The Executive Board of the Kulturkreis, which is made up of leading figures from the German business community, lays down the general guidelines for the sponsorship activities of the Kulturkreis. The management directs the artistic and commercial business.
The promotion of artists and the selection of award winners in the program areas of architecture, visual arts, literature and music is organized in committees. Members of the Kulturkreis and expert juries, chaired by well-known business personalities, decide on the sponsorship and awarding of prizes.
Through Kulturkreis der deutschen Wirtschaft GmbH, working groups offer specialist conferences, services and advice on issues relating to corporate cultural sponsorship, cultural competence building and corporate collecting, and facilitate exchanges between companies on relevant issues.
The nationwide institution is headquartered at Haus der Wirtschaft in Berlin. The Kulturkreis der deutschen Wirtschaft im BDI e.V. (Association of Arts and Culture of the German Economy at the Federation of German Industries e. V.) finances its work from membership fees and donations. The association is also the sole shareholder of Kulturkreis der deutschen Wirtschaft GmbH. Kulturkreis GmbH uses the funds from participation fees and sponsorships to organize events and offer services in the field of corporate cultural commitment. Profits generated by Kulturkreis GmbH flow to the association. The association is also supported by funds from the Cultural Foundation of German Business. The headquarter of the Kulturkreis also oversees the activities of the Arbeitskreis für Kulturelle Aufgaben im Ausland e.V. (Working Group for Cultural Tasks Abroad).
