Three committees (executive bodies) of the Foundation are involved in planning and implementing the projects that serve to achieve the goals mentioned: the Board of Trustees, the full-time Managing Director and his team in the main office and the Advisory Board. The incumbent Federal Minister of Justice presides over the Board of Trustees.
The Board of Trustees makes the main decisions of the Bundesstiftung Magnus Hirschfeld and monitors the work of the Managing Director. It consists of members elected or nominated by the German Bundestag, five federal ministries and nine LSBTIQ* organisations (representatives of civil society). They work on an honorary basis. The Board of Trustees must in particular approve the following: decisions regarding the principles of the research and educational programme; the award of the foundation funds for research assignments and educational work; financial management and important budget and personnel matters.
The Managing Director of the Foundation is a natural person. The latter conducts the business of the Foundation unless it is assigned to the Board of Trustees. The Managing Director works for the Foundation full time. The term of office is five years.
The Advisory Board is composed primarily of academics and educational experts who have made a name for themselves in one or more specialist areas related to the foundation purposes. They are elected by the Board of Trustees for a period of office of four years and like it work in an honorary capacity. The Advisory Board provides advice in particular on the grant of foundation funds by drawing up expert opinions on grant applications or statements on behalf of the Board of Trustees or Managing Director. Moreover, the Advisory Board members take part in various working groups, such as “Persecution and repression”, “Contemporary witnesses” or “Academic congresses”. The period of office of the Advisory Board is four years.