Funding opportunities for voluntary work
Support for Migrant Organizations in Cologne
Funding Priority: “Volunteer Work with Refugees”
This funding priority is aimed at immigrant organizations (MO) that implement initiatives to promote volunteer work for refugees in order to improve their participation and support their settlement and orientation in Cologne.
For more information, please see our Funding Guidelines
Applications could be submitted until September 6th.
Email address for inquiries: willkommenskultur@stadt-koeln.de
State funding for voluntary associations and initiatives in the context of prevention at municipal integration centers
The Municipal Integration Center will receive 58,000 euros this year from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. With this money, volunteer-based services will be supported. The goal is to help refugees and newly arrived people better participate in everyday life. This will make them more resilient against anti-humanist and extremist opinions, groups, and their offers. The funding program can only be used for purely volunteer-based initiatives or associations. That means: Associations that have hired people cannot receive any funding. In these cases, we are talking about a main office.
Initiatives and associations can be funded with 1,000 euros each for individual offers.
Applications for the year 2026 could be submitted until 28.02.2026.
Grants for administrative support for voluntary initiatives and associations for the 2026 funding year
The City of Cologne supports initiatives and associations with money. Associations and initiatives that primarily help refugees can use this money to pay mini-jobbers or freelancers. These in turn help the associations to carry out office and administrative tasks.
Applications for the year 2026 could be submitted until 15.12.2025.
Forum for a welcoming culture
There are many welcome initiatives, groups and private individuals in Cologne who support refugees. The Forum for Welcome Culture consists of two associations, the Cologne Volunteer Agency and the Cologne Refugee Council. It connects volunteers and supports them in their work for refugees, so that some things can perhaps be done even better. The forum also brings in new ideas so that even more people can get involved in working with refugees and refugees can participate more easily in life in Cologne.
Information and offers from the Forum for Welcoming Culture
Do you help refugees in Cologne?
If you are a member of a welcome initiative, a migrant organization, an intercultural center or another association:
Our brochure gives you a simple and clear overview of the funding offers available from the City of Cologne.
Here you can find out more about programs that can support your work:
Flyer Support for volunteer refugee work in Cologne