Set up a Foundation

As a private individual or company, you have many opportunities to get involved with the foundation. First and foremost, this means supporting its work through endowments. Assets donated are competently managed and only benefit projects that are guaranteed to be of use.

Schematische Übersicht zu den Möglichkeiten, sich als Stifter einzubringen.

By donating to an endowment fund, you can link your commitment to a very specific purpose. You decide for yourself where the income from your endowment goes. This could be, for example, a research area of your choice or a scholarship for a student or doctoral candidate. Earmarked endowments are particularly recommended when large sums of money are involved.

Donations to the foundation's asset pool are included in the general foundation assets as non-earmarked donations. In this case, the income from your commitment benefits various university projects each year. In this way, you also contribute to advancing research and teaching in the interests of society and our region. The Foundation's Board of Trustees decides which projects are selected for funding. In addition to outstanding professors from the University of Bremen, this board of trustees also represents committed personalities from business and society.

In addition to endowments, donations are of course also very welcome. Donations are used to directly support the foundation's work. They are therefore channelled promptly into one of the foundation's funding projects.

The founders and donors of the University of Bremen Foundation

Die Stiftungsstele vor dem Verwaltungsgebäude

With a trust foundation, bright minds are supported under your name - permanently and securely. To ensure a reasonable balance between expenditure and income, we believe that this form of foundation makes sense for endowments of 100,000 euros or more. Why a trust foundation under the umbrella of our foundation? Establishing and managing an independent foundation with legal capacity is comparatively complex. With a (legally dependent) trust foundation, this is uncomplicated and does not require state authorisation. It is established by a contract between the founder and the trustee. A charter defines organisational structures, specifies the concrete purpose and regulates all succession issues. The foundation's assets are managed by the University of Bremen Foundation as special assets. The umbrella foundation takes over the administration of your foundation and thus minimises the administrative costs so that the proceeds benefit the foundation's purpose. You or a board of trustees appointed by you decide on the use of the funds.

The University of Bremen Foundation currently manages six trust foundations as trustee.

You can also start your commitment as a founder with a will. In your will, you can provide for an endowment to the foundation's asset pool, establish your own trust foundation or specify that the proceeds of your estate are to be used for a specific purpose, e.g. for a scholarship. You can appoint the University of Bremen Foundation as a legatee or (co-)heir. In this way, your personality will be remembered in the future and you know that your life's work will be in good hands for generations to come.