About
Civil Society Alliance Austria (ger: Bündnis für Gemeinnützigkeit) is the umbrella organisation of nonprofit and voluntary organisations in Austria. Its 130+ members range from small and local associations to large organisations such as the Austrian branches of Red Cross, Caritas, Amnesty International, WWF, Transparency International or Birdlife and include sector-specific umbrella organisations such as Sozialwirtschaft Österreich and arbeit plus (social and health) or Ökobüro and Umweltdachverband (environment). Members cover all areas of civil society – from environment to human rights and inclusion, from culture to social issues, education, and humanitarian aid.
Civil Society Alliance Austria advocates for general civil society matters and provides accessible consulting services to the entire Third Sector in Austria.
Civil Society in Austria
Civil Society Alliance Austria brings together 21 umbrella organisations and more than 100 small and large nonprofit organisations. Together, they represent more than 3,000 members from all areas of civil society. These organisations play a vital role in democracy and social cohesion, and they represent a key economic force in Austria.
Austria is home to a remarkably diverse civil society sector. The purposes of these organisations range from environmental protection, human rights and inclusion to health, education, culture, social affairs and humanitarian aid.
The combined economic value of voluntary and paid work in Austria’s civil society organisations amounts to approximately €22 billion annually. Around 6% of the employed population work in the third sector, together with hundreds of thousands of volunteers contributing around 840 million hours per year.