Many of the large organisations that foster young research talent are organised as foundations. The range of different foundations is multifaceted. Many major sponsors of new research talent are organised as foundations. They include the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and a number of organisations that specifically aim to promote young talent.

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Especially important is the Donors’ Association for the Promotion of Science and Humanities in Germany, a registered charity that brings together some 350 foundations with total assets of 1.4 billion euros. Other large foundations, such as the Robert Bosch Stiftung, the VolkswagenStiftung, the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, the Klaus Tschira Stiftung, the Bertelsmann Stiftung and the Deutsche Stiftung Friedensforschung also support research projects and institutions with substantial funding.

The eleven organisations for the promotion of young talent, which are largely financed out of the federal budget, make an important contribution to young researchers by supporting exceptionally gifted young people with undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships.

Facts and Figures

There are a total of 17,400 foundations in Germany, of which some 2,600 promote teaching and research.

The five largest foundations and their assets in euros:

• Robert Bosch Stiftung: 5,184,899,000
• Dietmar-Hopp-Stiftung: 2,900,000,000
• VolkswagenStiftung: 2,374,314,000
• Landesstiftung Baden-Württemberg: 2,282,450,000
• Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt: 1,806,799,000

The five largest foundations and their spending in euros:

• VolkswagenStiftung: 121,861,000
• Bertelsmann-Stiftung: 77,500,000
• Robert Bosch Stiftung: 75,856,000
• Landesstiftung Baden-Württemberg: 71,074,000
• Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung: 67,871,000