How are you financed?

An important question which we are frequently asked. In order to justify our non-profit mission, we build on a diverse funding structure. The pre-requisite is always that we can maintain our independence and credibility. Our Articles of Association ensure our editorial independence and that SMC’s work is carried out without the influence of its sponsors, partners or other third parties.

Our partners

The Klaus Tschira Foundation (KTS) and the professional association WPK – die Wissenschaftsjournalisten have been our partners since SMC was established in 2015. Their support forms our financial basis. KTS holds 90 percent of the shares, WPK 10 percent.

Articles of Association

Our friends and sponsors

The Association of Friends and Sponsors of the Science Media Center Germany promotes the idea behind SMC and both advises us and critically monitors our activities. Moreover, a raft of supporting members from academia, business, the media and society make long-term contributions to financing SMC.

To the Association of Friends

Project funding

Part of our financing stems from third-party funded research projects. In these projects, SMC Lab in particular works together with research partners on the science journalism of the future.

SMC Lab

The most important fact about funding

The sum a sponsor can contribute annually is limited to a maximum of five percent of our annual budget.

Thanks to the resulting variety of sponsors, SMC can guarantee that editorial freedom from individual donors is maintained, and conflicts of interest are avoided. If a sponsor initiates or terminates their support, this should have no impact on SMC’s activities.

An exception to this rule applies to the grants from the Klaus Tschira Foundation and project-related third-party funding.

With start-up funding of 1.5 million euros, the Foundation made it possible to establish SMC as a non-profit limited company (gGmbH) in 2015. In 2019, the Klaus Tschira Foundation committed an annual amount to supporting SMC on a long-term basis; in 2022, 1.5 million euros per year were granted for a further five years.

Third-party funding allows us to create fixed-term contracts for software developers or research assistants in the SMC Lab. Sponsorship is tax-deductible. Sponsors receive a donation receipt.