The Siemens Stiftung

Social commitment, e.g. corporate citizenship, has been an integral part of the Siemens corporate culture since the early founding days. In an effort to consolidate and sustainably develop this commitment even further, the Siemens Stiftung was founded in September 2008. The foundation started its operative work in early 2009. 

The mission of the Siemens Stiftung

Together with its cooperation partners, this globally active foundation works to cope with global challenges between the contradictory contexts of society, technology and culture: it considers itself a driver of ideas and innovations, a laboratory to forge a better understanding of the present, and an initiator of innovations for the issues of the future.

The Siemens Stiftung operates both with programs of its own and as a partner to national and international projects: when selecting, developing and implementing these programs and projects, the foundation concentrates on issues such as the use of innovative technologies for the improvement of living conditions, the improvement of educational opportunities, and cultural development.

For the three action fields of Education & Social Issues, Society and Technology and Art & Culture, the foundation develops future-oriented ideas and replicable models and projects which serve the exchange of knowledge and ideas and sustainably lead from ideas to concrete actions.

Funding

Siemens has vested the foundation with a capital of 390 million Euros, to be used solely and exclusively for non-profit purposes. "The foundation carries out its duties and responsibilities solely with the profits from the foundation endowment" (Foundation Charter, Para. 5 Foundation Endowment, Sub-para. 1).
The Siemens Stiftung reports transparently and publicly on the use of its funds and resources in accordance with the rules and regulations applicable to limited liability corporations of comparable size through publication of an annual report including a financial report following the close of the fiscal year and audit by the competent supervisory authority.

Data and facts

The Munich-based Siemens Stiftung, which commenced its operative work in early 2009, merged of all previous corporate citizenship activities of Siemens AG.

The transfer from the company’s corporate citizenship activities to the Siemens Stiftung happened gradually: with the start of the foundation’s operative work on January 1, 2009, the central activities in the fields of education and social affairs were transferred to the foundation. The social activities of the Erlangen and Munich SiemensForums and the promotion of arts and culture by the Siemens Arts Program were to follow on October 1, 2009.

The Siemens Stiftung is under governmental supervision by the Government of the Upper Bavaria administrative district and carries out its duties and responsibilities independently. The foundation’s pursuits are exclusively and directly non-profit as contemplated by the section "Tax-privileged purposes" of the Internal Revenue Code (Foundation Charter, Para. 2 Foundation Purpose, Sub-para. 3).