Support us
“I find the work of Action Reconciliation Service for Peace (ARSP) to be truly outstanding and therefore, I support the organization with my donation. My daughter participated in a summer camp in Lithuania and a volunteer year at the Holocaust Museum in Chicago, where she had very impactful experiences. She was warmly welcomed and well taken care of at all times. It’s a wonderful opportunity for young people!”
Television journalist, presenter, trainer
Sponsorship
By sponsoring an ARSP volunteer, you directly support the peace service of a young volunteer. ASF volunteer services profoundly raise awareness among young people for a fairer and more solidarity-driven world. However, you can also support us by sponsoring one of the ARSP countries of service or by sponsoring a specific field of activity.
Sponsorship for Volunteers – Join for a Year!
In September, approximately 160 volunteers will once again embark on their year-long international peace service with ARSP, participating in various social and educational projects. They accompany Holocaust survivors in their daily lives, support people with disabilities and those on the fringes of society, or engage in memorial and educational institutions. Through their commitment, our volunteers make the world a little more peaceful and compassionate every day.
With just 15 euros per month, you can support young individuals in their year-long peace service.
A year abroad, dedicating oneself to others while also undergoing personal development – this is the offer from Action Reconciliation Service for Peace to young people. As a sponsor, you become part of a group of at least 15 individuals who support a volunteer with a monthly contribution of 15 euros or more.
In September, approximately 160 volunteers will once again embark on their year-long international peace service with ARSP, participating in various social and educational projects. They accompany Holocaust survivors in their daily lives, support people with disabilities and those on the fringes of society, or engage in memorial and educational institutions. Through their commitment, our volunteers make the world a little more peaceful and compassionate every day.
A year abroad, dedicating oneself to others while also undergoing personal development – this is the offer from Action Reconciliation Service for Peace to young people. As a sponsor, you become part of a group of at least 15 individuals who support a volunteer with a monthly contribution of 15 euros or more.
Mentors are crucial – and you gain a lot in return!
Our volunteers need mentors, individuals interested in their personal growth and to whom they can share their experiences. As a sponsor, you’ll receive a report from the young person you support every six months. This report provides insight into their placement location, country, voluntary engagement experiences, and daily life. If desired, we can also send you our ASF magazine “zeichen,” which is published three times a year, giving you a more comprehensive understanding of our work.
Your sponsorship is needed
We aim to enable everyone interested in volunteering with Aktion Sühnezeichen Peace Services to participate, regardless of the financial capacity of the volunteers or their parents. Your sponsorship significantly contributes to achieving this goal. Together, we provide the volunteers with a unique experience and ensure continuous support for our local project partners.
Cost of a Volunteer Placement
The costs for a volunteer placement amount to up to 1,500 euros per month, depending on the project and host country. Aktion Sühnezeichen Peace Services relies on sponsors like you to help finance these costs. A group of 20 sponsors covers approximately one-sixth of the expenses for a year-long volunteer service.
Funding
In addition to contributions from sponsors and project partners, Aktion Sühnezeichen Peace Services receives support for volunteer work from the EU, federal and state governments, foundations, and churches.
What Your Sponsorship Enables
Experienced staff members from Action Reconciliation Service for Peace ensure the pedagogical guidance of volunteers during their preparation and on-site. Through five seminars – before, during, and after the volunteer service – participants deepen their experiences, connect their personal stories with the narratives of their host countries, and engage with current political and social issues.
ARSP covers all expenses for the volunteers: pocket money, meals, accommodation, travel costs, insurance and the pedagogical support.
Your sponsorship is tax-deductible. You will automatically receive a donation receipt at the beginning of the following year.
