The European Cultural Foundation (ECF) was founded in Geneva in 1954, by Swiss philosopher Denis de Rougement. Based in Amsterdam since 1960, it is an independent cultural development, funding and policy organisation that supports cultural co-operation and advocates strong cultural policies for Europe. The ECF´s decision-making bodies are its Board and Advisory Council. The ECF has set up a network of 14 National Committees - in the UK, Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden - that co-ordinate, support and communicate its work in the various nations and regions of Europe. Core support for ECF - made possible by the Prince Bernhard Cultural Foundation - comes from De BankGiroLoterij, De Lotto and De Nationale Instant Loterij. Other funding comes from partnerships and sponsorship programmes and from its own resources. Its annual budget amounts to approximately 5 million Euros.

The ECF grant scheme supports independent cultural projects by small- to medium-sized organisations. There is a particular emphasis on projects which explore ways of improving our understanding of the role that culture can play in shared identity and citizenship. The ECF also supports programmes with a proactive approach to explore and invest in specific cultural areas and to stimulate practitioners working in these fields. The three areas are: Arts, Media and Mobility.

Over the three years 2006-2008, the ECF is focusing on the experience of diversity and the power of culture, the main themes being: artists exploring diversity, and how can migrants contribute to creativity in Europe, addressing the diversity issues both from within and outside of the European Union.

LabforCulture, which was initiated by the European Cultural Foundation together with numerous partners, went online in 2006. It provides a vast source of current information and debate on European cultural co-operation, from case studies and inspiring stories of trans-border collaboration to the latest online cultural news and newsletters.