The ZEISS Promotion Fund, in which ZEISS bundles and structures its support activities in Germany, is divided into the two pillars: the ZEISS Site Fund and ZEISS Education and Science Fund.
The ZEISS Site Fund was established on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the reunification of the company in East and West in 2011. The aim was to support regional projects at the main German sites in Oberkochen, Jena, Aalen, Wetzlar and Göttingen. The focus of the projects and initiatives supported by the ZEISS Site Fund is on offerings for children and young people that strengthen STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) across the board. Projects in the areas of culture, social affairs and popular sports are also supported.
In 2012, the ZEISS Promotion Fund was expanded to include the ZEISS Education and Science Fund, whose sponsorship activities are not only site-related but also transregional. The ZEISS Education and Science Fund focuses on initiatives to promote the education of young people, primarily pupils before choosing a course of study and students before starting their careers, and their scientific expertise, as well as projects and initiatives at universities and research institutes. The focus there is on the natural and engineering sciences, especially optics and photonics.