The concept of movement workers

Full-time activists are of key importance to the success of social movements. Throughout their years of active involvement, they accumulate experience and skills which are invaluable for political work. We call these people movement workers. They form the backbone of the protest movements during quiet times and help people to get involved when a political issue is intensifying and they therefore want to get active. Bewegungsstiftung currently supports nine movement workers.

Since its inception, Bewegungsstiftung has supported a series of movement workers. Every year about EUR 50,000 go directly to people who play a special role in protest movements. This does not eat into the funds available for projects, for one simple reason: the movement workers are not, strictly speaking, supported by money from the foundation, but from a circle of sponsors who feel a special affinity for the work of the particular activists and provide money on a regular basis to support that work.

As a rule, movement workers look for sponsors in their own environment. But gradually, the foundation, through its public relations work, has also helped widen the circle of those wishing to serve as political patrons and directly sponsor a specific person – with any contributions being tax-deductible too.

The Board of Trustees uses strict criteria (PDF) in selecting the people allowed to use the designation »movement worker« to help them find personal sponsors. And the foundation too is always looking for new sponsors – after all, all those currently being sponsored could still do with a little extra help.

The programme is limited to ten people. Currently there are nine movement workers in the programme. So there's one place left. When there is another place available again, we will announce it here. Deadline for applications is the first Tuesday in April and September each year.  Read criteria ►