Engage in dialogue, learn from each other and network: On 21 and 22 May, the foundation sector will come together at the Deutscher Stiftungstag (German Foundation Day) in Wiesbaden. Europe's largest foundation congress is organised once a year by the Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen (Federal Association of German Foundations). The Schöpflin Foundation is also taking part this year with its own community session. The theme of this year's Foundation Day is "Making courageous. How foundations strengthen cooperation". In the Schöpflin Foundation's Community Session, we will use the example of the Media Forward Fund to show how foundations can collectively promote a topic. On the podium,

• Maribel Königer, Programme Director Journalism and Media at ERSTE Foundation
• Andrew Holland, Managing Director of Stiftung Mercator Schweiz
• Martin Kotynek, Managing Director of the Media Forward Fund
• Simon Jacoby, Editor-in-Chief of the Media Forward Fund-supported medium Tsüri.ch
• will talk to Tim Göbel, CEO of the Schöpflin Foundation, about how foundations can combine funding, expertise and networks to support an entire ecosystem - in this case, journalism.

Founded in 2024, the Media Forward Fund is the first transnational fund to promote media diversity in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It pools money from foundations, wealthy private individuals and impact investors and shows what strong cooperation can look like.

Further information on the German Foundation Day and its programme can be found at stiftungstag.org.