More than three decades after German reunification in 1990, differences between eastern and western Germany remain visible – also in the country’s foundation landscape. A new initiative aims to strengthen civil society in eastern Germany by pooling private funding.

The need is great: only around seven percent of Germany’s roughly 26,000 foundations are based in eastern federal states – excluding Berlin. Yet private funding is essential to support civic engagement and strengthen democratic structures on the ground. This is where the joint initiative »Zukunftswege Ost«(Paths to the Future in Eastern Germany) comes in. It aims to expand the civil society infrastructure in eastern Germany and attract more private investors to the region. Since October 2025, the Schöpflin Foundation has also been supporting the initiative. Its approach: »Zukunftswege Ost« serves as a contact point for companies and foundations that want to invest in the region but have so far lacked access to suitable partners or networks.

The initiative was launched two years ago by the Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany, Carsten Schneider, in cooperation with eastern German foundations. The initiators include the Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen (Association of German Foundations), the Cellex Foundation, the Freudenberg Stiftung, the ZEIT-Stiftung Bucerius, and the foundation Stiftung Bürger für Bürger, which also acts as the host organization and administrative body. Many additional supporters have since joined the alliance.

With the launch of the Flow Fund in 2024, the Schöpflin Foundation began its engagement in eastern Germany. Supporting »Zukunftswege Ost« marks another step in strengthening democratic engagement locally – sustainably and in collaboration with other civil society actors. In addition to an annual financial contribution of €50,000, the Schöpflin Foundation also supports the initiative in questions of organizational development and network building.
 

Three pillars for a strong civil society

»Zukunftswege Ost« relies on three key funding mechanisms to support local engagement and help establish long-term, resilient structures:

• Micro-Funding Fund: Initiatives can apply for up to €5,000 in funding to implement their ideas for strengthening social cohesion. Since its launch in July 2024, more than 1,500 applications have been submitted, with 240 projects already supported with a total of around €1 million.
   
• Youth Fund: The newly created fund encourages young people aged 14 to 27 to realize their own projects. Funding decisions of up to €5,000 are made by a youth jury composed of young activists themselves. The first ten youth-led projects are already underway. Demand for this low-threshold, participatory approach to youth funding far exceeds available resources – currently, only about one in eight projects receives support.
   
• Focus Regions:In each eastern German federal state, »Zukunftswege Ost« selects regions where it connects civil society, politics, and business to foster cooperation. These long-term, ten-year funding commitments are designed to build trust, strengthen relationships, and encourage exchange among stakeholders – both within eastern Germany and with partners in the west. The Focus Region program is funded through a joint pool of foundations contributing up to €100,000 annually.

Further information about the joint initiative »Zukunftswege Ost« is available at zukunftswege-ost.de.