Table of contents
Chapter 01
An Effective Strategy: Our Policy, Our Values
2024 – Joining Forces To Support Others
The Allianz Foundation was born in November 2022 following the merger of the Allianz Umweltstiftung and the Allianz Kulturstiftung. The new Foundation sees itself as part of a comprehensive process of social realignment that is needed to bring about effective change.
This realignment is also reflected in our ongoing work on the Allianz Foundation’s strategy. Particular attention was paid in 2024 to numerous cooperation projects the Foundation has supported and initiated. The strategic pooling of financial means, forces and resources increases the value added for funded projects and helps realize common goals and the Foundation’s mission to enable better living conditions for the next generations. Examples of such projects include the United for Democracy Fund, Culture of Solidarity Fund, Earthquake Solidarity Fund, Media Development Fund, Media Forward Fund and the opening of Publix in Berlin as a house for journalism and the public sphere. The Foundation supports a vibrant civil society and forges new connections – be that through its funding programs or as part of its cooperation projects.
Our Vision: Enabling Better Living Conditions For The Next Generations
The Allianz Foundation works at the point at which the various challenges faced by our planet, and thus humanity itself, intersect. We are guided by the firm belief that open societies, social justice and a liveable environment are mutually dependent and, as a result, call for joined-up thinking. Only by adopting a holistic approach will we be able to provide solutions that promote systemic change.
Supporting Risktakers & Bridgebuilders
Our strategic analysis in the course of 2024 also involved expanding our Theory of Change. In addition to supporting risktakers – a key concern since the Allianz Foundation was established – we now also support those we call “bridgebuilders,” that is those who make connections in the metaphorical sense.
We have updated our Theory of Change to read as follows: To drive forward that change we work with people we call “risktakers” and “bridgebuilders,” that is committed individuals and organizations in the realms of civil society, the arts and culture, and climate action that are prepared to tread new paths to create better living conditions for future generations. We focus on three goals: promoting equal opportunities; creating open, diverse and resilient societies across Europe; and combating climate change and preserving biodiversity.
This update was based on an analysis of the work of our funding partners and network, which confirmed that our definition of “risktakers” applies to around three quarters of our partners. Their commitment to enabling better living conditions entails significant personal, financial and health risks as well as innovation and reputational risks. The remaining quarter of those we support are bridgebuilders that facilitate encounters and dialogue, create room for reflection or work up scientific findings so they are readily comprehensible for the general public and political decision-makers.
We regard risktakers as people and organizations that take risks to create a liveable planet. They are committed to open, diverse and climate-just societies. They abandon predefined paths and traditional ways of thinking in order to test new ways of achieving a more sustainable future. That is a risky business, because new ideas can fail or face resistance. Many risktakers experience discrimination or personal attacks, which can have a negative impact on their life circumstances or health.
Bridgebuilders are people and organizations that back solutions that preserve future generations’ livelihoods by facilitating encounters and dialogue, creating room for reflection or working up scientific findings so they are readily comprehensible for the general public and political decision-makers.
The Allianz Foundation has summarized these goals in three principles that describe our main strategic areas:
• For empowered people
• For open societies
• For a living planet
“Initiator, ally, partner, enabler, multiplier, inspirer – these words describe the active commitment of the Allianz Foundation to our philanthropic collaboration.”
Martin Kotynek
Founding Managing Director of the Media Forward Fund via the Allianz Foundation
Strategic Development in 2024 : Adpating our goals to the respective needs
In 2014 we also analyzed the needs of our funding partners and derived five overarching targets from them. This was based on one-to-one interviews and focus group sessions with more than 160 funding projects and partners conducted by the Allianz Foundation Study Team. The guiding question was “What do good conditions for your work look like in practice?”
As a result of these interviews and sessions the Allianz Foundation will be aligning its support and operative work to the following targets regardless of the respective field of action:
1. Risktakers and bridgebuilders have sufficient (safe) spaces and reliable networks for their civic engagement.
2. Risktakers and bridgebuilders have reduced personal risks of civic engagement.
3. Risktakers and bridgebuilders have sufficient organizational capacities.
4. Risktakers and bridgebuilders have opportunities for dialogue with decision-makers and enjoy meaningful participation.
5. Society and decision-makers understand the civic engagement of risktakers and bridgebuilders as an important aspect of a strong democracy.
The Allianz Foundation’s Fields of Action
As part of the strategy process that culminated in the establishment of the Allianz Foundation we defined fields of action within our core strategic areas. We spelled out those fields of actions in 2023 and in early 2024 to ensure they are closely aligned with current social developments. They will continue to evolve in 2025.
