#15/25 The new bcause

Dear Readers,

in my newsletter I speak only sparingly about the offers of my own company. Because it is not a sales channel. Rather, it is the other way around: bcause only exists at all because of the crisis of giving often described here.

Many of the observations from Podcast, Newsletter and Buch (“Der gefesselte Wohlstand”) have been bundled with the analysis of the behavior of over 3,500 users and used to completely redevelop the platform.

This was technically necessary to turn the browser prototype from 2022 into an elegant and easy-to-use app that feels like 2025.

But there is also a lot of new content: bcause has become a financial app on which givers can "make more of their money". This is not just a slogan, but a conscious mental shift: donating as an investment.

Curious? The new giving is just a click away in the App Store for iOS users. And still in any Browser.

A number that sticks in the mind: +X

Donating is associated with costs in our minds. Therefore, it feels like a financial loss, which is why we ask recipients about their administrative costs, and why we shy away from spending money on good advice. I believe that for giving to multiply, we must visibly and tangibly make more of the money. The new bcause is a step in that direction.

This starts with the tax advantage for every donation into a bcause account (which is, after all, a digital mini-foundation within the large bcause foundation). At a tax rate of 40%, the state adds almost half.

This is not new, but with bcause you can take full advantage of this benefit in years with high taxable income without having to decide straight away which organizations the money should go to. Anyone who uses this effect for bonuses, inheritances or simply as a kind of donation savings plan can build up tax-free special assets for good causes.

What's new: 100% of the money always arrives. bcause now waives transaction fees entirely, not just for premium subscribers. This is unique in the market and a significant change, especially for larger sums.

Also new: bcause invests the balance. Users can choose between a fixed percentage (bcause grow) or an impact-oriented multi-asset investment with a higher target return, such as only institutional investors can achieve (bcause impact).

And the last major innovation: recipient organizations can decide for themselves when they want to retrieve the money using bcause on demand. Until then, they too can multiply it on the platform (from November). Anyone who has ever experienced in a non-profit organization how complicated it is not to use money immediately, and how restrictively it can be invested, will immediately see the advantage.

If you take these effects together, you can easily turn the original €1,000 into 1.5-2x as much through the tax advantage when paying in, asset investment in the foundation, and saved fundraising fees and complicated reserve building at the recipient's end — all entirely without any effort in your own tax return.

A person who inspires me: Niklas Adalberth

A year ago, I was sitting at a private dinner with a man who has changed the financial behavior of millions of people with a digital startup. Niklas Adalberth founded Klarna.

But instead of boasting that the company now turns over three billion dollars a year and is worth 15 billion on the stock exchange, he speaks with full regret about how the buy-now-pay-later model created a lot of consumption that consumers actually couldn't afford. With high interest rates, the company also exacerbated the problem of debt.

What consequence did Niklas draw from this? With his own billions, he has perhaps become the most effective impact philanthropist and investor of his generation. 500 million euros are invested by his Norrsken Impact Funds in companies that achieve positive impact across all United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Through innovation hubs and conferences, he has also ensured that three-quarters of Swedish startups now state that their primary goal is to improve the world.

I am inspired by this story because it shows how a financial innovation can change an entire system — also for the better.

By the way: The Norrsken Fund is part of bcause's asset investment, from which all balances now benefit.

An idea for further thought: Sometime is now!

“No one wakes up in the morning and urgently needs a foundation.” That describes the marketing challenge for bcause quite well. Few things are postponed as readily as giving.

How do you turn time from an opponent into an ally?

✓ First, because the balances in the bcause accounts are now multiplying through our asset investment, there is no longer any reason to wait. And this starts with the free basic membership for up to €1,000, and premium members can involve up to €10.000 and professional members unlimited balances in the asset investment.

✓ And second, because we designed the app to be fun during the little in-between moments of everyday life: while waiting for the subway or in front of the daycare, you can scroll through the feed and not only see what other users are doing, but also participate with a click — or share yourself to inspire others.

✓ Thirdly, however, we also need a story with many faces. Because few people want to be the first to do something new with money. Most will need many touchpoints, from their digital environment, from the media, from their circle of friends. That's why we take intensive care of our community.

But there is even more behind "sometime is now". Something deeply personal that occupies many heirs who also experience their wealth as a burden and a problem. Also for democracy. On Friday, my new column will appear in the Handelsblatt about a growing movement of people who want to separate themselves from money and talk about it in private circles and dare to make experiments that are so completely different from the commitment of their parents and grandparents.