Bertelsmann Stiftung earns praise from Germany: Land of Ideas program

The Bertelsmann Stiftung's Marketplace Method project and its partners, KPMG and RWE AG, are recognized by the "Germany – Land of Ideas" initiative. The Marketplace Method, which originated in the Netherlands, brings companies and non-profit initiatives together. Participants negotiate cooperative projects in which supply and demand determine the terms of exchange. This approach enables companies to fulfill their social responsibility and provides non-profit organizations with additional resources for achieving their goals. To date, more than 100 "marketplaces" have been held throughout Germany, yielding more than 4,000 cooperative agreements. This is the second time the Bertelsmann Stiftung is being honored under the Germany: Land of Ideas program. The Religion Monitor, a tool for measuring religiousness, received an award in April 2009.


Leave no child behind! Communities in North Rhine-Westphalia stress prevention. (Kein Kind zurücklassen! Kommunen in NRW beugen vor.)

Effective prevention improves the prospects for children and young people and is less costly than remedial action. This view serves as the basis for "Leave No Child Behind! – Communities in North Rhine-Westphalia stress prevention",  a joint pilot project of the Bertelsmann Stiftung and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The project’s primary goal is to provide early assistance and thus help children and young people grow up to be successful. The project seeks to improve the prospects and thus ensure the welfare of children and young people through preventive action. Such a coordinated approach is expected to reduce the financial burden on participating communities over the medium and long term. In collaboration with a learning network of selected communities, the project takes an empirical approach to developing strategies for establishing and improving conditions for families and children locally through cooperative, support and intervention structures. The strategies are then shared with interested communities to use or adapt for their own activities.