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Vielfalt stiften 2027: Paid Foundation Placements in Germany
Vielfalt stiften 2027: Paid Foundation Placements in Germany
6 min read
NBy Naman Kumar
Page Summary⌄
Paid programme: You receive compensation linked to Germany’s statutory minimum wage for your placement working hours.
Who can apply: Students and graduates aged around 18–35 with a personal or family migration biography.
Duration: Most placements run for about three months from mid-January to mid-April 2027.
Full-time: The programme requires 40 hours per week, including 32 placement hours plus the accompanying programme.
Deadline: Most applications close on 18 October 2026; the Robert Bosch Stiftung placement closes on 25 October 2026.
Table of Contents
The Vielfalt stiften programme offers paid placements at German foundations for students and graduates with a migration biography who want to gain practical experience in Germany’s foundation sector.
Most placements begin around 15 January 2027 and normally last three months. Participants work directly with a participating foundation while also completing workshops, seminars and networking activities organised by Deutschlandstiftung Integration.
Applications for most current placements close on 18 October 2026. The Robert Bosch Stiftung placement has a separate deadline of 25 October 2026.
Vielfalt stiften at a Glance
Information
Details
Programme
Vielfalt stiften
Provider
Deutschlandstiftung Integration
Country
Germany
Opportunity type
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Paid foundation-sector placement
Target group
Students and graduates with a migration biography
Typical age group
18–35
Duration
Usually 3 months
Working time
40 hours/week
Placement hours
32 hours/week
Compensation
Linked to statutory minimum wage
Start
Around 15 January 2027
Main deadline
18 October 2026
Robert Bosch deadline
25 October 2026
Application language
German
Application method
Online
The programme is run by Deutschlandstiftung Integration and funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung, Stiftung Mercator and ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS.
What is Vielfalt stiften?
Vielfalt stiften is a programme designed to improve access to Germany’s foundation sector for young people with migration biographies.
Participants complete a paid placement at a participating foundation and gain experience in areas such as:
- project management - communications - foundation management - funding programmes - social impact - organisational development.
The placement is combined with workshops and seminars covering professional development, diversity and the German foundation sector. Alumni can also access optional mentoring from experienced professionals in foundations and philanthropy.
Current host organisations include foundations such as Stiftung Mercator, Deutsche Telekom Stiftung, Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung, Baden-WĂĽrttemberg Stiftung, Crespo Foundation, Kommunale Stiftungen MĂĽnster and others.
Is Vielfalt stiften paid?
Yes. Deutschlandstiftung Integration states that participants receive payment linked to Germany’s statutory minimum wage for their actual placement working time.
The full programme requires 40 hours per week. Around 32 hours per week are spent working at the host foundation, while the remaining time is used for workshops and the accompanying programme.
The official programme does not publish one fixed monthly gross salary, so you should not assume a specific monthly amount.
Who can apply for Vielfalt stiften?
The programme primarily targets students and graduates aged 18–35 with a migration biography.
You may be eligible if you are:
- currently studying for a Bachelor’s degree - continuing with a Master’s or another university programme - a Bachelor’s or Master’s graduate - a PhD student - a graduate or early-career professional.
You do not have to be currently enrolled at a university. Individual placements may, however, set additional requirements.
What does “migration biography” mean for Vielfalt stiften?
A personal or family migration biography is a central selection criterion for the programme.
Deutschlandstiftung Integration explains that the programme focuses on people with migration experience or migration-related biographies and aims to increase representation in the German foundation sector.
If you are unsure whether your personal or family background meets this criterion, you should confirm it with Deutschlandstiftung Integration before applying.
Can international students apply for Vielfalt stiften?
Potentially, yes. The official programme page does not publish a nationality restriction. What matters more is whether you meet the migration-biography requirement and the criteria of the individual placement.
However, the programme does not state a general residence or work-permit rule for international applicants. If you are studying in Germany on a residence permit, you should check whether your permit allows you to participate in a full-time paid placement.
Do I need German to apply?
Yes, you need enough German to apply and work in the host foundation.
The official FAQ states that German is the working language in the foundations and applications in English are not accepted.
The programme does not publish a fixed CEFR level such as B2 or C1.
Do I need to be enrolled at a university?
No. You can apply if you are currently studying or if you have already completed your university education.
However, individual host foundations can set additional academic or professional requirements, so you should always check the specific placement before applying.
Can I apply to more than one foundation?
Yes. You can apply to multiple Vielfalt stiften placements.
However, you must submit a separate complete application for every placement you choose.
This is useful if your interests fit more than one foundation, but your motivation letter should still be tailored to each specific role.
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You must upload one PDF of no more than 10 MB containing:
- motivation letter of maximum 3,000 characters including spaces - tabular CV - highest school-leaving certificate - university degree certificate, where available - or current Transcript of Records - additional relevant certificates or supporting documents, where applicable.
The application also asks for information about your education, practical experience and migration biography.
The form cannot be saved and continued later, so prepare your complete application before starting.
How to apply for Vielfalt stiften 2027
Step 1 — Choose a placement
Review the available foundation placements and compare the role, city, responsibilities and individual requirements.
Step 2 — Prepare your documents
Create your motivation letter, CV and academic documents.
Your motivation letter should explain:
- why you want to work with that specific foundation - what interests you about its work - what experience or perspective you bring - how the placement fits your future goals.
Step 3 — Submit the online application
Complete the official Deutschlandstiftung Integration application form and upload your combined PDF.
After submission, you receive an email confirmation.
Step 4 — Attend the selection interview
After the deadline, Deutschlandstiftung Integration and, where relevant, representatives of the host foundation review the applications.
Shortlisted candidates are invited to a personal selection interview. If an interview takes place on site, the programme states that related travel costs are covered.
Application Deadline
18 October 2026. This is the standard deadline for the current January 2027 placements.
Deutschlandstiftung Integration recommends applying early because applications are reviewed while the selection process is being prepared.
Robert Bosch Stiftung deadline
The Robert Bosch Stiftung placement has a separate deadline: 25 October 2026
This is explicitly later than the standard programme deadline.
Is Vielfalt stiften part-time?
No. You must be available full-time.
The placement plus accompanying programme together require 40 hours per week.
If you are currently studying or working, check carefully whether you can commit to the full programme before applying.
Is Vielfalt stiften an internship or a scholarship?
Deutschlandstiftung Integration describes Vielfalt stiften as a Förderprogramm/Stipendium, but the main practical component is a paid Hospitation, or professional placement, inside a German foundation.
For applicants, the clearest way to understand it is a paid foundation-sector placement combined with a structured development programme.
It is therefore different from a traditional university scholarship that simply pays a monthly stipend.
