The Lauritzen Foundation awards grants to former and present employees of the Lauritzen Group and for a variety of cultural, entrepreneurial, educational and charity projects. We also fund projects based outside Denmark.
In addition, the Foundation's charter provides for the support of the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of Ditlev Lauritzen.
According to its charter, the Foundation’s purposes are:
1) To work for the prestige of Denmark by promoting and developing Danish shipping, especially international shipping, and Danish enterprises in general.
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- The Foundation's fundamental focus is Denmark and those areas central for the country's reputation. Emphasis is on shipping and the international dimension of the Danish shipping sector.
- Activities might involve general and specific projects in known and as yet unknown sectors, fields or themes.
- Special attention is paid to water, energy and all areas associated with shipping, but other activities could also be considered.
- The commitment of the instigator is most important.
- Contributions as well as investments are covered.
2) To support studies and projects of a technical, commercial or other nature in shipping, trade and industry, agriculture and other sectors.
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- Research into shipping, energy and the environment, preferably at a level at which sustainability has not necessarily been demonstrated but with a vision of commercial and/or environmental perspectives, is of interest.
- PhD theses and other research can be covered.
3) To support the education/training of young people in Denmark and abroad.
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- The Foundation prioritizes young people connected to the Lauritzen Group, either as employees, children or spouses/partners of employees, who show the initiative and commitment to be responsible for developing themselves for the benefit of themselves and their communities.
- A small number of study travel grants are available for especially talented young artists or young people who travel on a voluntary humanitarian basis, benefitting Denmark's reputation abroad.
4) To work towards vessels, workshops and other workplaces, offices and housing operated by the companies, especially those associated with the Foundation, being healthy, bright and well-maintained and that they should be organised so as best to promote job satisfaction, and to provide support for the personnel and institutions working for such purposes, especially in the shipping sector.
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- The Foundation supports initiatives and ideas for employee benefits aimed at attracting and retaining Lauritzen Group personnel, provided these activities are not widely practiced in large Danish companies.
- The Foundation regards itself as the natural standard bearer for the companies' own human relations.
- The physical and mental health of employees is of special concern, especially when initiatives benefit a group of employees, including such leisure activities as sports.
- Special attention goes to institutions and people working generally in shipping. This also means that the focus is on recruiting human resources for the shipping business in general.
5) To provide support for institutions, associations and people who, all in all, look after the interests of the shipping sector and people employed therein, especially such institutions and associations set up by those in the Lauritzen Group or its companies, or have supported, have an interest in or been associated with, and possibly seek to associate them to other humanitarian institutions that are not self-supporting, and also to set up and operate humanitarian institutions that operate in line with the above.
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- The Foundation venerates geographical areas, individuals, institutions and associations that have traditionally been supported because of common ground with the Foundation’s origins, businesses and surviving family, stakeholders, friends and business associates.
- The focus is on sustainability and the willingness to find new solutions when previous solutions become irrelevant.
- There is extensive freedom to support innovative activities of every kind. One of the Foundation's purposes is to work for multiplicity.
6) To provide support for people who have done service in one of the Foundation’s or the Lauritzen Group companies and to such people’s successors.
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- Special guidelines apply to pensioners and widow(er)s of deceased employees and pensioners.
7) To provide support for institutions, associations and people who are working to encourage awareness and esteem of Danish cultural activities, especially including corporate culture, education/training, self-improvement and character training of the young, studies into disease prevention, especially prophylaxis.
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- The Foundation works with institutions, organisations and associations aimed at raising awareness of Danish culture, especially corporate culture. Examples of this could be DTU (Technical University of Denmark), CBS (Copenhagen Business School), Risø National Laboratory and general networkers and museums, etc., since innovative and historical perspectives are taken into consideration.
- Scouts organisations have traditionally always been of interest.
- Maritime culture and history that help develop and maintain general interest in shipping are also of interest.
- The annual Lauritzen Prize recognizes artistic performance on TV or in the theatre. Prizes for essays on social analysis are also awarded.
- Activities and studies for preventing mental and physical disease are also covered by way of initiatives by associations and institutions to help relieve the challenges of illness faced by those who are most vulnerable.
8) To provide support for institutions, associations and people who are working to promote Nordic and international relations, also of a purely humanitarian nature.
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- The Foundation provides wide-ranging support for social conditions in Denmark and social and humanitarian issues abroad where the focus is on education for children and young people.
- The Foundation helps marginalized groups help themselves, including helping ethnic minorities integrate into the Danish community.
- The Foundation supports associations and organisations as well as enthusiasts and individual activists or groups whose aims are as above, provided there is a Danish connection.
- The Foundation can also support specific projects associated with humanitarian disasters.
9) To provide support for institutions, companies, associations and people whose aims and work the Board feels it is proper to support.
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- The Foundation focuses among many other things on supporting communal holiday and leisure activities for the handicapped and ill.
- Special attention is paid to community centres, self-help groups and advisory services.