Sponsorship for country of service
ARSP was founded in the late 1950s with the conviction that steps toward international reconciliation should be taken from our side. That’s why, to this day, around 400 volunteers annually engage in a peace service with ARSP in various projects across 11 partner countries, including 9 European countries as well as the USA and Israel. As diverse and unique as the countries of our volunteer services are, what connects them all with Action Reconciliation Service for Peace is the shared past and the trusting collaboration with numerous partner organizations and fellow minds. Here, you can learn more about the individual countries and the ARSP partners where our volunteers are involved.
By sponsoring a country-specific partnership starting at 15 euros per month, you can specifically support volunteer work in the ARSP country of service of your choice. Your support benefits the entire work of Action Reconciliation Service for Peace in this country, including both volunteer engagement in projects and international summer camps. To keep you informed about our work on-site, all country sponsors receive an informative volunteer report from the selected country once a year.
ARSP was founded in the late 1950s with the conviction that steps toward international reconciliation should be taken from our side. That’s why, to this day, around 400 volunteers annually engage in a peace service with ARSP in various projects across 11 partner countries, including 9 European countries as well as the USA and Israel. As diverse and unique as the countries of our volunteer services are, what connects them all with Action Reconciliation Service for Peace is the shared past and the trusting collaboration with numerous partner organizations and fellow minds. Here, you can learn more about the individual countries and the ARSP partners where our volunteers are involved.
You can enter into a sponsorship for the following countries:
- Belgium
- Germany
- France
- Greece
- United Kingdom
- Israel
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Czech Republic
- USA
Due to the war in Ukraine and the political situation in Belarus and Russia, it is currently not possible to send volunteers to these countries. However, we are maintaining contact with our project partners there and have included volunteers from Belarus and Russia in our international Germany program.
Sponsorship for areas of activity
Volunteers of Action Reconciliation Service for Peace engage in various social and educational project areas: They accompany elderly individuals, including Holocaust survivors and former forced laborers, provide assistance to socially disadvantaged individuals or those with psychological or physical disabilities, and engage in historical or political educational work. You can gain insight into ARSP’s areas of activity here.
With your sponsorship starting at 10 euros per month, you can specifically and cross-country support the work of our volunteers in one of these five areas of activity:
- Working at Memorial Sites
- Working for Political and intercultural initiatives
- Working with elderly people
- Working with people with special needs
- Working with socially disadvantaged people
A sponsorship for areas of activity is ongoing and can be terminated at any time. Once a year, all sponsors receive an informative volunteer report from the chosen project field.
Your contact person:
Janika Higgins
Advisor Fundraising
E-Mail: higgins[at]asf-ev.de
Phone: +49 30 28395-228
Fax: +49 30 28395-135
“I look forward to every new report from my ‘sponsored volunteers’! Through them, encounters with people come to life, people whose stories are shaped by discrimination, racism, or anti-Semitism – topics that unfortunately remain relevant even today. All volunteers say that these intense experiences continue to enrich their lives as valuable insights.”
Former State and Federal Minister, long-standing member of the German Bundestag (FDP), former President of the Synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD).
Give Instead of Get
Show your family members, friends, and acquaintances that ARSP’s commitment means a lot to you by wishing for a donation instead of gifts. Alternatively, you can gift an ARSP donation certificate to a dear person.
Give Instead of Get
There are many occasions throughout the year or in life when we receive gifts and flowers. These can be joyful occasions like a birthday or sad ones like the passing of a loved one. For all these occasions, you have the opportunity to share your commitment to a good cause with the people who matter to you.
When you ask others for a donation to ASF, it becomes clear how important the peace services of our volunteers in 14 countries are to you. Because you personally engage on two fronts – by sharing about it and asking for support. In doing so, many people will first learn about what matters to you, and then personally contribute with a donation to bring joy. We sincerely thank you for this double effort!
There are many occasions throughout the year or in life when we receive gifts and flowers. These can be joyful occasions like a birthday or sad ones like the passing of a loved one. For all these occasions, you have the opportunity to share your commitment to a good cause with the people who matter to you.
