The DFL Foundation is a charitable foundation dedicated to social projects. It was established in November 2008^[1] by DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga GmbH and DFL e. V.

The foundation is based in Frankfurt am Main. Franziska Fey is the current chairwoman of the board.^[2]

As a professional football foundation, the DFL Foundation works together with the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs to help children and young people realise their potential by promoting and supporting social projects. In addition to the commitment of the 36 professional clubs, the DFL Foundation's statutes state that it ‘promotes sport, education and training as well as international understanding’. It is involved in three action areas: Social cohesion, growing up healthy and active and elite sport.

The foundation grants subsidies on application, but also carries out its own projects and enters into partnerships.^[3]

In cooperation with the DFL, the most publicly successful campaign Sportler für Sportler (Athletes for Athletes) was developed in the spring of 2009. Through until 2010, TV commercials were broadcast in which well-known players and coaches from the Bundesliga and Olympic athletes from various sports, were shown asking for mutual support and calling on donations to the German Sports Aid.

In March 2018, the DFL Foundation joined forces with all 36 clubs in the first and second Bundesliga to take a stand against discrimination with the “Strich durch Vorurteile” campaign. In various commercials, Bundesliga players Manuel Neuer, Naldo and Kevin-Prince Boateng and the DFL Foundation's trustees, Marcel Reif and Wolfgang Niedecken, called for a decisive stand against exclusion. On the 27th matchday of the first and second Bundesliga in the 2017/2018 season, a variety of campaigns were held in the stadiums of the 36 professional clubs to set an example for cohesion in society. The focus was on 36 projects from around the professional clubs that promote fair coexistence. The projects were presented on the platform clubheim.dfl-stiftung.de^[4] with the aim of using the wide reach of professional soccer to create a platform for smaller projects. The philosophy behind this is to ensure that the DFL Foundation and clubs continue to support and promote projects beyond the campaign days.^[5]

Since 2018, the DFL Foundation has been increasingly involved in the area of social cohesion. In cooperation with Phineo, the Wirkometer was created, which clubs and non-profits can use to check how successfully they are achieving their goals.^[6]

In 2023, the DFL Foundation, the DFL and the 36 professional clubs jointly supported the “International Weeks for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination” (20.03.-02.04.2023), which are coordinated in Germany by the Foundation against Racism. The STOP RACISM message was present on the official match ball, ball steles, run-in shirts, captain's armbands, digital communication channels and TV broadcasts around the 26th match day of the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga as well as during the campaign weeks.^[7]

In 2024, the DFL, DFL Foundation and the 36 professional clubs in the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga once again supported the "International Weeks for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination" (11-24 March 2024). As part of the campaign weeks, the 26th matchday was held under the motto “TOGETHER! STOP HATE. BE A TEAM.”. The aim was to send out a joint message against discrimination and for social cohesion. The message was present in a variety of ways in the stadiums, digital communication channels and TV broadcasts.^[8]

The DFL Foundation is supported by the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga e. V. and the Deutscher Fußball-Bund e. V. (German Football Association). The two associations were responsible for the largest donations to the DFL Foundation in 2022/23. Since its establishment in November 2008, the DFL Foundation hasused €41.8 million to support young people.^[9]

The DFL Foundation initiates their own programmes and promotes third-party projects. They make a distinction here between their flagship projects and funding projects.

Source:^[10][3]

Through its "Bundesliga moves" project, the DFL Foundation along with 24 Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs seek to connect stakeholders in social spaces such as disadvantaged urban areas and so lay the groundwork to help children grow up leading an active lifestyle.

A combination of football, competence training and regular cultural activities: the inclusive education programme develops children’s language and social skills, hones their learning capacity and boosts their confidence.

With an exciting combination of football and the special "Classroom Stadium", they raise awareness among children and young people for social issues and strengthen their democratic skills and awareness through everyday, youth-friendly formats.

Through its youth elite funding, German professional football provides targeted support for the most promising Olympic, Paralympic and Deaflympic athletes via German Sports Aid.

Together with the fit4future foundation and in close collaboration with various professional clubs, the DFL Foundation launched the ‘step kickt!’ project designed to inspire school pupils to engage in more physical exercise and eat more healthily.

Source:^[11][3]

In cooperation with the German Sports Youth, a quality catalogue "Kitas in Bewegung" ("active nurseries") is being developed to strengthen cross sport movement in the elementary sector.

Inclusive football tournament series for people with and without disabilities in cooperation with Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs.

Inclusive qualification programme that enables teenagers and young adults with and without disabilities to take on responsibility as coaches for people with disabilities in football.

Promotion of programmes for the development of exercise and nutrition programmes in the SOS Kinderdorf.

Low-threshold football programme in a socially deprived area at conflict-prone evening/night times.

The Safe-Hub Berlin is the first youth education centre to be established in Germany based on the model of South African safe hubs (= safe, personal development education centres).

The weekly exercise programme "MANUS moves" offers children and young people a wide range of opportunities to exercise, improve their motor skills and work on their social skills.

• Franziska Fey (Chairwoman)
• Jörg Degenhart (Deputy Chairman)

• Dr. Marc Lenz (Chairman of the Foundation Board)
• Ansgar Schwenken (Deputy Chairman of Foundation Board)
• Axel Hellmann (Member of the Foundation Board)
• Nicole Kumpis (Member of the Foundation Board)
• Bernd Neuendorf (Member of the Foundation Board)

• Marcel Reif (Chairman of the Board of Trustees)
• Julia Jäkel (Deputy Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees)
• Matondo Castlo
• Dunja Hayali
• Britta Heidemann
• Dr. Eckart von Hirschhausen
• Maria Höfl-Riesch
• Niko Kappel
• Sebastian Kehl
• Johannes B. Kerner
• Peter Maffay
• Wolfgang Niedecken
• Matthias Steiner
• Christian Wulff
• Dr h. c. Fritz Pleitgen (Honorary Member of the Board of Trustees)

• Manuel Neuer
• Markus Rehm

• Official website (in German)