Last year, Stiftung Mercator approved 78 new projects, pledging around 51.2 million euros to its project partners and partner organizations to fund them. Details can be found in the 2021 Annual Report the foundation has published today.
Usually, funds are disbursed to recipients over a period of several years. In 2021, the foundation supported a total of 315 projects run by civil society initiatives, foundations, the public sector, academic institutions and think tanks. In addition, it provides funding for partner organizations that focus on particular themes and of which it is a (co-)proprietor. The Essen-based institution made around 64.1 million euros available in all in 2021 – a year-on-year increase of nearly 19 percent.
2021 also marked the start of the foundation’s new five-year strategy phase. “Our focal themes are now Climate Action, Europe in the World, Participation and Cohesion, and Digital Society”, explains Wolfgang Rohe, Executive Director of Stiftung Mercator.
Since 1996, Stiftung Mercator has been developing solutions for social, societal, and ecological challenges and providing people with new perspectives. In the 25 years of its existence, the foundation has made over 860 million euros in funding available for around 1,900 projects.
ABOUT Stiftung Mercator
Stiftung Mercator is a private and independent foundation that works on the basis of scientific expertise and practical project experience. Through its work, it strives for a society characterized by openness to the world, solidarity, and equal opportunities. To achieve these objectives, it supports and develops projects that improve participation and cohesion in an increasingly diverse society. Stiftung Mercator wants to strengthen democracy and the rule of law in Europe, address the impact of digitization on democracy and society, and drive forward climate change mitigation. Stiftung Mercator pursues activities in Germany, Europe and worldwide. It has a particular affinity with the Ruhr area, the home of its founding family and of the foundation’s headquarters.