- You can either collect the donations given at your event and transfer them to us, or you can ask your guests to donate directly to Action Reconciliation Service for Peace.
- In both cases, please get in touch with us and inform us about the reason for your donation request as well as the donation keyword that you or your well-wishers will use when transferring to our donation account (e.g., “Birthday Anja Meier”).
- It’s important that you and your well-wishers specify the keyword and their complete address in the payment reference of the transfer. This allows us to assign the donations to your occasion and thank the donors accordingly. We can issue a donation receipt if the address has been provided to us.
- We’re happy to send you informational materials along with a personalized flyer for your guests, which you can include in a letter or email. If desired, we can also provide you with a sturdy cardboard donation box (as shown above), which you can easily assemble at home and set up at your event.
We are happy to provide guidance for your donation request over the phone or via email.
Giving a Donation as a Gift
Whether it’s a birthday, Christmas, or another occasion, there are many opportunities to make a statement and share your commitment to a good cause with the people who matter to you. Give the gift of a donation to Action Reconciliation Service for Peace. By doing so, you support the international peace services of our volunteers in 14 countries. At the same time, you make it clear how important our work is to you.
Through its volunteer services, summer camps, educational programs, and campaigns, ARSP actively takes a stand against anti-semitism, racism, and far-right extremism. Support our shared goal for peace and understanding through your online gift donation. We allocate your donation where it is needed the most. Naturally, you can set the amount yourself.
After completing your donation, you’ll receive a gift certificate as a download that you can print at home or forward directly to the recipient.
Condolence Donation
If you would like to request donations for ARSP in lieu of wreaths or flowers on the occasion of a funeral service for a loved one, you also demonstrate how important the commitment to a good cause was to the deceased.
Please get in touch with us and inform us about the condolence donation and the chosen keyword on the obituary notice. This way, we can properly allocate the donations, subsequently provide you with a list of all donors, and inform you about the total amount of the condolence donation. If addresses of the donors are provided along with the donations, we can naturally issue donation receipts for these contributions as well.
We are more than happy to provide guidance over the phone or via email for planning your donation request.
“We see that the life journey of young people is positively influenced by a volunteer service with ASF. Whether it’s for career choices or more broadly for open-minded perspectives. As we don’t need many gifts anymore, we thought that for our Golden Wedding Anniversary, instead of gifts, we would appreciate donations to ARSP.”
Rudolf and Margarete Maurer
Donation Certificate
Your contact person:
Janika Higgins
Advisor Fundraising
E-Mail: higgins[at]asf-ev.de
Phone: +49 30 28395-228
Fax: +49 30 28395-135
Bequeathing and Endowing
Through a testamentary donation or an endowment to one of the ARSP trustee foundations, you shape the future and create lasting values. By doing so, you sustainably secure the independent work of Action Reconciliation Service for Peace.
Bequeath to a Good Cause – How you can include Action Reconciliation Service for Peace in your will
Through a will, you can create something lasting and ensure that your values are passed on, continuing your social or political engagement across generations as you wish. You can allocate your material inheritance (money, property, furniture) to your loved ones. Alternatively, you can consider charitable organizations like Action Reconciliation Service for Peace e.V., as they embody your intellectual values and advocate for causes that matter to you.
If you’re interested in this possibility, we urge you to actively and comprehensively explore this topic.
Statutory Succession
If you don’t create a will, the legal rules of succession determine who inherits how much. The legal rules of succession are regulated in the Civil Code. It lists blood relatives in a specific order of priority based on the degree of relationship. Married spouses and registered life partners have their own inheritance laws. If you have no relatives, the state automatically receives your inheritance.
Inheritance
The heir always becomes the universal successor. This means that the person takes over all the rights and obligations of the will. This includes assets and debts. If there are multiple heirs, a community of heirs is formed that collectively makes decisions on all matters. Even a charitable organization like Aktion Sühnezeichen Peace Services can be appointed as an heir.
