Engagement without bureaucratic hurdles - Interview with Julia Kupke

We spoke with Julia Kupke, founder of the GANADORA Foundation, about her inspiration, her goals, and her experience with bcause. She gives exciting insights into her path from the very first thought of a foundation to the concrete projects she implements today. To make it easier to read, the conversation has been shortened and editorially adapted in some places.

Female Empowerment through Education and Economic Self-Determination

Julia Kupke is a dedicated entrepreneur with a strong commitment to female empowerment. After successfully completing her studies in Business Administration, she worked in sales and process optimization at d.velop and currently works as a Senior Process Excellence Consultant at Apolix. In parallel, she is pursuing her PhD in Philosophy at the University of Barcelona. At the end of 2023, Julia founded the GANADORA Foundation, with which she supports organizations on bcause that advocate for female empowerment, equal opportunities, and access to education. In addition, she is active as a volunteer in the international networks Women in Tech and Women in process mining, where she also campaigns for educational opportunities and economic self-determination for women.

The GANADORA Foundation and Julia Kupke's Experiences with bcause

Hi Julia, great to have you here! With your GANADORA Foundation, you are committed to the field of female empowerment. How did this idea come about and what inspired you?

When I look back, I have always had a desire to give back and support others. It was important for me to help actively, like back in 2013 during the refugee crisis when I worked as a German teacher for refugees. Over time, I became involved in various social projects until I heard for the first time how easy it can be to start an online foundation. To be honest, I had never thought of that before. But the idea of doing good in this way and bringing in my network in a meaningful and impactful way immediately thrilled me and never let me go.

“It's not about complicated formalities here, but about the essentials – namely, the good you want to achieve.” - Julia Kupke explaining why bcause won her over

Did you consider other options for your commitment, and what ultimately convinced you to start your Foundation on bcause?

In fact, at first I had many prejudices against foundations. What I still remembered from school sounded like a huge, expensive construct that is often only reserved for privileged people and is very costly in the long run. That's why a foundation was never an option for me – until last winter, while jogging in the snow, I listened to the podcast Fast & Curious by Verena and Lea-Sophie. The two of them talked about bcause, and I thought: "Wow, that sounds really exciting!" By the time I got home, I had already created half of the foundation on bcause and contacted you. The idea thrilled me right away! I never thought it could be so easy to start a foundation and do some good. For one thing, because those high bureaucratic hurdles, like the minimum capital of 50,000 to 100,000 euros, are simply eliminated with bcause. This makes starting out much easier and more accessible. It's not about complicated formalities here, but about the essentials – namely, the good you want to achieve.

In addition, bcause offers so much more: you instantly have a kind of own website for your foundation, which you can share as a point of contact with your network. I was particularly impressed by the transparency. Often, there is a prejudice that you don't know exactly what happens to the money in foundations. With bcause, you can see exactly where the money goes and follow the whole story. I thought that was great because it builds trust and shows how much impact you can make.

“I don't see my foundation as a classic donor, but rather as a best friend or partner that supports organizations sharing my values and goals.” - Julia Kupke on her GANADORA Foundation

How do you use your GANADORA Foundation yourself?

I want to integrate my foundation into my daily actions and rely primarily on events. For me, making a donation requires a human connection. I don't see my foundation as a classic donor, but rather as a best friend or partner that supports organizations sharing my values and goals.

So far, I have implemented two campaigns that were particularly close to my heart: One was with Viva con Agua to give girls in water-scarce regions access to education. Many people don't know that girls there are often no longer able to go to school because they are responsible for fetching water, and the lack of sanitation represents a major problem for them when they get their period. We organized a great fundraising campaign for this, because education is actually the foundation of everything.

The second campaign was a creative vernissage in Hamburg. Seven artists created impressive works of art based on a song from a music label I collaborated with. All proceeds from the event went to the Girls Hacker School, which is also represented on bcause and does an incredible job of empowering girls and shaping their future positively.

Promoting Education and Creating Justice

Why education is so important for a just society and which 4 organizations are particularly effective in championing equal opportunities and educational possibilities can be found here in our blog article:

🔎 Education for All

Do you specifically plan which events or campaigns to use your foundation for?

Yes, absolutely. For me, my foundation is a base I can always refer to when people ask about my commitment. It is easy to share, and I can tell the story behind it. At the same time, I specifically integrate it into events, using my foundation's practical QR code, which makes donating straightforward and accessible.

An example of this is my next event on October 2nd in Barcelona. It is a very technical event of the Women in Process Mining Community, which I am currently helping to build. Even though the focus of the event is on Women in Tech and empowerment in the field of Process Mining, my foundation fits perfectly. It helps women unfold their potential – and that is exactly what I want to show in this context as well. Of course, bcause will play a role in this too.

The GANADORA Foundation now supports seven organizations. How did you make your selection? Did you also look around at other foundations?

I drew most of my inspiration directly from the bcause platform. There, you can easily filter organizations by SDGs, and so I specifically searched for the goals that represent the focus of my foundation. On top of that, there were private contacts, such as the CEO of Hacker School, Dr. Julia Freudenberg, from a Hamburg network. I knew right away who I was talking to. Of course, this does not rule out future partnerships – I am open to exciting projects and collaborations, including with people I don't know yet. So the selection grows with the opportunities!

“I feel like I'm not just a user, but truly part of something big that we are building together.” - Julia Kupke on her experience with bcause

Which function at bcause convinced you the most?

Basically, I think it's great that bcause makes it possible at all to make foundations so simple and accessible. I particularly think the way the platform creates transparency – with a dedicated website that clearly displays all financial aspects – is great. But what really convinced me the most is the interpersonal contact.

Whether Konrad, Katharina, or Nicole – you have helped me incredibly with so many questions and in the organization. I feel like I'm not just a user, but truly part of something big that we are building together. That is what makes bcause special for me.

Your Possibilities with bcause

Would you also like to specifically integrate your foundation into events? Then find out more about the possibilities that a bcause Event Foundation offers you:

bcause Event Foundation - Turning Reach into Impact