations
o „Körperschaften des öffentlichen Rechts“ or public bodies, or as
„eingetragener Verein“ („registered charity“ as a kind of legal
separation)
o With one umbrella organization above, which is also an association
both legal status as well as scientific point of view
• He plays football in a local sports club which is organized in
regional associations
• He‘s member in a bowling club and/or in an allotment
organization, garden spot community („Schrebergarten“)

Landscape of associations (I)

• The german landscape of associations represents all forms of
private and business needs:
o work and economy (appr. 50 per cent of all associations)
o society and politics (appr. 11 per cent)
o recreation and culture (appr. 9 per cent)
o education and science (appr. 10 per cent)
o and health and social matters (appr. 20 per cent)
• on every level:
o local organizations
o regional and state („Bundesländer“) associations
o federal associations and centralised confederations
o associations on and for the EU-level
o international associations


Landscape of associations (II)

• The association‘s landscape reproduces the federal construction
of Germany (ruling through representation):
o local organizations where I‘m at home
o state associations to maintain contact to the „Bundesländer“
o federal associations to level with the government
o european associations in Brussels
o international associations to enable a international network
• It is possible to be a direct member in every association on every
level
• Mostly: the more internationalized the association is the fewer
personal members are to be found in it
• But: No rule without exception, not in cases of german
associations!


Big is beautiful?

• The importance and influence of an association can not fix itself
on its membership or the annual budget.
• Equally important “impact factors”:
o reputation
o association type (personal or institutional organization)
o state or federal association
o degree of organization in the represented field of interest
o importance of this sector for the German economy


Nevertheless:
the really big ones

• German Olympic Sports Confederation 27 million
(Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund DOSB)
• German General Automobile Club 16 million
(ADAC Allgemein Deutscher Automobil-Club e.V.)
• German Football Association 6.4 million
(Deutscher Fußballbund DFB)
(not counted are the non-footballers
in the 26,000 local football-clubs
represented by DFB)
80 million
population!


Growth of assocations

• local clubs:
560,000
• Associations:
15,600
• pro. associations:
7,600
• umbrella organiz.:
2,000


Where they are

• Along the river Rhine
(Dusseldorf to Rhein-Main,
Frankfurt)
o Because of tradition (Bonn is the
former capital of Germany),
organizations kept their
headquarters
o Capitals of the “bundesländer”:
Dusseldorf, Mainz and
Wiesbaden, Stuttgart
• The area is similar close to
federal capital Berlin and the EU-
cities Brussels and Strasbourg
• And third…


Where they are

And third:

the members
are there!



• Are they economical important?
• How much?


Economical meaning (I)

• An overall key figure „so important are associations“ is not
available in Germany
o Germany‘s federal construction
o historical grown structures in and for associations
o no duty to publish figures or facts
• But: in the field of health and social matters (quantity: 20 per
cent of all associations) only five really big associations are the
key stakeholders
o Caritas (catholic church)
o Diakonie (protestant church)
o Rotes Kreuz (Red Cross in Germany)
o Arbeiterwohlfahrt (Workers' Welfare Organization)
o Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband (Welfare Association)


Economical meaning (II)

• These top five welfare-associations employ the most workers
(compared to some leading industry enterprises):
o Caritas (catholic church) 507,500
o Diakonie (protestant church) 443,600
o Rotes Kreuz (Red Cross in Germany) 132,000
o Arbeiterwohlfahrt (Workers' Welfare Organization) 114,600
o Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband (Welfare Association) 317,400

o Siemens (worldwide) 426,000
o Deutsche Post / DHL (worldwide) 370,000
o Mercedes/Daimler (worldwide) 365,000
o BMW Group (worldwide) 101,000
o Lufthansa Airline (worldwide) 94,000
(Annual sales of these five enterprises: appr. 230 billion euros)


Economical meaning (III)

• This does not mean: the welfare sector induces a growth of 230
billion euro per year, but it shows a really good relation to
economic importance
• Furthermore: we calculate with appr. 200 new associations per
year
• In their first three years these associations create (directly or
indirectly) three new jobs which accumulate to 1,500 new jobs



• The landscape of associations in Germany is complex
o History
o Federal construction
o Economic particularities
• Every (typical) German is member in 3 associations
and 7 local clubs
• 200 new associations are born every year
• There is a high probability of very high economic
relevance (unfortunately there are little numbers)


Thank you!

An interesting and informative day
„Study Mission 2012“ to all of us!

Tim Richter
DGVM – German Society for Association Management
Chief Editor, German Association’s Forum – verbaende.com


Insights into the association landscape, statistics, history and development: Insights into the association landscape, statistics, history and development

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