Settlement
If you want to bequeath something to a person or a charitable organization without creating obligations for the beneficiary, you can include a legacy in your will (“I bequeath…”). In any case, the heirs or the executor of the will must fulfill this legacy.
We’re happy to offer advice on all formal questions related to wills.
If you wish to see the changes your money can make during your lifetime, consider gifting, endowing, or contributing to an existing foundation.
Gift
A gift can be beneficial if you want to transfer the family business, hand over the house to your children during your lifetime, or save on inheritance tax. Assets can be gifted tax-free within the exemption limits every ten years. If the gift occurs within the last ten years before death, it’s subject to tax. Alternatively, you can arrange for the gift to take effect after your death, keeping it outside of the estate.
Endowment
A special way to do good with your inheritance and engage in a lasting way for a good cause is endowing to an existing foundation. The foundation’s core assets are not touched; instead, the work to be supported is financed from the annual interest income. With an endowment, you establish a sustainable foundation that permanently secures the charitable work you care about.
Under the umbrella of Action Reconciliation Service for Peace, there are two trustee foundations: the Franz and Verena von Hammerstein Foundation and the Helga Weckerling Foundation (as mentioned above). Endowments to both ARSP trustee foundations are possible starting from 2,500 euros.
Inheritances, settlements, gifts, and endowments to an existing foundation for the benefit of a charitable organization like Aktion Sühnezeichen Peace Services are exempt from inheritance tax.
Franz and Verena von Hammerstein Foundation
In memory of the longstanding commitment of ARSP co-founder Franz von Hammerstein and his wife Verena, the Franz and Verena von Hammerstein Foundation was established in 2023 by family members. This initiative lays a new foundation to permanently strengthen ARSP’s work and to continue the values and goals in the spirit of their parents and grandparents. This endeavor is intended to grow through additional endowments.
In memory of the longstanding commitment of ARSP co-founder Franz von Hammerstein and his wife Verena, the Franz and Verena von Hammerstein Foundation was established in 2023 by family members. This initiative lays a new foundation to permanently strengthen ARSP’s work and to continue the values and goals in the spirit of their parents and grandparents. This endeavor is intended to grow through additional endowments.
Verena von Hammerstein (1922–2021)
During the war, the theologian supported jewish women and men who had fled to Switzerland. After stints in Geneva and Paris, she collaborated with Franz von Hammerstein in the United States to combat racism. She actively supported ARSP, took on numerous responsibilities, and contributed her international connections to the work. She was involved in Jewish-Christian dialogue and development cooperation. She remained closely connected to ARSP until her passing.
Dr. Franz von Hammerstein (1921–2011)
The theologian’s life was deeply influenced by his family’s resistance and the Dahlem parish. He was imprisoned in a concentration camp as a “kin prisoner” in Buchenwald. In 1958, he co-founded ARSP together with Lothar Kreyssig and, as the Secretary-General, shaped early reconciliation projects like those in Taizé and Coventry, as well as the construction of a synagogue in Villeurbanne. Later, he worked at the World Council of Churches in Geneva and served as the Director of the Evangelical Academy in West Berlin. He continued to be active on the ARSP board of directors and advisory board, as well as in other initiatives—particularly advocating for encounters in Central and Eastern Europe.
In the Spirit of Remembrance – Taking Active Stance Against Racism and Antisemitism, Promoting Dialogue and Understanding.
In line with the values and goals upheld by ARSP, the purpose of the foundation is to support the principles represented by Verena and Franz von Hammerstein. This includes preserving the memory of those, who were persecuted by the Nazi regime, offering companionship to survivors and their descendants, and symbolically and practically assuming responsibility for the crimes and their consequences through volunteer services and summer camps. The supported initiatives contribute to the entirety of ARSP’s work: empowering young people to engage with remembrance, democracy, diversity, and peace; supporting volunteer services and summer camps, educational programs, events, as well as dialog and educational offerings. With their contribution, the foundation and its endowers pave the way for Verena and Franz von Hammerstein’s early commitment to be carried into the future.
