committed city

The “Engaged City” program supports non-profit organizations operating in Hamburg that run local engagement offices, volunteer exchanges, or similar structures. The goal is to strengthen the municipal infrastructure for civic engagement and social participation. As a network initiative, it connects 113 cities where organizations from civil society, administration, politics, and business collaboratively develop solutions for local challenges and ensure knowledge transfer. The long-term, non-financial support focuses on consulting, professional exchange, and networking instead of monetary grants, thereby providing a creative space for the development of innovative cooperation models in the social and democracy sectors.

Eligible for funding are exclusively non-profit associations and initiatives based in a participating city that operate an engagement office or volunteer exchange. Selection is based on the criteria of cooperation potential and contribution to local engagement promotion. Informal or standardized registration is possible at any time; specific deadlines and detailed information can be found on the Engaged City website. With the program, the sponsors, including the Körber Foundation and the Federal Network for Civic Engagement (BBE), aim to permanently anchor democratic coexistence and social resilience and to develop municipalities into future-proof partners of a vibrant civil society.