14th Nuremberg Foundation Day: Finally, Faces Instead of Letterheads
Why We Went Home with Full Hearts (and Full Notebooks)
On July 23, 2026, it was that time of year again: The 14th Nuremberg Foundation Day brought together our city’s foundation community, and we at 2be were right in the thick of it. Eileen and Matthias spent the day with the Foundation Council and are bringing back plenty of impressions, insights, and ideas.
Nuremberg – A City of Foundations
Did you actually know that Nuremberg has more foundations per capita than most other cities? This is no coincidence: historically, Nuremberg has always been a city of foundations. But what impressed us most is how vibrant this tradition remains to this day. The foundations are constantly adapting to the current needs of the city and its people. We were able to experience this very diversity firsthand at Foundation Day: from culture and social services to projects promoting integration. The motto “We Together” wasn’t just a nice phrase hanging in the air—it was truly brought to life that day.
And that’s exactly what made the day so special for us: We finally got to meet the foundations in person—not via email, not over the phone, but face to face. This naturally led to much deeper conversations. We met numerous volunteers and realized once again just how much of a difference it makes to simply be there in person. The atmosphere was warm; it was incredibly easy to strike up a conversation, and the discussions were open and honest—that’s what makes networking so much fun!
The best part for us was the feeling of being surrounded by so many like-minded people who all want the same thing: to do something good.
The event was also impressive in terms of content. The foundations did a great job of introducing themselves and their work, and the keynote speaker, Mr. Lange, gave a wonderful speech on the topic of democracy that still resonates with us today. But despite all our enthusiasm, we also noticed a few challenges—and that’s exactly what we’d like to discuss honestly:
Too much paperwork, not enough networking
Many foundations spend an enormous amount of time on administrative tasks. That’s time that’s then taken away from what matters most: relationships with people, supporters, and partners.
Communication isn’t everyone’s forte, and that’s okay. Since most people who work with foundations do so on a volunteer basis, they are understandably not communication professionals, so many questions came up:
- How do I reach people?
- How can I make our work more visible?
- How do I build a sponsor base?
- How can I get support?
This is exactly where we see ourselves as 2be: We can answer these questions and build these bridges. Our idea: to build a group that guides and supports foundations on precisely these issues.
The Desire for Greater Connection
One wish came up repeatedly in many conversations: The foundations would like to network with one another even more closely, and there was a clear suggestion for the next Foundation Day: In addition to the presentations, it would be great to have more workshops—formats where participants can work together on specific issues.
We already have some topics in mind:“How do I build relationships with sponsors?” or“How do I get support?”—workshops that we at 2be would be happy to help organize.
For us, the 14th Nuremberg Foundation Day was much more than just an event; it was a place for connection, inspiration, and honest conversations. Nuremberg’s foundation community is diverse, dedicated, and full of passion. And it can become even stronger if we work together to improve communication and networking.
We look forward to helping make that happen—and we’ll see you at the next Foundation Day!
More photos from the 14th Nuremberg Foundation Day can be found here.
Curious now?
Our contact persons will be happy to help:
Matthias Brinkmann
+49 911 47494949
brinkmann@twobe.de
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