Contributions to the Franz and Verena von Hammerstein Foundation through Endowments.
Endowments are the simplest and most straightforward way to engage in philanthropy—a perfect avenue to create lasting impact. They lead to sustained higher returns, enabling the foundation to pursue its purposes more sustainably. Become an endower and secure the autonomous and independent work aligned with the foundation’s objectives. We welcome endowers who, with a minimum amount of 2,500 euros, contribute to augmenting the core capital of the Franz and Verena von Hammerstein Foundation. Contributions to the endowment capital of a foundation (endowments) have distinct tax benefits.
Your endowment makes a significant impact!
By contributing through an endowment to the Franz and Verena von Hammerstein Foundation, you contribute in a significant manner to promoting the core principles of Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste’s work. Your support aids in:
Facilitating visits by volunteers to Jewish survivors in Israel, the USA, or Europe, or the upkeep of Jewish cemeteries in Eastern Europe through summer camp groups.
Supporting the social engagement of volunteers for individuals with disabilities, in children’s and women’s shelters, addiction and homelessness projects.
Engaging individuals with migration and refugee experiences with the history of Nazi crimes and stories in the context of migration society.
Sustaining our campaigns, publications, and networking efforts against far-right extremism, antisemitism, and other forms of prejudice, while advocating for an open democratic society.
We are more than willing to address your inquiries and suggestions. Thank you for your interest!
Helga-Weckerling Foundation
The Helga Weckerling Foundation was established in 2005. A donation from Pastor Rudolf Weckerling (1911–2014) laid the foundation for the foundation, named in honor of his wife.
Peace and Reconciliation
The purpose of the foundation is to promote reconciliation with the peoples and groups who were invaded by Nazi Germany and were threatened with annihilation, in accordance with the spirit of Helga Weckerling and in line with the founding idea of ARSP in 1958. Additionally, the foundation aims to foster the development of the capacity for peace.
The Helga Weckerling Foundation was established in 2005. A donation from Pastor Rudolf Weckerling (1911–2014) laid the foundation for the foundation, named in honor of his wife.
The purpose of the foundation is to promote reconciliation with the peoples and groups who were invaded by Nazi Germany and were threatened with annihilation, in accordance with the spirit of Helga Weckerling and in line with the founding idea of ARSP in 1958. Additionally, the foundation aims to foster the development of the capacity for peace.
In addition to her involvement in Christian-Jewish dialogue and advocacy for women’s rights within the church, Helga Weckerling was particularly dedicated to fostering understanding with people in Eastern Europe.
Peace Services Under Challenging Conditions
Volunteers often find that the wounds of the Nazi past lie beneath a thin veneer of societal suppression and daily coping mechanisms. The peace services carried out by young Germans, acting as ARSP volunteers with a deep awareness of history’s lasting impact, bring these seemingly forgotten experiences to the surface while simultaneously contributing to their processing.
Contributions to the Helga Weckerling Foundation
Contributions to the foundation through endowments represent the simplest and most straightforward way to participate in charitable giving. We appreciate donors who, starting from a sum of 1,000 euros, enhance the foundation’s core resources with a contribution.
Endowments receive enhanced tax benefits.
Your contribution enables a lot.
By contributing to the Helga Weckerling Foundation, you play a role in providing support to Holocaust survivors in Prague and accompanying student groups on visits to memorial sites like Auschwitz.
We invite you to engage in a conversation with us. Thank you very much!
Your contact person:
Jutta Weduwen
Executive Director
Email: weduwen[at]asf-ev.de
Phone: +49 30 28 395-201
Fax: +49 30 28 395-135
Your contact person:
Jutta Weduwen
Executive Director
Email: weduwen[at]asf-ev.de
Phone: +49 30 28 395-201
Fax: +49 30 28 395-135
Your contact person:
Jutta Weduwen
Executive Director
Email: weduwen[at]asf-ev.de
Phone: +49 30 28 395-201
Fax: +49 30 28 395-135
Collections
The work of Action Reconciliation Service for Peace (ARSP) is sustained by the intercessions and collections of many congregations in Germany and the German overseas communities.
