Application Process

From submission to award

Step 1: Application portal

Before applying for a grant, please read our funding guidelines (in German).

Note that within the remit of our “cultural education” division, we only consider projects which will be carried out in Baden-Württemberg or Berlin.

Read our funding guidelines here.

Applying for funding is done through our online portal. If you do not already have an account, first register for the portal. After logging into your account, enter all necessary information relevant to the funding stream for which you are applying. At the present time, the portal instructions are in German only, but you may complete the application forms in English if necessary. You can save and edit your application at any time. Queries will also be coordinated via this portal.

We will review your application and inform you of our decision in approximately 4 - 6 weeks.

Please note, all applications must be submitted via our online portal. Project applications submitted by email will not be considered.

Register for the application portal here

IMPORTANT: Open applications for funding for 2024/2025 must be submitted by 15 December 2024. The application system is closed from 16 December to 31 December 2024. Applications will only be possible again from 1 January 2025!

Step 2: Acceptance/Rejection

After reviewing your proposal, the Karl Schlecht Foundation will notify you in writing of our decision to accept or reject your application. Should we accept it, you will receive confirmation in the form of an “approval notice” (Bewilligungsbescheid). For accepted projects involving several partners, a longer funding duration and/or a higher funding amount, you will receive a “grant agreement” (Zuwilligungsbescheid) to sign instead of an approval notice. If you have received approval of your proposal, please fill out and sign the accompanying “scheduled use of funds” (Mittelabrufsplan) form and return it to us within two weeks.

Step 3: Public Relations

It is important to the Karl Schlecht Foundation that outputs of the projects we fund are communicated to the public. Please ensure, therefore, that you include adequate publicity for all relevant events, news and results in your project planning.

Download our PR checklist

Step 4: Monitoring

As a non-profit organisation, the Karl Schlecht Foundation is legally obligated both to use funds in accordance with its statutes and to document their appropriate use to its supervisory board. Funded entities must therefore provide comprehensive documentation and reporting on use of funds given to them by the Karl Schlecht Foundation.

What is the reporting procedure?

For projects of up to one year’s duration, a final report must be submitted within three months of project completion or at the time agreed when the funding award is granted.

For projects of one year or more, we typically require interim reports at the end of each year and a final report covering the entire funded period within three months of project completion.

All project reports must be uploaded via the online portal.

Further questions

If you have questions about the funding process that are not covered here, in the funding guidelines or the FAQs, please contact Ms. Eva Schall, Executive Assistant.

+49 7127 599 345

foerderung(at)ksfn.de

Step 5: Exit

Everything has an end: transparency, fairness, partnership, sustainability and trust are fundamentally important to us in our support and collaboration. Every project involves a lot of passion, commitment and hard work. Project work often leads to close personal relationships - after all, project funding in the area of personal development is a "people business".

That's why - even before funding starts – applicants must be clear about when and how their project with the KSG will end:

In the case of initial funding, up to three years of funding - in exceptional cases up to five years - can be applied for. After that, it is possible to apply for follow-up funding, but this is not automatically guaranteed.
Our project managers have an advisory role in the approval process and in the exit process, not a decision-making role.
Project funding and possible extensions of project funding are decided by our Executive Board.
In the case of larger projects, our Board of Trustees is also involved in the decision-making process.
A funding commitment relates to the clearly defined period. It does not constitute a claim to subsequent funding.

We do not provide funding indefinitely:

Even if follow-up funding is approved, our exit strategy provides for an exit from the projects after a maximum of 10 years.

Funding recipients are requested to examine all options for continuing the project in good time (i.e. independent continuation by the funding recipient, change of funding partner (public sector or other foundations), spin-off into a separate company).

Still have questions?

Check our FAQs for additional information.
FAQ Page