Bewegungsstiftung is a community foundation based in Verden near Bremen. It supports social movements working for ecology, peace and human rights with grants and advice. Bewegungsstiftung is supported by over 240 endowment donors from all over Germany. Bewegungsstiftung's full-time team takes care of the foundation's administration. Go to the presentation of the team.

Funding strategy

Bewegungsstiftung provides support where others stop: in areas of protest and public action. It does not act charitably, as many other foundations do, but tackles social grievances from the root by supporting social movements as motors of political change.

The idea of Bewegungsstiftung was developed by people who had themselves been active in social movements for many years. Time and again they had to experience how strongly the success of political actions depends on the amount of financial resources available. As members of the "generation of heirs", they therefore wanted to use parts of their wealth to promote social movements and actively shape social change. Bewegungsstiftung was founded by nine donors in Berlin on 2 March 2002. Over the years, more than 200 additional donors have joined the foundation.

Since its establishment in 2002, Bewegungsstiftung has supported over 100 campaigns with almost six million euros. Every year, around 450,000 euros are available for funding and consultancy from the income of the foundation's invested capital and additional donations.

Among the projects supported are the Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte, the transport turnaround alliance Bahn für alle, the refugee organisation Women in Exile & Friends, the campaign  Deutsche Wohnen & Co enteignen and the Seebrücke movement. An overview of the current support projects can be found here.

Support opportunities

In order to be able to support even more campaigns, Bewegungsstiftung is looking for more donors. Endowments of 5,000 euros or more are possible. Bewegungsstiftung also accepts donations for the funding pot or for full-time activists - so-called movement workers.

How Bewegungsstiftung invests its money

Bewegungsstiftung supports social change not only with its funding, but also with its investments. To this end, it invests its assets in accordance with strict ethical and sustainable guidelines - in alternative housing and work projects, in ethically bound savings bonds and ecological investments.

Funded projects help decide

Another special feature of Bewegungsstiftung is its democratic organisational structure. Founders, active members of the projects supported and experienced people from social movements decide together on the funding and further development of the foundation. The donors give their private assets to the collective decision-making processes of a community foundation. They thus share the power that comes with money in our society and benefit from the knowledge and expertise of the entire foundation community.