The friends and supporters of the Heinrich Böll Foundation support the values and goals of the foundation. They identify with the political and moral views of Heinrich Böll, and thus work to ensure the independence of the foundation and the high quality of its work. Membership contributions go to support human rights activists and smaller artistic and cultural projects quickly and without unnecessary bureaucracy; they also support programs such as the Heinrich Böll House in Langenbroich, including its fellowship program for writers and artists from around the world. There are over 500 friends in the foundation’s group of supporters (known as the "Freundeskreis") ranging from students to retirees and freelancers to professors.

In addition to exclusive invitations to our events - such as awards ceremonies - members regularly receive information about current developments within the foundation’s work and about the activities of the Freundeskreis. A wide variety of events with and for the friends of the foundation provide them with opportunities to meet one another, to discuss political ideas and developments and to better learn about the work of the foundation.

During after-work meetings, supervisors from our various offices often provide updates from their respective regions about local political contexts and about partnerships with local organizations to help address democracy, gender equality, and climate and human rights policies. Members have also used after-work meetings to present their own work or areas of interest.

Friends and supporters of the foundation receive additional information about the foundation’s international work during an annual excursion abroad, typically to one or several of our international offices. These trips have been to the Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, Ireland, countries of the southern Caucasus, Turkey, South Africa, Brazil, North America, Russia, Brussels, Poland, Prague, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, and Thailand and Cambodia, and are reserved especially for friends and other honorary members of the foundation.

We invite you to become a member and to share in the development of new green ideas and our international network – whether as an individual, an institution or a business.

Contact:
Ulrike Cichon
Tel. +49(0)30-285 34-112    Fax -5112
Email: cichon@boell.de