The art of giving: Frankfurt celebrates its donors in the Kaisersaal

More than 700 foundations make Frankfurt a capital of civic engagement . Leading figures in Frankfurt's philanthropy met in the Kaisersaal to discuss the city's future and celebrate the power of networking.

On August 28, the Kaisersaal provided the stage for the quiet architects of Frankfurt's urban society. Mayor Mike Josef invited representatives of the city's more than 700 foundations to honor their work. He thanked them for their "valuable and democratic" contribution, which he called Frankfurt one of Germany's leading foundation cities.

A lighthouse for the city of founders

The strategic impetus for the evening was provided by Prof. Enrico Schleiff , President of Goethe University. In his keynote speech, he portrayed the university as a beacon in the world of foundations—himself born of civic engagement. "We want and we must firmly anchor education and science in our society," said Schleiff. His appeal underscored the shared responsibility to secure knowledge as a foundation for future generations.

Networking as a decisive strength

The subsequent panel discussion demonstrated how this responsibility is being put into practice. Moderated by Totinia Hörner , the panel featured leading figures in the field: Prof. Frank EP Dievernich ( Foundation Polytechnische Gesellschaft ), Astrid Kießling-Taşkın (Initiative of Frankfurt Foundations, Commerzbank Foundation), York Freiherr von Lersner (Frankfurt Citizens' Foundation), and Prof. Christiane Riedel (Crespo Foundation).

The consensus on the panel was clear: Frankfurt's true strength lies not solely in the number of its foundations, but in their capacity for cooperation. The willingness to continually re-network to achieve common goals is the decisive lever for effective philanthropy.