Private giving and the work of non-profit oriented foundations have grown in importance due to the increasing challenges of our society.
The growth of the foundation sector is an expression of stronger private engagement for current and future problems facing the common good.Foundations are more and more responsible for stimulating and sustaining important social functions. It is precisely the variety in size and aim of these foundations which means that the Association of German Foundations has a special role to play, namely in co-ordinating, providing services and representing interests across the board.
Against this background, the Association of German Foundations sees itself as:
- a modern service provider that informs, advises and supports its members
- a non-profit initiative financed by its member foundations and partners of the foundation sector, which, through targeted media work and public outreach, champions the development of civil society and the strengthening of sustainable private engagement in and by foundations, thereby promoting the foundation spirit
- the umbrella organisation for German foundations and donors mandated to: represent their interests vis-à-vis the government and the public; campaign for the improvement of the legal and fiscal framework for foundations; contribute comprehensively towards the creation and improvement of a foundation-friendly atmosphere, thereby facilitating the improvement of foundations’ effectiveness, as well as structures in the foundation sector; foster dialogue between foundations, politics, the public sphere, science and the economy.