Corporate press release
December 11, 2025
EUR 500,000 to the charity BILD hilft e.V. “Ein Herz für Kinder”
Roughly EUR 240,000 to “Die Arche – Kinderstiftung, Christliches Kinder- und Jugendwerk“
Both donations made through the GEA Foundation, which is tasked with distributing one percent of GEA Group’s net profit each year to charitable causes

Alexander Kocherscheidt, CFO at GEA Group AG (center), together with a small delegation from the company, symbolically handed over the large donation of EUR 500,000 to “Ein Herz für Kinder” in Berlin during the ZDF charity gala. Source: © Ein Herz für Kinder / Peter Müller
The GEA Foundation recently donated roughly EUR 1.2 million to two children's aid organizations in Germany. The recipients include BILD hilft e.V. “Ein Herz für Kinder” (A Heart for Children) and “Die Arche – Kinderstiftung, Christliches Kinder- und Jugendwerk” (The Ark – Children’s foundation, Christian Children's and Youth Welfare Organization). Both associations work to combat child poverty – one of the GEA Foundation's key objectives.
“We are delighted to be able to support two important aid organizations with a large donation at the end of year. With the creation of the GEA Foundation, we have placed our commitment to charitable giving and our social responsibility on a new footing and developed it further,” explains Stefan Klebert, CEO of GEA Group. “With EUR 500,000 for ‘Ein Herz für Kinder’ and EUR 712,000 for ‘Die Arche,’ we want to make a sustainable contribution to helping children in need and combating child poverty. This support provides financial stability for the projects carried out by these organizations which help shape a better future for children long term.”
The BILD hilft e.V. “Ein Herz für Kinder” helps children in need in Germany and around the world. The association provides support in the areas of medicine and research, education and equal opportunities, disaster relief and assistance for children with special needs. For the fourth year in a row, GEA is supporting the association with a substantial donation. This year, the foundation gave a donation of EUR 500,000, which represents another increase.

GEA donates EUR 500,000 to “Ein Herz für Kinder” (A Heart for Children), supporting the fight against child poverty and funding education and research projects for the youngest generation. Source: GEA Foundation
Die Arche is a charitable organization committed to combating child poverty in Germany. The organization provides leisure centers and after-school programs for disadvantaged children in several German cities. It empowers children by organizing activities that promote meaningful leisure time, provides homework supervision and learning support and offers material assistance in the form of free meals and clothing banks. GEA is supporting the “Mutmacher” (Encouragers) project in Osnabrück, Berlin-Reinickendorf, and Düsseldorf, as well as the “Entdecker-Projekt” (Discoverers Project) in the Ark at the Mozart School in Berlin, with a total of EUR 712,000 over three years. Socially disadvantaged young people aged 13 and above receive individualized support and targeted preparation for their final-year exams. Trained social workers, social educators and volunteers accompany these young people for several years, acting as confidants and coaches. Support includes training in money management, personality development, job application assistance and learning camps during school holidays.

Annika Westphal, Head of Sustainability LPT at GEA and member of the GEA Foundation, and Thomas Strotkötter (right), Senior Vice President Compression Technologies at GEA's Berlin site, jointly delivered the good news to Bernd Siggelkow (left), Founder and Director of Die Arche, about the large donation from the GEA Foundation. Source: GEA
For GEA, sustainability encompasses more than just environmental and climate protection; it also involves improving the social and economic lives of people worldwide. To this end, the Group established the GEA Foundation in February 2025. Through the foundation, one percent of the Group's annual net profit is donated to charitable causes, with special focus on STEM education, combating child poverty, improving access to basic infrastructure and providing emergency disaster relief.
A GEA é uma das maiores fornecedoras para a indústria de processamento de alimentos e para uma ampla variedade de outras indústrias que geraram receitas consolidadas de aproximadamente EUR 4,9 bilhões em 2019.