Social engagement aimed at promoting human wellbeing has been a core element of the work and identity of our family foundation ever since it was established in 2011. At the Wilo-Foundation, we take a forward-looking approach, which is also reflected in the way we assume social responsibility. All of our funding activities are inspired by fundamental values that build on the Opländer founding family’s principles of life and on Wilo’s corporate culture.

Focus topics

The thematic focus of our work is on how we interact with our natural environment, on sustainable cities and regions and the responsible use of water as a resource, combined with the issues of food security, health and education. We also attach particular importance to building entrepreneurial skills and promoting start-up initiatives that aim to enhance sustainable human wellbeing. Wilo, as a family-owned business, has a long tradition in engineering. Therefore, technical issues and experimental ways of learning play a pivotal role in our work.

Empowering young people

This is our motto as we promote young people, and it is reflected in all funding areas. In the field of education, we provide support along the entire education chain: from daycare centres and schools up to university and vocational training. We empower children, youth and young adults to fully develop their abilities. We thus encourage them to discover their individual talents and develop them further, in the interest of promoting equality of opportunity. In our global efforts to enhance education, we take a capacity-building approach to promoting the sustainable development of structures and skills. In the fields of sport, science and culture, our financial support helps outstanding young talents to build a successful career.

Acting locally and globally

We support projects worldwide, primarily in locations where the Wilo Group operates. In this context, we find it particularly important that our social engagement has a tangible and visible impact on the ground. Since we have close ties with the people in Dortmund where the Wilo Group is headquartered, we assume social responsibility in all funding areas in our home city of Dortmund and in the surrounding region.

Sustainable Development Goals

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provides a framework for placing our funding activities in a global context and highlighting which specific SDGs are being supported through our funding projects. Because our social engagement contributes to the common good and social cohesion, worldwide.