Chapter 02
2024 Highlights: Working Together to Change the Present
United for Democracy Fund
“From Words to Actions” was the motto the Allianz Foundation and ProjectTogether adopted for their joint launch of the United for Democracy Fund ("Vereint für Demokratie Fonds") in the spring of 2024 against the backdrop of the biggest demonstrations in support of the rule of law and social cohesion in Germany’s history. The aim of the Fund is to support charitable institutions and initiatives – quickly and without a great deal of red tape – that are particularly effective in their work for democracy and against extremism, be it at the national level or online.
Business, civil society and philanthropic individuals and organizations joined forces to set up the Fund. United for Democracy is a collaboration between the Business Council for Democracy (BC4D), Scholz&Friends, Charta der Vielfalt e. V. and other civil society initiatives that pools donations from companies, foundations and other organizations.
Following its launch in spring 2024, funding was allocated to 31 regional and national organizations during the first funding round in May. The Foundation received donations and grants from companies and charitable organizations totaling 0.955 million euros.
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Supported organizations
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financial resources awarded in the first round of the fund
The focus was on funding projects in Thuringia, Saxony and Brandenburg, the three federal states in eastern Germany that held federal government elections in the summer and autumn of 2024. Funding went to organizations that were able to implement short-term activities and boost their existing, long-term work, including Kulturbüro Sachsen e.V., Aktionsbündnis Brandenburg and Initiative Weltoffenes Thüringen.
Civil society organizations’ need for low-threshold and trust-based support did not, however, stop once the first funding round had ended, which is why the Fund started its second round in autumn 2024, in the course of which another 40 organizations received funding.
For an overview of all the initiatives that received funding, go to the alliance’s website.
“The United for Democracy Fund has enabled projects that strengthen democratic discourse and promote political participation. I was particularly impressed by the consistent focus on sustainable impact and the diverse impetus that enriches social cohesion. ”Thomas Krüger, President of the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, jury member of the United for Democracy Fund
© Gordon Welters
Movers of Tomorrow Award
The Message of the Movers of Tomorrow Award: Tomorrow starts today!
In 2024, the Allianz Foundation and its partners endowed a prize for young people’s engagement. The Movers of Tomorrow Award honors those young people who work for equal opportunities, open societies and a living planet. The award ceremony was held on 15 November 15 at the Allianz Forum in Berlin, at which prizes were given to 54 committed individuals aged between 16 and 24. The award sends a powerful signal by showcasing the young generation’s courage to act and sense of social responsibility.
The impetus for the Movers of Tomorrow Award arose from two questions: “What moves young people?” and “How can we support those who are committed to a fairer future?” It took as its starting point the “The Movers of Tomorrow?” study conducted by the Allianz Foundation in 2023, which showed that one in every seven young people is already involved in some form of civic action – and half of all those interviewed would like to do more.
The 54 prize winners were nominated as part of a nationwide procedure, either by initiatives and other committed individuals, family members or friends, and introduced themselves in a short video. Those projects that received the most votes in a subsequent online voting process were named as the finalists. In the run-up to the award ceremony an independent jury selected an additional 10 Movers of Tomorrow who were also honored for their outstanding commitment.
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young award winners from all over Germany
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jury award winners
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votes in the online voting
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for the award winners
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resources allocated to the Movers of Tomorrow Award
The Movers of Tomorrow Award also facilitates networking among young people. The sense of community bore fruit at the Movers Workshop held following the award ceremony and beyond that in the context of an alumni network.
For more information about the award, go to here.
“The award gave me the opportunity to redefine my boundaries, see new perspectives and make valuable contacts by meeting new people who share my values. ”Keisha Boakye, 2024 award winner
Keisha Boakye © Leander von Thien
Movers of Tomorrow Award 2024 © Leander von Thien
Movers of Tomorrow Award 2024 © Leander von Thien
Movers of Tomorrow Workshop 2024 © Leander von Thien
Movers of Tomorrow Workshop 2024 © Leander von Thien
Other 2024 Highlights: Building Bridges and Promoting Engagement
"Fixing what's broken. Together!" Funding program
The title of our regular funding call in 2024 was “Fixing What’s Broken. Together!” It specifically targeted projects that address social divisions and ecological crises. Actors from European civil society, the arts and culture and the climate and environment sectors received a total of more than 1.5 million euros in funding for work that stands for solidarity, community spirit and respect. While authoritarianism, discrimination, ideological camps, the polarization of the media and exploitation of our planet’s resources are increasing at an alarming rate, the 11 funded projects give us reason to hope. They show how it is possible to establish resilient networks that can withstand the growing pressure and to work at forging new alliances based on trust. To find out more about the projects, follow this link.
