CEO, Initiative Bürgerstiftungen, Berlin, Germany, E-mail: ulrike.reichart@stiftungen.org

Your experience with the CFs and your professional relevance to the theme of CFs:

I have been working for the Community Foundations Initiative located at the Association of German Foundations for over seven years. I joined in 2006, on a part-time basis, assisting on projects. I gradually took on greater levels of responsibility and became a Project Manager of our education program (we offer workshops all over Germany for strategic matters as well as more specific topics, such as project management and fundraising). Since last year I am director of the Community Foundations Initiative.

Key characteristics and information about the CFs and community philanthropy in your country:

There are now some 350 community foundations throughout Germany. These are modeled on the Anglo-Saxon example, allowing people to invest conjointly for their fellow citizens, and use the asset’s earnings for the common good of the community or region. This makes Germany one of the countries with the fastest-growing community foundation movements worldwide. We have “10 principles” to characterize a CF. We reward a “seal of quality” to the CF, applying for it (260). The CF affinity group meets once a year to discuss strategic issues and the development of the CF movement in Germany.

Area of your particular interest in the CF development/ CF management/ practice:

The european (international) exchange of ideas and opinions is of enormous importance to the German community foundation movement. I believe I should benefit from this exposure to a more european operation and would relish the opportunity to learn from colleagues with different backgrounds, stories and experiences of challenges (and successes) in other countries. Of particular interest to me would be subjects including diversity, and the current use and potential of new media.