What would you do if you suddenly received a large sum of money and were tasked with putting it to the best possible use for society? This was the question facing Karolin Jäschke, Max Schubert and Bennet Rietdorf last autumn. As three of the 17 participants in the Flow Fund for Eastern Germany, they had been selected to distribute foundation funding aimed at strengthening social cohesion in eastern Germany. Beyond that, there were only a few requirements: the supported initiatives and organisations had to be non-profit, beneficiaries could not come from the Flow Funders’ own professional or personal circles, and grants had to range between €5,000 and €25,000.
At the same time, participants took part in an accompanying programme that provided in-depth insights into philanthropy, grantmaking methods, selection criteria and the legal frameworks of funding. The goal was to deepen their understanding of modern philanthropy. In the end, however, one challenge remained: they had to make their own funding decisions – and distribute the money. That may sound straightforward, but it comes with significant responsibility.
»I find it exciting to switch perspectives and be in the role of the person giving. But it also comes with a lot of pressure and responsibility because everyone could make good use of the funding.«
Karolin Jäschke, Flow Funderin 2025/2026
Karolin Jäschke (32) leads the Leipzig/Halle branch of the non-profit organisation Kopfsachen e.V., where she works to strengthen mental health literacy among young people. It therefore felt natural for her, as a Flow Funder, to support organisations working with youth. During the months she spent completing the Flow Fund’s training programme in her spare time, she reached out across her network to identify initiatives particularly worthy of support. Meetings with the other Flow Funders regularly turned into lengthy discussions, especially with fellow participants from Saxony-Anhalt, Max Schubert and Bennet Rietdorf. One question occupied all three of them: how could they strengthen structures for youth participation in the state? In autumn 2026, Saxony-Anhalt will elect a new state parliament. At the same time, the latest »Saxony-Anhalt Monitor« found that slightly more than half of the state’s residents could be described as »fragile democrats«: while they support democracy in principle, they are also open to the idea of a strong leader and authoritarian forms of government.
From Individual Budgets to a Shared Fund
Through their discussions, Karolin, Max and Bennet concluded that the money entrusted to them should support democratic youth work in rural and underserved areas. As Jäschke puts it, they wanted to support »those who are already engaged but often fall outside traditional funding logics.« They therefore decided to pool their individual allocations from the Flow Fund for Eastern Germany into a shared sub-fund: the Saxony-Anhalt Fund. By combining their budgets into a total of €75,000, they hoped not only to increase their impact but also to encourage others to contribute additional funding. »We want to counter the chronic underfunding of civil society structures and youth participation projects.« Over the past months, the three Flow Funders approached other foundations and successfully secured more than €100,000 in additional funding for Saxony-Anhalt.
Eroding Structures in Youth Work
At the same time, the answer to the question of where support was most urgently needed became increasingly clear. During her research, Karolin Jäschke came across the District Children and Youth Council (KKJR) Mansfeld-Südharz e.V., one of around 20 organisations now receiving funding through the Saxony-Anhalt Fund. The organisation works in democracy education, the prevention of extremism, youth participation and youth policy. Through a regional approach, it operates local youth clubs, youth forums and a youth district council, offers civic education programmes in and outside schools, supports youth groups, organises holiday activities and provides professional training opportunities. At least, it has been able to do so until now. The rural district of Mansfeld-Südharz is facing severe financial difficulties. In 2026 alone, the structurally weak former mining region must cut almost €10 million from its budget – funding that is essential to maintaining opportunities for young people.
Asked where these cuts are being felt, Managing Director Anne Müller-Steglich pauses for a moment. So much has already been lost during 35 years of structural decline. »The structures we have built over many years are crumbling away, and people working in youth services are leaving for other jobs.« Yet, she says, it is crucial to broaden young people’s horizons, exposing them to topics, professions and possibilities they might not encounter at home. The loss of meeting places is another challenge. A student café in Mansfeld has remained closed since the pandemic, while a planned youth centre in Roßla has yet to be realised. In areas with few opportunities for young people, such spaces are vital – provided funding can be secured.
Experiencing What It Means to Make a Difference
Karolin Jäschke can relate personally to the importance of such places. Looking back on her own youth, she knows what a youth club or sports club can mean in everyday life. She knows the energy that comes from implementing a project of your own or simply spending time with peers during a youth camp. »The youth club was a place where community existed without status symbols. It was also where I learned that it is possible to make things happen. That experience encouraged me as a teenager.« At first, however, making contact with the KKJR proved difficult. Anne Müller-Steglich initially assumed Karolin’s email was spam. After all, she is usually the one asking for funding. »No one has ever offered us money before. That’s something very special.« One of the KKJR’s flagship projects is the Youth District Council. Every spring, young people aged 13 to 17 experience first-hand what democracy – and, just as importantly, self-efficacy – feels like. The organisation not only hosts the event itself but also prepares participants for political committee work: How do I formulate an idea? How do I draft a proposal? How do I argue effectively and present my case convincingly? In previous years, the district administration provided funding to implement the ideas developed by the young participants. At the end of March, more than 70 young people gathered in Sangerhausen and voted on five project proposals. There were no grand ambitions or expensive wish lists. Instead, the proposals focused on practical improvements such as seating at a bus stop, a solar installation for a school, or a drinking water dispenser. Whether the district will once again be able to fund these ideas remains uncertain. But despite ongoing budget constraints, there is one reassuring certainty this year: Through the Saxony-Anhalt Fund, the young people’s ideas will become reality.
