What is the foundation doing?
Bewegungsstiftung is a foundation based in Verden near Bremen. They support social movements that stand up for ecology, peace and human rights - with money as well as with consultation. The foundation is sustained by 140 founders from all of Germany; together they have raised a capital of 5 million Euros.
Bewegungsstiftung starts giving funds where others cease to fund: when protests and public actions come into play. We don't act as a charity but we tackle social problems at the root by funding social movements as the engine for political change.
Since being founded in 2002, Bewegungsstiftung has financed more than 80 campaigns with more than 2 million Euros. Each year, we have about 300,000 Euros from capital yields and additional donations at our disposal which we use for funding and consultation.
Among the funded project are, e.g., the lobby-critical organization "LobbyControl"; the anti-nuclear initiative ".ausgestrahlt", the "Caravan for Migrants' Rights" and the "Clean Clothes Campaign".
We are always looking for new founders, in order to be able to finance more projects. Endowments are possible from 5,000 Euros onwards. The foundations also welcomes donations for general funding or for full time activists. A further possibility to support us is "protest saving": an interest-free loan to the foundation. The foundations invests the money according to ethical-sustainable criteria, and the interests go to our fund for protest movements.
The foundations supports social change not only by funding campaigns, but with investments, too. The property is invested according to strict ethical and sustainable criteria - in alternative living and working projects, in ethical savings bonds and ecological holdings.
Another special feature of Bewegungsstiftung is the democratic structure. Founders, activists from funded projects and experienced people from social movements decide together about funding and further development of the foundation. So the founders hand over their private property into a collective decision making process.