What We Stand For

The Bertelsmann Stiftung was founded in 1977 based on the conviction of our founder, Reinhard Mohn, that Germany was not doing enough to consider the growing competition between the globe's various social and economic systems. We therefore concentrate on developing solutions capable of addressing challenges in range of societal sectors and, at the same time, ensuring the continuity of Germany's political, economic and social structures. In doing so, we consider what has proven successful in other countries and we strive to balance research findings with experience in the field.

The Bertelsmann Stiftung's activities are exclusively and directly philanthropic in nature. Its objective is to promote research and understanding in the areas of religion, public health, youth and senior affairs, culture and the arts, public education and career training, social welfare, international cultural exchange, democracy and government, and civic engagement.

We are currently carrying out about 35 projects. Each project's duration is limited based on topic in order to free up resources for new challenges. Once a project has been successfully completed, i.e. a proposed model or solution has been developed, we then strive to implement the model or solution.

This can take a variety of forms. The solutions either become part of accepted practice in the relevant sector, they are adapted for use by our project partners or they continue to be jointly implemented within a cooperative framework.

When executing our projects we rely on recognized experts in a range of disciplines, including the 334 highly qualified individuals employed by the Bertelsmann Stiftung.

All members of the project team remain in close contact with the stakeholders and target groups present in their area of work. They are therefore up to date on the latest developments and solutions being used to address pressing social issues. They also make their specialized knowledge available to the media and the public.

Being transparent is our way of expressing the responsibility we feel toward society. We therefore make available to the public the information needed for understanding how we are funded and the work we do.

As society changes, so do the conditions affecting how foundations carry out our work; they also affect program content and the manner in which foundations fulfill their mandates. Foundations are therefore not static entities, but must constantly reconsider and redevelop the strategies behind their activities, as well as how those activities are implemented and the reach they are designed to have. At the same time, foundations must retain the public's trust.

Our focus on impact and the evaluations we carry out of our own projects serve as the basis for ensuring our activities are successful and seen as valuable by others. They also help us as we further develop our work.

We believe part of our responsibility is to use our resources in an effective and non-self-serving manner, i.e. one that promotes the common good. We are therefore guided in our efforts by the "Guiding Principles of Good Practice for Foundations" laid out by the Association of German Foundations.

The complete "Guiding Principles of Good Practice for Foundations" can be found on the Association of German Foundations website.

We have tracked the energy consumed at our facilities for a number of years in order to identify potential savings. The use of energy from renewable sources is of particular importance, and we now purchase only green electricity. We also identify areas with high levels of energy consumption and take steps to optimize them, for example by systematically upgrading pumps to high-efficiency models and replacing conventional lighting with LED technology. The verification that took place in 2024 confirms the effectiveness of the measures that have already been implemented and those that are planned, and it highlights that the foundation is steadily on its way to achieving greater energy efficiency.

The foundation’s outdoor areas are highly diverse in terms of flora and fauna. We further promote this diversity by planting flower borders and cultivating green spaces. These outdoor areas support the storage of CO₂.

A key focus at the foundation is raising awareness among our employees of the need to use environmentally friendly transport. To that end, we offer them public transit tickets subsidized by the foundation, flexible working conditions and the possibility of borrowing or leasing bicycles, as well as charging stations for electric vehicles and parking spaces reserved for carpools in preferred locations. A working group organized by the foundation’s employees regularly provides suggestions to help people reflect critically on the topic of mobility.

Our employees generally travel by train or public transport when taking business trips within Germany. Our "Environmentally Friendly Travel Guide" provides a wealth of information on how to travel in a way that is more climate-friendly.

Events are a crucial medium for communicating what we do to the public. To that end, we organize everything from small workshops to large conferences, ceremonies and barcamps. Our events are planned and carried out sustainably. A recently launched "event app" helps make this possible.

Sustainability is a key consideration in various event-related factors, such as the selection of locations and service providers, as well as travel planning, catering, and the responsible use of resources.

We systematically identify the carbon footprints of all our events, on the one hand to reduce and avoid
emissions and, on the other, to offset unavoidable emissions through the voluntary purchase of premium CO₂ certificates. To ensure the correct classification and verification of our data, we occasionally work with external agencies to benefit from their expertise.

The concept of Green IT shapes how information and communications technology (ICT) is used throughout its entire lifecycle. It encompasses the resource-conserving and environmentally friendly production, use and disposal of an organization’s ICT. We are already applying the concept’s basic principles and are developing more specific approaches. As early as 2011, for example, we began using server virtualization, which significantly reduces the number of physical servers needed. In addition, we consider leasing mobile devices whenever it is a viable option.