Collections
In ecumenical practice and solidarity, we are grateful for the broad support from Christian churches and communities. Evangelical communities, in particular, bear significant responsibility for our peace and encounter work. Our work is only possible thanks to your collections and donations.
Many of our volunteers come from communities and are accompanied by communities during their volunteer year – to stay connected and because communities send volunteers at the beginning of the year and support them with sponsorship.
Collections for ARSP are centrally proposed and collected in some regional churches. In addition, there are church districts that recommend collections for ARSP to their communities. Some communities also collect free-will collections for our work. We kindly ask all those responsible in the synods and collection committees to consider ARSP in their decisions regarding their collection plans.
Communication and successful encounters require our diligent efforts yet remain elusive and a gift. Please accompany our work with your prayers. Please support our work with your collections.
Occasional donations in the community
In addition to collections, there are other ways in which you can support our work:
- Through donations from proceeds at Christmas bazaars or community festivals.
- Through donations on occasions such as baptisms, confirmations/first communions, weddings, or in the event of a death.
- By sponsoring our volunteers.
- Please share information about our volunteer programs and encounter programs with your family, friends, and within the community. We are happy to connect you with former volunteers who can introduce themselves to your community and share their experiences.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to contact us.
Your contact person:
Lucia Gries
Advisor for Regional Work
(covering for Jonna Lüers)
E-Mail: gries[at]asf-ev.de
Phone: +49 30 28395-182
Fax: +49 30 28395-135
Your contact person:
Janika Higgins
Advisor Fundraising
E-Mail: higgins[at]asf-ev.de
Phone: +49 30 28395-228
Fax: +49 30 28395-135
Monetary Penalties
Taking action against right-wing extremism and discrimination through the allocation of fines and penalties.
By allocating fines and penalties, courts and prosecutors make a valuable contribution to our work. Action Reconciliation Service for Peace is motivated and committed to taking concrete actions in the present in response to the history of National Socialism and its crimes. We aim to raise awareness of the contemporary consequences of this history of violence and counteract current forms of antisemitism, racism, and the marginalization of minorities.
With your allocation, we can continue this important work. Perhaps you have already considered us for an allocation? If so, we thank you very much for it.
Action Reconciliation Service for Peace guarantees the statutory use of these allocations and commits to monitoring the receipt of allocated fines and penalties, promptly reporting any payments received or any payment delays.
By allocating fines and penalties, you support our international peace services. Every year, 180 young people dedicate themselves to twelve months of service in twelve countries across Europe, the USA, and Israel.
Learn more here.
Do you have any questions? Or would you like to request payment slips, address labels, and general information materials about Action Reconciliation Service for Peace? Feel free to contact us! We are here to assist with your inquiries
Your contact person:
Janika Higgins
Advisor Fundraising
E-Mail: higgins[at]asf-ev.de
Phone: +49 30 28395-228
Fax: +49 30 28395-135
Transparency
Trust is a valuable asset.
When you donate, you want to know what happens with your money. It’s important for you to understand how your donations are used, what impact they have in practice, and what, for example, the administrative cost percentage of an organization is. Therefore, you can expect a high level of transparency from us.
Action Reconciliation Service for Peace is audited both internally and externally every year. Externally, an auditor and the German Central Institute for Social Issues (DZI) examine our numbers and facts. Internally, the auditors, two members of the association elected by the general assembly, scrutinize the accounts every year.
On this page, you will find all the information you need to be sure that your donation is put to good use.