© Fernando Lavin
© Unsplash/ Henri Lajarrige Lombard
Culture of Solidarity Fund – Strengthening A Culture of Solidarity
The Culture of Solidarity Fund – established in 2020 by the European Cultural Foundation and backed by the Allianz Foundation – is a flexible, rapid funding mechanism that addresses pan-European issues. It is an amalgamation of more than 20 partner organizations that pool their funding and forces. The Fund uses its initiatives to respond to the growing tensions within Europe and to counter them with solidarity. The 11th edition of the Culture of Solidarity Fund in 2024 promoted transnational initiatives that mobilized voters to take part in the European elections.
In light of the rise in extremism and populism, the Fund is taking a stance for democratic participation, for a united Europe and for a culture of open debate. For more information, go here.
“The Culture of Solidarity Fund collaboration was part of our response to the growing frustration of many Europeans in the run-up to the EU parliamentary elections - through targeted funding for initiatives whose projects create hope, encourage participation and strengthen a pro-European attitude.”Philipp Dietachmair, Program Manager of the European Cultural Foundation
EYE Berlin
One of the regional editions of EYE (European Youth Event) took place from April 18 to 20, 2024. It was organized by the European Youth Parliament (EYP) in cooperation with the European Parliament and partner organizations such as the Allianz Foundation. More than 1,200 young people from across Europe traveled to Berlin, and another 500 took part remotely. The goal was to discover Europe together, share experiences, learn from one another and support each other. In the run-up to the 2024 European elections the event gave participants a space in which to get to know political decision-makers, civil society organizations and each other. The EYE Berlin program included workshops, debates and trainings in various formats.
Chapter 03
Our Operative Activities: Inquiring, Facilitating, Connecting And Supporting
Back in 2022 we set up three flagship programs to implement our vision that complement the Foundation’s Funding Program: the Allianz Foundation Fellows Program, the Allianz Foundation Hubs – multi-year institutional cooperations with regionally networked partner organizations that promote transformation – and the Foundation’s research series, the Allianz Foundation Study. We continued to develop these programs throughout 2024. Find out more below about the highlights of our operative activities.
2.17m euros Investment in operative activities in 2024
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Allianz Foundation Hubs
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Allianz Foundation Study
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Allianz Foundation Fellows
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Allianz Foundation Movers of Tomorrow Award
Highlights Of The Operational Programs 2024
Allianz Foundation Study: Knowledge That Facilitates Change
The Allianz Foundation has its own Research Team that is responsible for delivering sound data that open up new perspectives and serve as a basis for all those who want to take a courageous lead in politics, civil society and culture. Committed stakeholders receive targeted support for their work for more equal opportunities, open societies and effective climate action.
The Allianz Foundation’s Research Team publishes the Allianz Foundation Study series, which delivers data and findings from which Europe’s risktakers in civil society and the fields of culture and politics can derive concrete benefits.
In 2024 the series was expanded to include the following:
- The Allianz Foundation Future Dialogues. These dialogue formats are attended by political and civil society leaders who discuss new ways to ensure more socially just climate action and create resilient democracies.
- The development of an instrument for measuring the social backlash. A first scientifically validated list of questions was drawn up to enable insights to be gathered for civil society and science: What sections of the population are receptive to backward-looking narratives and mobilization, and for what reasons?
© Hadija
Allianz Foundation Future Dialogues
The Allianz Foundation Future Dialogues are the Foundation’s response to needs that were first identified within its network. Even well-connected risktakers often lack contacts to people in politics and administration, and many would like to be able to engage in more direct dialogue. That is where our dialogue formats come in: They provide a space for an open and trusting exchange of ideas between civil society and politics, the aim being to counter social divisions and promote joint action.
A total of three Future Dialogues in Rome, Athens and Warsaw were organized jointly with civil society partners. Almost 60 political and civil society leaders came together to discuss what is needed – beyond civil society engagement – to safeguard a socially just climate transformation and strengthen democracy. The emphasis was on, among other things, the need for more coordination between climate policy campaign messages on the part of civil society as well as on the opportunities that arose in the context of the 2024 European elections when it comes to implementing the European Green Deal. The Dialogues also focused on the results of the Allianz Foundation’s first Engagement Study, entitled “The Movers of Tomorrow?” (2023). The study showed that young people in Europe are concerned about the future but that they are also actively involved in bringing about change.
The networks that were created at these Future Dialogues were subsequently consolidated, for instance by members jointly participating in self-organized climate conferences.
Developing An Instrument For Measuring Social Backlash
TikTok and radical Telegram groups are more and more often being used to propagate backward-looking conceptions of society. They include narratives that glorify Germany as a nonmigrant country, premodern gender roles, toxic masculinity and climate protection that is subordinate to business. Such narratives have enormous reach. And they follow a distinct pattern: The backlash against progressive change aims to divide society and undermine its democratic foundations. Provocation and the breaking of taboos are part of this strategy. But why does it have such a draw on some people while others appear immune to it? The Allianz Foundation’s backlash research project is examining two key questions: To what extent do backlash narratives and mobilization resonate with certain groups of voters? And why is that the case, or why not?
The goal of the research project is to provide European civil society with an instrument for measuring the populist social backlash, a kind of free “warning system,” which takes the form of a list of questions.
The project is being carried out in cooperation with the Sinus-Institut and is being supported by the renowned political scientist Prof. Dr. Michael Zürn (Social Science Center Berlin), the backlash researcher Dr. Mahir Yazar (University of Bergen) and by consultancy on survey methodology provided by Dr. Ayline Heller (GESIS Leipniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften). Civil society perspectives will be taken into account when developing this new instrument.
Allianz Foundation Fellows: Thought Leaders Making A Difference
The Allianz Foundation’s Fellowship Program supports committed risktakers and bridgebuilders whose innovative ideas and practical solutions respond to the huge challenges of our times – be they social, cultural or in the field of environmental protection. We aim to promote their engagement to create space for sustainable change.
The Allianz Foundation Fellows Program supports those people who are committed to a liveable planet and are prepared to take risks to achieve it. They are people who challenge traditional thinking and cross traditional disciplinary boundaries to test new ways of building a fairer future. They are engaged in artistic, scientific and civil society activities, in defending human rights as well as in environmental protection and journalism.
The program of support for individuals opens up spaces in which people can address questions of equitability independently and innovatively, can come up with solutions to social issues and put new ideas into practice – particularly at the interface between the urgent social challenges we face. Fellows both create their own networks and become part of the Foundation’s Europe-wide network. The Program includes direct funding for individuals provided by the Allianz Foundation and though cooperations with our partners.
“The Allianz Foundation had the courage to support a bold idea - Playtivism as a tool to irritate, connect and rebuild. Cheers to sponsors who don't just support the tried and tested!”
Yana Buhrer Tavanier
Allianz Foundation Fellow and co-founder of Fine Acts
Supporting Individuals
The response to our first call for the Fellows Program in 2023 was overwhelming. Within a few weeks we received 900 high-quality applications from 68 countries, the majority of which were aligned with the Foundation’s goals. Our juries helped select 12 individuals from among the many applications we received. The exhibition entitled “On the Vastness of Our Identities” by Verdiana Albano, which formed part of the world renowned photography festival Les Rencontres d’Arles, is an example of the reach of our Fellows’ work. The 2024 exhibition put the spotlight on Afro-European identities and set the stage for four other Afro-European artists, who were able to benefit from the Festival’s reach for the first time. Another notable project by our Fellow Love Ssega was entitled “ASSEMBLED,” an immersive performance about contemporary forms of assembly staged in cooperation with the Good Chance Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company based in Stratford-upon-Avon, UK.
Generation 2024/2025
The selection process was adapted in 2024 to the new intake and conducted as an outreach program with the support of our network. The goal was to combine our support for individuals with community empowerment.
Fellows and people from their community receive backing in the form of Community Fellowships. The first such Fellowship was awarded to Sonia Nandzik, our long-term partner at ReFOCUS Media Labs, in 2024. Together with Dawoud Nouri, Eli Fazlollah, Rasheed Galli and Sude Fazlollah she launched the podcast "Fractured."
Another of our Fellowships is being used to support the creation of a sustainable infrastructure in the field of socially engaged arts. The Greek architect and political artist Niovi Zarampouka-Chatzimanou’s “Pavilion of Imagination” is just one example.
Our Civic Journalism Fellowship, launched in conjunction with Publix, is also new. It supports diverse journalism that serves the interests of the public. The Kurdish journalist Nalan Sipar was chosen as the first Civic Journalism Fellow in 2024.
Read more about our Allianz Foundation Fellows here.
“Working with the Allianz Foundation team and Esra Küçük as CEO has been much more than just a collaboration - it has been a learning experience with people who think outside the box and have guided me along the way.”Niovi Zarampouka-Chatzimanou, Allianz Foundation Fellow
Datteltäter Academy
The Datteltäter Academy, which the Allianz Foundation continued to fund in 2024, is a Fellowship Program for content creators and media newcomers with a migration background. It aims to provide a safe space for Fellows to work in, disrupt cliches, develop their own, new narratives and encourage collaborative learning.
Tarabya Cooperation Grants
The Turkish–German Coproduction Grants given by the Tarabya Cultural Academy – Artist Residency Istanbul are awarded in cooperation with the Allianz Foundation. They provide access to a residency program for tandems of artists and creative professionals from Turkey and Germany.
© CANBERK
The Cultural Academy, based on the grounds of the historic summer residence of the German Ambassador in Tarabya on the European side of Istanbul, is run by the German Embassy in Ankara and curated by the Goethe-Institut. Grantees are meant to use their time in Tarabya to gain inspiration for and continue with their work.
Allianz Foundation Hubs: Promoting Established Alliances
What is needed to be able to meet the huge challenges of our times are permanent spaces for vibrant exchanges, strong alliances and a common vision. The Allianz Foundation Hubs form a network that is more than the sum of its nodal points. Our Hubs support organizations that collaborate at the point where civil society, the arts, culture and climate action intersect.
The Allianz Foundation Hubs represent the Allianz Foundation’s Europe-wide, cross-border and cross-discipline approach. These multi-year institutional collaborations with regionally networked partner organizations – the Hubs – foster a decentralized style of working across borders and disciplines while at the same time providing the opportunity to respond to local challenges.
Each Hub can use the multi-year structural funding to develop at the institutional and program level as well as to establish regional links with partners and grassroots movements. The Hubs also cooperate with each other on joint projects and programs, through peer learning and staff exchanges. The vision is one of an organic, vibrant ecosystem that is capable of learning.
The Program reached a milestone in 2024: Following the uptake of two new Hubs – INLAND in Spain and Recyclart in Belgium – our network now covers five nodal points and was as active as never before.
“Our network enables us to look beyond our own horizons. Exchange and solidarity across borders, cultures and languages are more important than ever. Only if we open up can we find ways into a future together.”
Roel Forceville
for the team of the Allianz Foundation Hub Recylart
Cooperation Between The Hubs: Mini-Summits Foster Commonalities
In 2024 the Allianz Foundation Hubs network launched its two-year “Mini-Summits” series during which each of the five Hubs will take it in turns to host the other four. They will collaborate on putting together a program comprising both public and internal events, thus combining collaborative work on programs with networking activities. The kick-off event was held in Palermo, Italy in June 2024, followed by a program in Prizren, Kosovo in September 2024.
10th Anniversary Of The Autostrada Biennale
The second Mini-Summit in Prizren, Turkey formed part of celebrations to mark the 10th anniversary of Autostrada Biennale. Despite its recent history, the organization has undergone an impressive evolution: What started out as a biennial art exhibition has become a production and educational hub that is active throughout the year. In 2024 it moved into two large hangars on the former NATO base in Prizren.
The co-directors of Autostrada in front of the second Hangar: Vatra Abrashi, Leutrim Fishekqui and Barış Karamunco (from middle to left) at the 10th anniversary celebration © Tuğhan Anıt / Elmedina Arapi
A striking example of how to continue to grow and thrive even in times when civil society spaces are shrinking.
Earthquake Solidarity Fund
The earthquake along the Turkish–Syrian border in February 2023 that killed more than 50,000 people and displaced millions was the worst natural disaster in recent Turkish history. Civil society and culture were affected on a massive scale, too. The Allianz Foundation, its Hub partners in Istanbul and Postane, and the European Cultural Foundation (ECF) set up the Earthquake Solidarity Fund in 2024 to support and network connect projects and organizations in the region that focus on strengthening the rights of women and future generations.
Here is a full list of Allianz Foundation Hubs:
Autostrada Biennale, Prizren, Kosovo
Fondazione Studio Rizoma, Palermo, Italy
Postane, Istanbul, Turkey
INLAND, Spain
Recyclart, Brussels, Belgium
Chapter 04
Allianz Foundation Funding Portfolio 2024: Overcoming Divisions and Promoting Engagement
The Allianz Foundation supports projects in Europe and the Mediterranean region in its strategic areas People, Society and Planet that address civil society, ecological or artistic/cultural issues and aim to bring about systemic change. We support these initiatives through our regular Allianz Foundation Funding Program and an annual call. We also back partners through third-party funded and cooperation projects, as part of specific funding calls and collective funding measures and through our Microfunding Program.
The impact climate change is having, the discrimination people experience and the threats to free, diverse and democratic societies do not stop at national borders. That is why we at the Allianz Foundation are stepping up our commitment within a Europe-wide network of partners and funding projects. In 2024 we placed a special focus on promoting independent journalism through what is known as pooled funding, or collective giving, and by supporting projects aimed at overcoming social divisions.
In 2024, the Allianz Foundation and its partners were active in a total of 13 countries and across Europe. We provided a total of 5.6 million euros in funding to 74 funding projects in 2024. Since the Allianz Foundation was launched in 2022 we have thus supported 128 projects with a total of 9.9 million euros in funding.
Total expenditure for the Foundation’s purposes in 2024
8.19m euros
Total income in 2024 comprised the following:
0 million €
Donations, including € 5m donation from Allianz SE
0 million €
Income from asset management
0 million €
Third-party funds
Our 2024 Funding Program
In 2024, the motto of our regular call was “Fixing What’s Broken. Together!” We funded 11 projects – to the tune of 1.58 million euros – that seek to overcome social divisions and respond to ecological crises and that work for solidarity, a sense of community and respect. We helped committed stakeholders from European civil society, the arts and culture and the environment and climate sectors to establish resilient structures, to shore them up and fight for a fairer future.
Total funding available to individual projects in 2024 was between
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and
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| Projectname | Details |
|---|---|
| Garden(s) of refuge people | Details |
| Karsi society | Details |
| LET'S FIX IT planet | Details |
| Tomorrow is already built society | Details |
| Earthquake Solidarity Fund society | Details |
| Transforming the way we build planet | Details |
| SiNEMAplural people | Details |
| Safeguard EU Decarbonisation planet | Details |
| Kulturpass people | Details |
| Chios Music Festival 2025 society | Details |
| Hope Home – НАДІЯ people | Details |
| False promise of recycling planet | Details |
| Correctiv.EUROPE society | Details |
| Datteltäter Academy people | Details |
| 3rd Federal Congress on Library Policy society | Details |
| Green Transition in Europe planet | Details |
| May Ayim Fonds society | Details |
| Journalists Civic Space society | Details |
| Equinox – beyond punitive migration policy people | Details |
| Culture of Solidarity Fund – Democracy Resilience Edition society | Details |
| Mission Wertvoll society | Details |
| Türkisch Deutsche Koproduktionsstipendien Tarabya people | Details |
| All of them are gone society | Details |
| Konteksty Postartistic Congress planet | Details |
| Cross-border journalism society | Details |
| Klimaschutz braucht Vielstimmigkeit society | Details |
| What would James Baldwin do? people | Details |
| Media Development Investment Fund society | Details |
| Media Forward Fund society | Details |
| Wetbeings planet | Details |
| Creativity Pioneers Fund people | Details |
| ausARTen 2024 people | Details |
| Coalition for Climate Responsibility planet | Details |
| Gory Literature - Mountains of Literature society | Details |
| Climate Helpdesk planet | Details |
| Publix society | Details |
| The Questions people | Details |
| Songs of Radical Kindness people | Details |
| Rat für digitale Ökologie planet | Details |
| Utopia Talks people | Details |
| Die Rederei – Pressefreiheit society | Details |
| Golden Age people | Details |
| Private Land to Public Park society | Details |
Show more
“Our collaboration creates opportunities for creative thinkers to rethink and help shape the future. And it shows how important culture and collective action are for social change.”
Adama Sanneh
CEO Moleskine Foundation
Examples From The Allianz Foundation’s 2024 Funding Program
PEOPLE
Zad: Miles for Connection
Many artists from Arabic-speaking countries have migrated to Europe in recent years, where they face numerous challenges, including isolation, a scarcity of opportunities, language barriers and unfamiliar artistic production processes. Zad: Miles for Connection is a support framework initiated by Ettijahat that helps artists overcome these obstacles, ensuring their voices remain part of cultural conversations in their new homes.
The program also helps artists take part in festivals, exhibitions, performances and other artistic events to ensure their work reaches a wider audience across the whole of Europe.
“Thanks to the funding from the Allianz Foundation, we have been able to amplify the diverse voices of artists from the Arab world who have migrated to Europe and create critical spaces that combat the narratives of exclusion and xenophobia that are on the rise in Europe and around the world.”Abdullah Alkafri, Managing Director Ettijahat - Independent Culture
SOCIETY
Reclaim – For The Rights Of LGBTQ+ People in Europe
The Allianz Foundation’s “Reclaim” funding project strengthens the rights of LGBTQ+ people across Europe, drawing on the EU’s resources and legal architecture to that end. In light of the rise in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and targeted defamation campaigns in many countries in Europe, “Reclaim” has three main goals: to mobilize the European Court of Justice to protect LGBTQ+ rights; to apply new EU budgetary rules to sanction member states that discriminate against LGBTQ+ people; and to train a new generation of human rights defenders. The project promotes activists, supports strategic court actions, targets hate speech networks and aims to firmly entrench the protection of LGBTQ+ people as one of the EU’s concerns in relation to democracy.
“Your support - and your approach at the local level - is so rare. Without the Allianz Foundation, performances like ours would hardly be possible. And it's not just about financial support, but also about recognizing that art is an important bridge for difficult and painful social issues. If this creates space for topics that have been banned, forgotten or removed from the agenda - because they demand responsibility - then that gives us hope. Hope that we had almost lost.”Andrej Nosov, Director and founder of Heartefact - a funding project from the strategic area Society
PLANET
Tomorrow Is Already Built
The building industry is responsible both for the majority of greenhouse gas emissions, resource depletion and waste generation and for land sealing and biodiversity loss. Although more and more buildings are being constructed, many people can no longer afford housing and spaces for cultural activities. Our “Tomorrow Is Already Built: Renegotiating the Future of Our Urban Space” funding project is dedicated to the building transition. It aims to renegotiate spaces and transform the building stock so as to tap into available social and ecological potentials. The discursive and performative program of events is a collaboration between ARCH+, the Berlin-based magazine for architecture, urbanism and design, the European citizens’ action group HouseEurope!, the Brussel-based museum of architecture CIVA, the Munich activist group JustizzentrumErhalten/AbbrechenAbbrechen and the PATHOS theater in Munich. The Hans Sauer Foundation is another of our cooperation partners.
“Thanks to the funding, we are mobilizing key players in the building transition and strengthening a growing ecosystem for climate-friendly construction.”Bauhaus Erde - another Allianz Foundation funding project from the strategic area Planet
Third-party Funded Projects and Cooperations
The Allianz Foundation also combines its own funding with that from partner organizations so as to be able to meaningfully pool resources. Examples include the United for Democracy Fund, Culture of Solidarity Fund, Earthquake Solidarity Fund, Media Development Fund, Media Forward Fund, coproduction grants awarded in collaboration with the Tarabya Cultural Academy and the newly opened Publix media house in Berlin.
The European Climate Hub continued its work in 2024. Launched in 2022 in cooperation with the Climate Imperative Foundation, the initiative supports partner organizations wishing to collaborate on implementing the European Green Deal and overcoming the climate crisis. Their common goal is a society that uses its resources efficiently and will be carbon neutral by 2050. This transformation is to be socially just and economically successful. The European Climate Hub backs projects that are active in the field of environmental protection, initiate concrete changes on the ground, support progressive ideas and forge new alliances in Europe.
Operative budget for the European Climate Hub: 1.18m euros
Example of a Project: European Climate Hub
Regenerative Building Alliance: Transformation Not Demolition
The “Regenerative Building Alliance” project is driving forward the transformation in the construction and building sector. The focus is on the Bauwende Allianz, a network of more than 200 stakeholders from the realms of politics, business and civil society that collaborate on concrete sustainable building and social housing projects.
One key initiative was the Policy Lab on introducing lifecycle greenhouse gas thresholds in Germany, held in Berlin in April 2024. It looks at greenhouse gas emissions throughout the phases of a building project, from the drawing board to disposal. Around 40 representatives from industry, planning, administration and research came together to draw up strategies for incorporating ambitious thresholds into the EU Building Directive. International trendsetters from Austria, Denmark, Finland and Spain shared and contributed their experiences. The goal was an inclusive, practical process that combines regulatory progress, industrial practicability and climate action.
Other Cooperations And Funding
KulturPass
In 2023 the Federal Government launched its KulturPass, a scheme that provides all adolescents living in Germany with a personal culture budget on the occasion of their 18th birthday.
© BKM
In cooperation with the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, the Allianz Foundation developed a social media campaign to raise the KulturPass’s profile and increase take-up among those with low formal school qualifications by the end of 2024. To that end it joined forces with social media creators to publish specific content on Instagram and TikTok.
What would James Baldwin do?
In Remembrance of James Baldwin: The What Would James Baldwin Do? Festival, funded by the Allianz Foundation, celebrated the American author, essayist, playwright, poet and human rights activist James Baldwin in the Literarisches Colloquium Berlin and the House of World Cultures in Berlin from September 6 to 8, 2024. Few authors have had such an influence on society over several generations than Baldwin, who died in 1987.
© Hannes Wiedemann
Numerous events across the three days were dedicated to the many facets of Baldwin’s work: the prose that made him a global star as well as his equally famous lyrical texts, plays, the films he acted in and the music that inspired him. The festival included readings, discussions and theater performances that invited audiences to reflect on the work of this great writer and thinker.
Chapter 05
Setting An Example By Taking Responsibility For The Climate
The Allianz Foundation supports the creation of climate-just societies. To boost its aspirations in this area, the Foundation in 2024 drew up its own climate strategy: Beyond Net Zero. We are thus taking responsibility for the climate impact of our activities. Over a two-year pilot phase we will work with experts and partners to test our strategy, which will continue to be an open concept that has room for new scientific insights.
