Since its founding the SVR has been supported by a consortium, which currently comprises seven foundations. The Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community is funding the Expert Council’s 2020 Annual Report and, in conjunction with the federal states, the 2020 Integration Barometer.
The Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration (SVR) is the result of an initiative of Stiftung Mercator and the Volkswagen Foundation. One of Stiftung Mercator’s central objectives is to enable social participation and integration by improving educational opportunities for everyone. In establishing the SVR, it created an independent and scientific expert body which supports civil society and politicians at federal, state and municipal level by providing scientifically founded and action-oriented recommendations in the areas of integration and migration – and thereby makes debates on the issue, which are often highly emotional, more objective. Stiftung Mercator is a private and independent foundation. Through its work it strives for a society characterized by openness to the world, solidarity and equal opportunities. In this context it concentrates on strengthening Europe; increasing the educational success of disadvantaged children and young people, especially those of migrant origin; driving forward climate change mitigation and promoting science and the humanities. Stiftung Mercator symbolizes the connection between academic expertise and practical project experience. One of Germany’s leading foundations, it is active both nationally and internationally. Stiftung Mercator feels a strong sense of loyalty to the Ruhr region, the home of the founding family and the foundation’s Headquarters.
Contrary to what the name implies, the Volkswagen Foundation (VolkswagenStiftung) is not a corporate foundation. Located in Hanover, it is a completely independent non-profit foundation established under private law. The Volkswagen Foundation supports the humanities and social sciences as well as science and technology in higher education and research. Since the start of funding activities in 1962 it has granted 4.9 billion euros in support of over 30,000 projects.
With an annual funding volume of around 150 million euros it is among the country‘s largest foundations, and it is the largest private science funding foundation in Germany. The funds allocated by the Foundation are generated from its capital and assets of currently about 3.2 billion euros. These funds are supplemented by profit entitlements accruing from Volkswagen AG shares held by the Federal State of Lower Saxony (mainly dividends).
The Volkswagen Foundation places a special focus on providing support for junior scholars and scientists and fostering cooperation between researchers across the borders of disciplines, cultures, and national states.
About the Bertelsmann Stiftung: Inspiring people. Shaping the future.The Bertelsmann Stiftung is committed to enabling social participation for everyone –politically, economically and culturally. The issues we address are education, democracy, Europe, health, values and the economy. In doing so, we focus on people, since only they can change the world and make it better. We share knowledge, promote expertise and develop solutions. A nonprofit foundation, the Bertelsmann Stiftung was established in 1977 by Reinhard Mohn.
The Freudenberg Foundation was set up by members of the entrepreneurial family Freudenberg in 1984, and is operationally active. With its partners in the field at particular model locations, it trials support strategies in the categories of the integration society, youth people between school and working life, democratic culture in schools and communities and work for mentally ill persons, and invests in consolidating and disseminating transferable approaches. The principal focus of its operations is practical projects for children and young people, generally aimed at enhancing social integration. One crucial element of the foundation’s work ever since it was founded has been the integration of children and young people from immigrant families. In geographically small-scale, long-term practical development programs like “One Square Kilometer of Education”, the aim is to improve in disadvantaged districts the integrative vigor of the municipality and the local civil society. The foundation is primarily responding to initiative shortfalls in governmental and municipal action.
The Robert Bosch Stiftung is one of Europe’s largest foundations associated with a private company. In its charitable work, it addresses social issues at an early stage and develops exemplary solutions. To this purpose, it develops and implements its own projects. Additionally, it supports third-party initiatives that have similar goals.
The Robert Bosch Stiftung is active in the areas of health, science, society, education, and international relations. Moreover, in the coming years, the Foundation will increasingly direct its activities on three focus areas:
Since it was established in 1964, the Robert Bosch Stiftung has invested more than 1.4 billion euros in charitable work.
Stifterverband is a joint initiative started by companies and foundations – the only one in Germany to be devoted entirely to consulting, networking and promoting improvements in the fields of education, science and innovation. Since 1920, Stifterverband has embodied the joint responsibility of German companies for a society that is viable for the future while also being conducive with a high quality of life. Some 3,000 members – DAX companies, mid-size companies, company associations, donors and active private individuals – have joined forces in Stifterverband. These form the core of a network of business, science, politics and civil society – the only one of its kind in Germany.
The Vodafone Germany Foundation is a corporate charitable foundation that is part of the worldwide Vodafone Foundation network. The Foundation’s mission is to promote education in order to improve social and economic participation in a digital age. To that end we initiate scientific studies, pilot projects and support selected organisations in their work.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community and its executive agencies cover a broad range of tasks and activities, from promoting social cohesion and constitutional matters, to integration, federal sport funding, information technology, public security and migration policy. Being responsible for constitutional and communal issues, the Federal Ministry is tasked with the modernization of the state and administration as well as core issues concerning the federal system, such as electoral law. Volunteering and civic education are also important areas of responsibility of the Federal Ministry. The wide range of topics shows that interior policy concerns all sectors of society.
The Federal Ministry’s primary location is Berlin, where it has approximately 1,300 staff. More staff works at the Ministry’s offices in Bonn, at the Federal Academy of Public Administration (BAköV) in Brühl, and at the Permanent Representation of the Federal Republic of Germany to the European Union in Brussels. The executive agencies of the Ministry employ an additional 60,000 staff.
The Federal Ministry funds the preparation of the Annual Report and the Integration Barometer 2020 enabling the Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration to continue to work independently and provide policy makers with science-based advice.
An initiative of: Stiftung Mercator and the VolkswagenStiftung, Bertelsmann Stiftung, Freudenberg Foundation, Robert Bosch Stiftung, Stifterverband and Vodafone Foundation Germany. The SVR’s Annual Report 2020 is being funded by the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community.