You will receive a tax-deductible donation receipt for your donation in any case. When you have completed your online donation, you can decide whether you want to receive it immediately or automatically at the beginning of the coming year. By choosing automatic delivery at the beginning of the next year, you help us save administrative costs. Thank you very much!
Your bank details are transmitted via an encrypted SSL connection. This ensures that they arrive safely with us and are protected from being spied on by third parties.
ARSP has also joined the “Initiative Transparent Civil Society.” In the form of a self-commitment, we disclose the most important figures and facts you need to quickly and easily get a comprehensive picture ofAction Reconciliation Service for Peace.
In 2015, Action Reconciliation Service for Peace was awarded the Transparency Prize by the German Caritas Association and Diakonie Germany as an outstanding example of transparent representation of the organization and business activities.
Action Reconciliation Service for Peace is committed to preventing and combating corruption. The basis for this is ARSP’s Anti-Corruption Guideline and the procedure for complaint management.
As part of ARSP’s Anti-Corruption Guideline, an ombudsman office has been established at the ARSP headquarters, and an ombudsman has been appointed. More information on anti-corruption at ARSP can be found in the respective section.
Your donation for the work of Action Reconciliation Service for Peace goes where it is needed, and its use complies with the highest quality standards currently applicable to non-profit organizations in Germany. This is confirmed annually by the German Central Institute for Social Issues (DZI) through the awarding of the DZI Donation Seal to ARSP.
The DZI (German Institut for Social Matters) is considered the decisive supervisory authority for fundraising organizations. The Donation Seal is awarded by the DZI to a charitable organization after a thorough examination if they meet the ‘Guidelines for the DZI Donation Seal.’
Therefore, the DZI Donation Seal is an important guide for you as donors if you want to ensure that your donation is actually used meaningfully and in line with your expectations.
ARSP meets all DZI guidelines. And importantly, our administrative cost ratio is assessed as ‘appropriate’ every year.
With the award of the Donation Seal, Action Reconciliation Service for Peace belongs to the select group of currently around 250 charitable and humanitarian organizations that meet the high standards of the DZI.
We appreciate your donation for the work ofAction Reconciliation Service for Peace because this world needs people who make it more peaceful, tolerant, and just. With knowledge of the Nazi past and its impact on the present, Action Reconciliation Service for Peace makes a significant contribution to a humane future. We rely on your support for which we thank you very much.
In Germany, there are no uniform disclosure requirements for nonprofit organizations. Since Action Reconciliation Service for Peace works for the common good, we want to inform the community about our goals, the sources of our funding, how we use it, and who our decision-makers are.
In this context, we adhere to the “Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft” (Initiative for Transparent Society), which has defined ten essential pieces of information that every civil society organization, regardless of legal form, size, or field of activity, should make accessible to the public.
The “Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft” is supported by a circle of sponsors consisting of:
- Transparency International Germany e.V.
- Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen (Federal Association of German Foundations)
- Deutsches Zentralinstitut für soziale Fragen (DZI) (German Central Institute for Social Issues)
- Deutscher Fundraising Verband (German Fundraising Association)
- Deutscher Spendenrat e.V. (German Donor Association)
- Deutscher Kulturrat (German Cultural Council)
- Deutscher Naturschutzring (German League for Nature and Environment)
- Maecenata-Institut
- Verband Entwicklungspolitik deutscher Nichtregierungsorganisationen VENRO (Association for Development Policy of German Non-Governmental Organizations)
We are pleased to provide you with the following information:
1. Name, registered office, address, and year of establishment of our organization. [LINKS]
2. Complete articles of association or partnership agreement, as well as other essential documents providing information about our specific goals and how they are achieved (e.g., vision, mission, values, funding criteria). [LINKS]
3. Date of the most recent tax office decision recognizing the organization as tax-privileged (nonprofit) if it is such an entity.
4. Name and function of key decision-makers (e.g., management, board, and supervisory bodies).
Jutta Weduwen, Managing Director
Board
Board of Trustees
5. