Stiftung Mercator, headquartered in Essen, Germany, is a private and independent charitable foundation established by the Schmidt family in 1996 and named after the cartographer Gerhard Mercator. The organisation’s financial resources stem from the Schmidt family's assets, which were transferred to supporting its charitable work through the Meridian and Cambiata Foundations.
The foundation employs around 100 staff between offices in Essen, Berlin, Istanbul, and Beijing. Since its inception, Mercator has awarded around 60 million euros annually and funded more than 1,200 projects. Its activities focus on four key areas: Europe, integration, climate change, and cultural education.
Mercator’s early initiatives included scholarships for pupils to study abroad, remedial education for children with migrant backgrounds in the Ruhr region, and national funding for academic innovations. A notable commitment has been to the Ruhr region, reflecting the founding family's local ties.
Among its significant projects, Mercator was pivotal in founding the Mercator Research Center Ruhr, backing over 300 university collaborations before ending this involvement in 2024. The foundation established the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) in Berlin in 2013, which has become influential in research on China’s political, economic, and societal developments.
Current projects range from climate policy research, promoting equal educational opportunities, and strengthening social cohesion to initiatives supporting European integration. Stiftung Mercator pursues its goals through partnerships with academic institutions, policymakers, and NGOs, operating both across Germany and internationally. The foundation maintains a non-profit status and grants funding based on defined strategic objectives.