The Schmidt family founded Stiftung Mercator GmbH in Essen and Stiftung Mercator Schweiz in Zurich, endowing the foundation with funds from their own assets.
In 2022, Stiftung Mercator approved 58 million euros in funding for a total of 91 projects. Since beginning its activities, the foundation has made around 907 million euros worth of grants available to about 2000 projects.
The Meridian Stiftung is the proprietor of Stiftung Mercator GmbH; there and at the Cambiata Foundation, Zurich, which it founded, the assets for non-profit activities are invested and managed.