Our Investment Approach

    Shifting Capital Towards Impact

    In line with our mission, we see finance as a powerful tool to strengthen an innovative and responsible economy. This is why we embrace our responsibility as asset owners to align our endowment with our values.Investment approaches with a sustainability and impact focus include integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors and impact investing. ESG investments seek to reduce harm and financial risks. Impact investing aims to create benefits for people and the planet and helps solve global challenges such as climate change.

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    We employ both strategies to maximize our endowment's impact: Our entire portfolio is aligned with ESG principles, reducing negative impacts and shifting towards a Paris Agreement-aligned portfolio. Adopted in 2021, this strategy took effect in 2022.In addition, we invest parts of our endowment in impact investments via our Eberhard von Kuenheim (EKF) Fund. Our impact journey began in 2011, when the BMW Foundation became as a mission-guided and agile impact investor. Initially, we tested different approaches and instruments. Since 2018, we have focused on venture capital fund investments. Our goal is to drive economic growth through innovations and novel business models. This strategy has helped us establish ourselves as an impact investing pioneer in the German foundation sector.We have invested in leading German funds, such as Ananda Ventures, Planet A, and Brain Capital, and innovative European players including Mustard Seed Maze, Purpose Evergreen Capital, and 2150, as well as a broadly diversified fund, PG Impact I (now Blue Earth Capital).

    Through our investments, we aim to lead by example and inspire others to follow. Although impact investing is over 15 years old, the number of foundations in Germany and Europe using this approach to create lasting change is still limited. The BMW Foundation thus continues to be one of the trailblazers in this sector. The BMW Foundation supports dialogues, roundtables, and communities of practice that aim to empower foundations to use their endowments for impact and innovation.We also work with leaders and partners in the capital markets. This includes institutional investors, asset owners, and private equity and venture capital funds. Our goal is to promote impact alongside profit.

    Our Funding & Investments

    CONTENTS

    Our Investments

    Investing in the Future

    In the 2023 financial year the BMW Foundation spent a total of €9,691,756.07* on the Foundation’s statutory non-profit programs and projects, as well as other expenditure.

    A strong focus of our work is on our global Responsible Leaders Network. Expenditures supporting the networking and engagement of 2,300+ Responsible Leaders, and thus providing leverage for social and political change, amounted to €2,645,422.55.
    • €5,611,868,53 was spent on leadership formats (dialogues, forums, labs) and our flagship events in Berlin and Munich. These expenditures paid into the goal of inspiring leaders to build their social and political commitment and impact, thus driving positive social change by building responsible economies and resilient societies.

    • Expenditures of €1,163,092,76 were deployed for programmatic activities with civil, corporate, policy, and intrapreneurship partners.
    • Expenditures for the RESPOND program activities that support regenerative, entrepreneurial solutions amounted to €988,240,58
    • Expenditures of €933,013,80 were spent on strategic and personnel development to strengthen the Foundation's impact.
    • €474,479,57 was spent on sustainable finance programmatic work to pursue the goal of shifting more capital toward impact and contributing to the transformation of the global economic and financial system in order to achieve a new balance between economy, society, and environment.
    • €361,201,72 was spent on the RISE program to advance global knowledge of resilient, intelligent, sustainable, and equitable (RISE) cities by strengthening local ecosystems and fostering citizen participation to create citizen-centered solutions.
    • €17,822,86 was spent to support groups and pro bono work related to our strategic goals of facilitating connection and collaboration among leaders across continents and industries to develop forward-looking solution.
    As in the previous years, the BMW Foundation’s financial management department was responsible for overall budget planning for the current and the upcoming year, investment management of the interest distributions, general bookkeeping and budget planning with income and expenditure administration at project level, and controlling. PricewaterhouseCoopers GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft audited the BMW Foundation’s 2023 financial statements in spring 2024. The audit also covered maintenance of the endowment capital and appropriate use of its earnings, as well as any benefits intended for consumption. The BMW Foundation was issued with an unqualified audit certificate for the 2023 financial year. * All expenditures, including personnel costs

    Our Donor

    About the BMW Group

    With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

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    In 2023, the BMW Group delivered 2.55 million vehicles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2023 was € 17.1 billion on revenues amounting to € 155.5 billion. As of 31 December 2023, the BMW Group had a workforce of 154,950 employees. The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end-of-use phase of all products.