The Allianz Foundation’s aim is to contribute to achieving net zero – transparently and in accordance with the goals set out in the Paris Climate Agreement and the 2030 Agenda. Our climate responsibility strategy builds on existing concepts of the Climate Contribution Model and develops them further in line with our field of activity and responsibility as a charitable foundation.
Beyond Net Zero is a five-step strategy. Calculating greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol forms the basis for the overall strategy, the focus being on identifying and quantifying the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions so as to be able to develop rapidly effective emissions reduction measures. Any residual emissions will be priced in line with the climate change costs per ton of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e). This funding will be used to support climate action initiatives and projects (known as climate contributions") that contribute to achieving the global net zero target.
To consolidate its approach, the Allianz Foundation also launched its Coalition for Climate Responsibility initiative. Headed by the independent NewClimate Institute, experts are currently analyzing challenges when it comes to implementation – in particular those faced by foundations – and developing guidelines on that basis. The project includes dialogue formats with experts from other organizations, foundations and civil society organizations.
Chapter 06
The Allianz Foundation Team: Working For The Network
The members of our team have a wide range of professional qualifications, language skills and intercultural experience as well as a variety of different backgrounds and perspectives. At the end of 2024 the Foundation employed a total of 19 members of staff. Our program and project managers regard themselves as the partners of those who take risks to already make the world of tomorrow a just one today. They have close links with the arts and culture, European civil society and the environmental and climate sector, and they bring their perspectives to bear to achieve a greater impact. We have aligned our strategic areas (“For empowered people,” “For open societies,” “For a living planet”) accordingly to ensure these links bear fruit. All our departments are actively involved in work at the points at which these areas intersect. In addition, team members are part of the Executive Board and the Communications and Administration & Finance departments. Find out more about our team here.
Our Team: The Numbers
0
Employees
0
Full-time equivalents/FTEs
Administrative Spending
The Foundation’s administrative expenditure on materials and personnel totaled 2 million euros. These expenses are not directly assigned to any funding or operative projects.
19.6% Administrative expense ratio
We also incorporate external experts and local expertise into our work, for example via our Allianz Foundation Hubs in various countries. Renowned experts from civil society, the arts and culture, academia and the media support our studies by sitting on our Research Advisory Board and being members of our juries. We cooperate closely with them to select and support the most suitable projects and partner organizations.
Chapter 07
Board Of Trustees And Executive Board: New Appointments In Late 2024
The Allianz Foundation is a foundation under civil law with legal capacity that is legally domiciled in Munich. Its supervisory authority is the Government of Upper Bavaria. Its offices are located in the Allianz Forum at Pariser Platz in Berlin.
The Allianz Foundation has a total endowment capital of 100 million euros. The Foundation’s funding is drawn from the income that endowment capital generates. In addition, from 2022 up to and including 2031 it will receive an additional annual donation of 5 million euros from Allianz SE. The Foundation also draws on third-party funding from funding and cooperations with other partners.
In 2024 the Allianz Foundation’s income totaled 10.2 million euros.
Changes in 2024
In the past year the work of the Foundation’s statutory bodies was marked by some changes in the composition of its Board of Trustees and Executive Board. Up until October 2024 the Allianz Foundation was headed by its CEO Esra Kücük. Following Esra Kücük’s departure, Michael Greser took over as the new CFO and as Interim CEO. When the new CEO Christian Humborg took office in early April 2025, Michael Greser returned to his role as CFO.
Executive Board
- Esra Kücük (until October 2024)
- Michael Greser (from September 2024)
Board of Trustees
- Dr. Werner Zedelius (Chair)
- Prof. Dr. Bénédicte Savoy (Deputy Chair, until November 2024)
- Prof. Dr. Susanne Baer (until November 2024)
- Lauren Day (from September 2024)
- Emilio Galli Zugaro (until August 2024)
- Basil Kerski (until August 2024)
- Emilia Macarie (from January 2024)
- Prof. Dr. Birgit Mandel (until November 2024)
- Prof. Dr. Susan Neiman (until August 2024)
- Norbert Schlund (from October 2024)
- Prof. Dr. Uwe Schneidewind (until November 2024)
- Dr. Nicole Schneider-Deeg (from September 2024)
- Ludovic Subran (from September 2024)
- Philipp von der Wippel (until November 2024)
The Board of Trustees met on June 19, September 30, October 11, October 22, and on December 12 and 19 in the reporting year 2024.
Annual Financial Statements and Data Protection
The Allianz Foundation’s 2024 annual financial statements were audited by RHS Rein Hambrecht Singer GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, Steuerberatungsgesellschaft in Munich and endorsed with an unqualified audit certificate.
The Allianz Foundation cooperates with 2B Advice GmbH in Bonn to ensure compliance with data protection regulations and to complete its tasks under Article 39 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
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