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Foundations

Many major sponsors of research or new research talent in Germany are organised as foundations. They include the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, which uses mainly public funding to enable highly qualified international researchers to undertake research stays in Germany. However, there are also organisations, such as the Gemeinschaft für studentischen Austausch in Mittel- und Osteuropa (GFPS) (only in German), that primarily support (doctoral) students or early career researchers.

Other large foundations, such as the Robert Bosch Stiftung, the Volkswagen Foundation, the German Federal Environmental Foundation, the Klaus Tschira Stiftung (only in German) and the German Foundation for Peace Research (only in German), also support researchers, research projects and institutions with substantial funding.

Organisational details

There are almost 26,000 foundations under civil law in Germany. An especially important body here is the Stifterverband (only in German), a registered charity that brings together approx. 3,500 companies, business associations, foundations and private individuals. The trust capital of the almost 670 foundations supported by the Stifterverband’s subsidiary Deutsches Stiftungszentrum (DSZ) (only in German) currently amounts to approx. 3.1 billion euros, of which 155 million euros is channelled into charitable work per year.

With more than 4,800 members, the Association of German Foundations (Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen) is the largest organisation of foundations in Europe.

Facts and figures

Over one in three foundations are devoted to education. The promotion of science and research is the declared goal of one in four foundations

360 endowed chairs are financed by foundations. This makes them the largest private sponsor of professorships after industry

Foundations provide approx. 715 million euros – i.e. 6.9% – of third-party funding at higher education institutions

More information:

Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft e. V.

Baedekerstraße 1
45128 Essen

+49 201 8401-0

www.stifterverband.org/

DSZ – Deutsches Stiftungszentrum

Baedekerstraße 1
45128 Essen

+49 201 8401-0

www.deutsches-stiftungszentrum.de