The Bertelsmann Foundation (German: Bertelsmann Stiftung) is the largest[1] private operating non-profit foundation in Germany, created in 1977 by Reinhard Mohn. The Bertelsmann Foundation holds 77.4 percent of Bertelsmann AG.
The Bertelsmann Foundation is active in political, social, economic, educational, cultural and health-related issues. It does not provide grants, scholarships or project funding to others, but focuses on researching, publishing and stimulating public debate on its topics. It is active worldwide and has since inception spent around €868 million on nonprofit projects. The total budget for the 2009 fiscal year has amounted to €62.9 million, according to the foundation.[2]
The Foundation is based in Gütersloh, with representations in Berlin, Washington D.C., and Brussels. The board includes Gunter Thielen (chairperson), Liz Mohn (deputy chairperson), Jörg Dräger and Brigitte Mohn.
Bertelsmann Foundation has been criticised for their engagement in the political field, especially in educational and labour politics, where they were allegedly promoting neoliberal ideas such as an increase of competition in education and research and for the introduction of tuition fees to the German university system.[3][4] The foundation has been accused of channeling their concepts into reforms of public universities in order to eliminate e.g. free access to education and academic autonomy.[5]