The largest cultural financier in Germany is the citizen. Initially as a market participant, then as a donor, and in third place as a taxpayer. This statement represents a paradigm shift against the backdrop of a tradition that has always viewed the state as the largest cultural promoter and seeks to push private engagement into a supplementary role. The fact that after the cultural economy, whose contribution has long been known, civic engagement holds the second place in the financing of culture in Germany is a surprising result. This statement was only made possible because the Enquete Commission specifically examined this engagement, which includes private donations for culture, in a report, explicitly incorporating time donations. The Maecenata Institute for Philanthropy and Civil Society at Humboldt University in Berlin was commissioned to create this report.