The Bertelsmann Foundation () is the largest private operating non-profit foundation in Germany, created in 1977 by Reinhard Mohn of the Bertelsmann and Mohn families (the Bertelsmann family being the founders of the Bertelsmann publishing conglomerate).

Its main aims are to promote reforms and democracy, especially in government, social and economic contexts. It is not a funding organisation (i.e., it does not provide grants, scholarships or project funding to others) but focuses on researching, publishing and stimulating public debate on its topics. It does this in a purely "operative" manner, i.e. only projects initiated by the foundation itself are funded. It is active worldwide and has since inception spent around €605 million on nonprofit projects. The total budget for the 2005 fiscal year has amounted to €56.7 million, according to the foundation. (from the official Bertelsmann Foundation website)The foundation funds itself by its 76.9% share in the Bertelsmann company.

Criticism

Especially in Germany, the Bertelsmann Foundation has been subject to criticism for their engagement in the political field. Their engagement in politics is an explicit part of their agenda, and they have been active especially in educational politics and labour politics, where they became well known for promoting neoliberal ideas such as an increase of competition in education and research and for the introduction of tuition fees to the German university system.Thomas Barth: Ideologieproduktion für den Profit, in: junge Welt, 01.08.2006, p 10 (german)The close ccoperation with the Centrum für Hochschulentwicklung (CHE) has been analysed by an article in a German student magazine (studis-online): Wie das Centrum für Hochschulentwicklung Politik an Hochschulen macht (german) While conforming with right-wing ideals, the foundation has been accused by civil rights movements of channeling their concepts into reforms of public universities in order to eliminate traditional values such as free access to education and academic autonomy.Social Times: ''"Standort-Check ist neoliberal" - Bürgerrechtler kritisieren Bertelsmann Stiftung, see (german)