Federal Working Group of Free Welfare Services

The Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der Freien Wohlfahrtspflege e. V. (BAGFW) — the Federal Working Group of Free Welfare Services — is the joint working platform of the six Spitzenverbände (leading national associations) of the Free Welfare Services in Germany. Its members are Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWO), Deutscher Caritasverband (DCV), Deutscher Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband (DER PARITÄTISCHE), Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (DRK), Diakonie Deutschland and Zentralwohlfahrtsstelle der Juden in Deutschland (ZWST). Together these associations state that they represent more than 90,000 facilities and services with over 1.3 million employees and many volunteers across Germany; about 60 percent of all people employed in the Free Welfare Services work for the two confessional welfare associations. The BAGFW is not itself a service provider in the ordinary sense but a coordinating and advocacy body. Its stated common goal is to secure and further develop social work through joint initiatives and social-policy activities. Because the member associations are federally structured, their municipal and state-level branches and member organisations are largely legally independent. The BAGFW maintains a head office (Geschäftsstelle) in Berlin and a Wohlfahrtsmarken department in Cologne. Its work spans a wide range of social-policy topics, from migration services and dementia awareness to disaster protection, procurement rules and the promotion of good work in the social economy. It runs or coordinates several well-known instruments: the Wohlfahrtsmarken (welfare and Christmas stamps with a surcharge for social work, issued since 1949), the GlücksSpirale lottery funds that support Free Welfare Services projects, the Deutscher Sozialpreis media prize awarded since 1971, and the ESF-Regiestelle. The BAGFW also operates a coordination office for digitalisation and publishes statements, events and training information through its website and YouTube channel, including content in German sign language. Leadership of the BAGFW rotates every two years among the member associations; in 2025 and 2026 the chair lies with DER PARITÄTISCHE, and Achim Meyer auf der Heyde serves as president during that period. The organisation describes itself as working "von Menschen für Menschen" — by people for people — with experts from the member associations handling the most important aspects of social work arising from social reality in Germany.

The roots of the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der Freien Wohlfahrtspflege lie in the emergence of Germany's leading welfare associations from the mid-19th century onward. Between 1848 and 1925 the organisations that still shape the structures of the Free Welfare Services today were founded: the Central-Ausschuß für die Innere Mission der Deutschen Evangelischen Kirche (1848), a predecessor of the Diakonisches Werk der EKD (1957, today Diakonie Deutschland); the Deutscher Caritasverband (1897); the Zentralwohlfahrtsstelle der deutschen Juden (1917); the Arbeiterwohlfahrt (1919); the "Vaterländischen Frauenvereine vom Roten Kreuz" (1866) as predecessor of the Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (1921); and the Deutscher Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband (1924). The period from 1933 to 1945 brought severe repression for the leading associations. After the National Socialists took power, the "Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt" assumed a leading position within the Liga der Freien Wohlfahrtspflege. Leading figures of the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband resigned their offices of their own accord or were forced out of their positions in the association bodies. In 1934 the then members' assembly had no choice but to dissolve the association. After the end of the Second World War, the associations of the Free Welfare Services continued or re-established their work. The pressing problems of refugees, expellees, returnees and homeless people shaped the work of the welfare associations in the immediate post-war years. With the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949 and the subsequent economic reconstruction, the associations were able to turn again to their broad spectrum of tasks. Karl-Heinz Thiel (born 1921) served as Director of the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft in Bonn. Over the following decades the BAGFW developed into the joint working platform of the six Spitzenverbände. It built up a head office in Berlin and a Wohlfahrtsmarken department in Cologne, and it created or took on instruments that remain central to its public profile. The Wohlfahrts- und Weihnachtsmarken — official stamps with a surcharge for the social tasks of the welfare associations — have been issued since 1949 and are sold not only through Deutsche Post but also directly by the associations, which can use the proceeds for local social work. The Deutscher Sozialpreis, a media prize for journalistic work on social topics, has been awarded by the BAGFW since 1971; it was given annually until 2021 in the categories radio (since 1971), print and television (both since 1973) and online (since 2017), and from 1991 to 1995 also in the category social photography, and has since been awarded every two years in the four categories text, audio, moving image and special prize. The GlücksSpirale lottery has supported projects of the Free Welfare Services, the Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz and sport; since 1976 around 27,000 projects in the Spitzenverbände have been funded with approximately 710 million euros. In the 2020s the BAGFW continues to describe itself as a platform "von Menschen für Menschen", in which experts from the member associations work on the most important aspects of social work arising from social reality in Germany. Its activities include social-policy statements, events and training, a coordination office for digitalisation, an ESF-Regiestelle, transparency and compliance standards, and a YouTube channel with content including German sign language. Leadership rotates every two years among the member associations; in 2025 and 2026 the chair lies with DER PARITÄTISCHE, with Achim Meyer auf der Heyde as president.

• 2025

  DER PARITÄTISCHE takes over the two-year chairmanship of the BAGFW; Achim Meyer auf der Heyde becomes president.

• 1976

  GlücksSpirale begins supporting Free Welfare Services projects; since then around 27,000 projects funded with about 710 million euros.

• 1971

  Deutscher Sozialpreis first awarded by the BAGFW.

• 1957

  Diakonisches Werk der EKD founded as successor to the Innere Mission.

• 1949

  Wohlfahrts- und Weihnachtsmarken ("Porto mit Herz") begin; Federal Republic of Germany founded.

• 1934

  The Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband is dissolved under National Socialist pressure.

• 1924

  Deutscher Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband founded.

• 1921

  Deutsches Rotes Kreuz founded.

• 1919

  Arbeiterwohlfahrt founded.

• 1917

  Zentralwohlfahrtsstelle der deutschen Juden founded.

• 1897

  Deutscher Caritasverband founded.

• 1866

  "Vaterländische Frauenvereine vom Roten Kreuz" founded, predecessor of Deutsches Rotes Kreuz.

• 1848

  Central-Ausschuß für die Innere Mission der Deutschen Evangelischen Kirche founded, predecessor of Diakonie Deutschland.

Umbrella advocacy and coordination platform for Germany's six leading free welfare associations, focused on social policy, joint initiatives and public fundraising instruments.

• Wohlfahrtsmarken / Weihnachtsmarken

  Official stamps with a surcharge for the social tasks of the welfare associations, issued since 1949; sold via Deutsche Post and the associations themselves.

• GlücksSpirale

  Lottery whose proceeds support Free Welfare Services projects, the Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz and sport.

• Deutscher Sozialpreis

  Media prize for journalism on social topics, awarded by the BAGFW since 1971.

• ESF-Regiestelle

  Office handling European Social Fund matters for the BAGFW.

• Koordinierungsstelle Digitalisierung

  Coordination office for digitalisation within the BAGFW.

1. 1Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der Freien Wohlfahrtspflege (BAGFW) e. V.bagfw.de
2. 2Über unsbagfw.de
3. 3Glücksspiralebagfw.de
4. 4Wohlfahrtsmarkenbagfw.de
5. 5Wikidata: Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der Freien Wohlfahrtspflegewikidata.org
6. 6Wikipedia (de): Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der Freien Wohlfahrtspflegede.wikipedia.org