Schader-Stiftung

What Schader-Stiftung does

Schader-Stiftung is a German charitable foundation (Stiftung bürgerlichen Rechts) established on 30 November 1988 by Alois M. Schader in Darmstadt, where it remains headquartered. The foundation is purely operative — it initiates, organises, moderates, and publishes its own projects rather than awarding external grants — and its stated purpose is to promote dialogue between the social sciences and practitioners in politics, administration, business, and civil society. Its core 'products' are events and programmes rather than commercial goods: the Schader-Campus in Darmstadt-Bessungen (Schader-Forum conference venue opened 2010 with capacity for up to 400 persons, plus Haus Schader with Schader-Galerie and Schader-Residence), the annual Großer Konvent conference, the Darmstädter Tage der Transformation, the Schader-Festival, the EUR 15,000 Schader-Preis awarded annually to social scientists, multi-day Sommercamp programmes, podcasts, the schaderblog, and three-month residential fellowships.

The foundation operates a hybrid go-to-market centred on community and event-driven engagement rather than sales. Project proposals are accepted year-round in written form in German, require an in-person preparatory meeting in Darmstadt, and must be formalised as a written cooperation agreement; the foundation itself is always a co-developer from project inception. It maintains multi-tier partnerships with TU Darmstadt, Hochschule Darmstadt, the German Scholars Organization, ESA/ESOC, the Institute for Housing and Environment, Hessische Hochschule für öffentliches Management und Sicherheit, the World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026, and several Hessen-based foundations, alongside thematic alliances with academic societies such as the German Sociological Association's media and communication section.

The business model is non-commercial. All project activities are financed exclusively from returns on the private fortune endowed by founder Alois M. Schader; the foundation does not sell products or services, does not provide financial support to external projects, and has no pricing structure. Governance rests with a two-member Vorstand (Alexander Gemeinhardt as Managing Executive Director and Robert Langer as Director of Finance/Real Estate), supported by a Senate of Schader-Preis winners, a Stiftungsrat, and a Kleiner Konvent advisory body. The founder formally stepped down from all governance roles on 1 April 2022, and the foundation now operates independently. Approximately 20 staff are listed on the public team page, drawn from scientific, project-management, finance, communications, IT, and event-technology functions.

Name

Schader-Stiftung

Legal name

Schader-Stiftung

Website

https://schader-stiftung.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Schader-Stiftung is a German charitable foundation, founded in 1988 in Darmstadt, that operates the Schader-Campus as a venue and runs dialogue programmes, conferences, and the EUR 15,000 Schader-Preis to connect social-science researchers with practitioners in politics, business, and civil society.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Nonprofit, Social Services & Community Development Congresses (THAHAJAO)

Keywords

• Charitable foundation services
• Social science dialogue
• Research practice collaboration
• Conference venue operations
• Foundation program management

Headquarters

HQ city

Darmstadt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Endowment returns: The Schader-Stiftung is a charitable foundation (gemeinnützige Stiftung bürgerlichen Rechts) that finances its project activities exclusively from the returns on the private fortune endowed by its founder Alois M. Schader. The foundation has no commercial revenue streams and is not involved in external funding of third-party projects.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Schader-Stiftung is a charitable foundation that operates the Schader-Campus in Darmstadt as a dedicated venue and organizational platform for dialogue between social sciences and practice. It initiates, co-develops, and convenes projects—conferences, workshops, summer camps, residencies, and an annual prize—bringing together academic researchers and practitioners from politics, administration, business, and civil society.

Product overview

The Schader-Stiftung operates primarily as an event and conference organization rather than a traditional technology product company. Its core offering is the Schader-Campus in Darmstadt, comprising the Schader-Forum (conference venue), Schader-Galerie (art gallery), and Schader-Residence (fellowship housing). The foundation organizes dialogue events between social sciences and practice, with flagship offerings including the annual Schader-Preis (EUR 15,000 prize), Großer Konvent (annual conference), and Darmstädter Tage der Transformation. Supplementary products include the Schader-Dialog magazine, Schader-Blog, Schader-Podcast, and Sommercamp programs. The foundation is exclusively operative and does not provide financial support for external projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Schader-Preis (Schader Prize)
• Großer Konvent (Grand Convention)
• Schader-Residence Fellowship Program
• Darmstädter Tage der Transformation (DTdT)
• Sommercamp (Summer Camp)
• Schader-Forum Conference Venue

