Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung is one of Germany’s major medical research foundations, supporting biomedical research and humanitarian healthcare projects.
EKFS works to expand medical knowledge on the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, while supporting healthcare access and humanitarian medical aid for people in need.
Else Kröner, an entrepreneur who helped build the Fresenius healthcare group from the Hirsch-Apotheke pharmacy and a small pharmaceutical business, established the foundation in 1983 and named it as the heir to her estate. Today, EKFS is among Germany’s largest nonprofit foundations and funds medical research and humanitarian health projects.
EKFS funds medical-scientific research through multiple application procedures, including support for clinician scientists, early-career medical researchers, major research projects, translational research, centers, fellowships, and special calls. Its humanitarian funding supports direct medical care, healthcare infrastructure, and training for skilled health workers in developing countries. Research projects must make findings publicly available.
EKFS has supported around 2,800 projects and currently provides annual funding of about €60M. In 2024, it supported 188 projects with €58.62M, including 53 humanitarian projects worth €14.37M. It is a major supporter of medical research in Germany and also funds healthcare improvement projects internationally.
EKFS works with universities, research centers, hospitals, humanitarian organizations, and its nonprofit subsidiary ForTra gGmbH. Reported collaborations include centers and projects linked to Göttingen, Dresden, Munich, Halle-Wittenberg/Addis Abeba, Würzburg–Mwanza, and the BEBUC Excellence Scholarship Program.
EKFS is a major shareholder of Fresenius, and its income is mainly generated through dividends from those shares. In 2024, Fresenius did not distribute a dividend, so EKFS used unused funds to maintain grantmaking activity and provided €58.62M in funding. The foundation also began work on a CO₂ balance and selected new foundation software planned for 2025.