With the publication of the 2011 Annual Report of the German Federal Environmental Foundation (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, DBU) in mid-July, Chief Financial Officer Michael Dittrich said that the DBU has been able to increase its total assets to the sum of 2,046 Billion Euros (2010: 1,986 Billion Euros). 50 Million Euros have been directed to the foundation’s capital as a reserve fund. This capital amounts at present to 1,939 Billion Euros and is thus once again completely extant in real value, taking into account inflation since 1991.
Due to continued low interest rates, however, the operational conditions for foundations are increasingly difficult. According to Dittrich: “Currently it is a problem with reinvestment even to realize interest rates at the amount of inflation of around two percent. In addition, a payout must be generated. At this time that is only possible because the foundation capital is very broadly invested and assets from the early years, with lower interest rates, strengthen the yield.”
In 2011 a total of 895 applications and project proposals were received by the DBU (2010: 1,031). 284 proposals were approved at a cost of around 47.1 million Euros (2010: 263 proposals at 46.6 million Euros). At that rate the foundation had, since beginning its grant activities in March 1991, by the end of 2011 approved a total of 1.4 billion Euros of grant funding and thus invested more money in innovative environmental protection than it originally received as foundation capital (1,288 billion Euros).
The annual report can be ordered at no cost or downloaded upon E-mail request at: info@dbu.de