Quantifiable outcome

• The Darmstädter Tage der Transformation 2024 drew nearly 600 participants from business, science, politics, administration, and civil society.
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Technische Universität DarmstadtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Technische Universität Darmstadt is a central cooperation partner of the Schader-Stiftung. Together they organize the annual Runder Tisch Wissenschaftsstadt Darmstadt, co-host conferences, workshops, and the Schader-Festival. The university president and foundation's managing director jointly invite to the Round Table, which includes presidents of four Darmstadt universities and leaders of scientific and cultural institutions.
• Hochschule Darmstadt (h_da)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHochschule Darmstadt collaborates with the foundation on multiple projects including the 'Systeminnovation für Nachhaltige Entwicklung (s:ne)' project and the h_da Dialogforum series. The partnership focuses on sustainable development, digitalization, and transformative research, with the foundation serving as host venue and co-organizer.
• German Scholars Organization (GSO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe GSO's Leadership Academy has been hosted on the Schader-Campus multiple times (e.g., the 7th generation in September 2023). The program shows international scholars career pathways in Germany and involves interdisciplinary and international group discussions.
• European Space Agency (ESA) / ESOC DarmstadtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn late 2024, the Schader-Stiftung and ESA jointly discussed societal expectations and perspectives for a Space Science Center at the ESOC site in Darmstadt. The foundation also facilitated the loan of AI-generated portraits of space pioneers from its 'Versäumte Bilder' exhibition to the ESOC.
• World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026coreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Schader-Stiftung is a cooperation partner of the World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026 initiative. The foundation's Schader-Festival 2026 is organized in cooperation with this initiative, and multiple events are planned as part of the World Design Capital programming.
• Jazzinstitut DarmstadtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation collaborated with the Jazzinstitut Darmstadt on the 'The Sound of Dialogue – UNO & Jazz' residence program, exploring intersections between jazz music and the United Nations, with a saxophonist-in-residence producing a final concert.
• Institute for Housing and Environment (IWU) DarmstadtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe IWU Darmstadt co-operated the project 'Governance der Gebäudemodernisierung' (January 2023 – May 2025) with the Schader-Stiftung and Hochschule Darmstadt, funded by the Hessian Ministry for Economic Affairs.
• Karl Kübel Stiftung für Kind und FamilieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Karl Kübel Stiftung co-hosts events with the Schader-Stiftung including on education equity and civil society topics. The foundation also participated in the re-launch of the Stiftungsnetzwerk Südhessen organized with Karl Kübel Stiftung.
• Digitalstadt DarmstadtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigitalstadt Darmstadt co-organizes the h_da Dialogforum events with the foundation on topics at the intersection of digitalization and sustainability, hosted at the Schader-Campus.
• Hessische Hochschule für öffentliches Management und Sicherheit (HöMS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe HöMS cooperates with the foundation on events related to police and security topics, including a conference on anti-Semitism in police work co-organized with the Central Council of Jews in Germany and Polizeipräsidium Südhessen.
• German Society for Sociology – Media and Communication Sociology Section (DGS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe DGS section for Media and Communication Sociology held its 2024 annual conference in cooperation with the Schader-Stiftung in Darmstadt on the topic 'Social Figures of the Digital'.
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für die Vereinten Nationen (DGVN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDGVN collaborated with the foundation on the 'UNO & Jazz' residence program exploring the intersection of jazz music and the United Nations, producing concerts, literary-musical soirées, and discussions.
• Landesstiftung Miteinander in HessenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Schader-Stiftung co-organized the 'Stiftungskonferenz Demokratie' with Landesstiftung 'Miteinander in Hessen' in November, addressing the state of democracy in challenging times.
• Ev. Studienwerk VilligstminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation partnered with Ev. Studienwerk Villigst on a dialogue forum on educational equity, bringing together study funds, foundations, and other institutions working on education justice.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• VolkswagenStiftung: VolkswagenStiftung is one of Germany's largest private science foundations, funding research across natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, and humanities. While much larger in budget and broader in scope, it shares the endowment-based, science-promotion, dialogue-convening mission.
• Robert Bosch Stiftung: Robert Bosch Stiftung is a Stuttgart-based major German foundation active in international relations, education, health, and social cohesion, with extensive dialogue and fellowship programming. Comparable operating model and mission breadth, but at materially larger scale.
• Bertelsmann Stiftung: Bertelsmann Stiftung is one of Germany's largest private foundations, active in education, democracy, social science research, and public policy convenings. While much larger and broader, it operates similar research-policy dialogue programs and convening infrastructure.

Direct peers

• Fritz Thyssen Stiftung: Fritz Thyssen Stiftung is a Cologne-based German private science-promotion foundation that funds research in science, medicine, and the humanities. It is highly comparable in size, mission (supporting academic research and dialogue), funding model (private endowment), and German institutional context.
• Russell Sage Foundation: Russell Sage Foundation is a US private foundation that funds social science research and convenes scholars to inform public policy. It is the closest US analog in mission, structure, and operating model to Schader-Stiftung's social-science dialogue focus.
• ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius: ZEIT-Stiftung is a Hamburg-based German private foundation promoting education, science, and culture, with programs in civic education, international understanding, and academic dialogue. Comparable as a German private foundation operating dialogue programs and academic partnerships.
• Stifterverband: Stifterverband is a German association of foundations, companies, and individuals supporting science, education, and innovation. It serves as a network and convening platform for German civil society, paralleling Schader-Stiftung's network-and-dialogue model, but with a broader membership remit.
• Social Science Research Council (SSRC): SSRC is a US-based nonprofit that supports social science research, fellowship programs, and scholarly convenings globally. Comparable in its combination of fellowship programs, scholarly prizes, working groups, and academic-practice dialogue, with a larger international footprint.
• Hans-Böckler-Stiftung: Hans-Böckler-Stiftung is a German foundation promoting co-determination, research on labor and socioeconomic issues, and academic talent. Comparable as a mission-driven private foundation funding social science research, dialogue, and scholar engagement in Germany.
• Körber-Stiftung: Körber-Stiftung is a Hamburg-based German private foundation focused on dialogue between science, politics, business, and civil society, including a major annual conference and a specialized dialogue venue. Its model of operating conferences and convenings to bridge research and practice closely mirrors Schader-Stiftung's approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9j1qP7BCiuSzxurS8Sla0A
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schader-stiftung
• Instagraminstagram.com/schaderstiftung/?hl=de
• Xx.com/schaderstiftung

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Schader-Stiftung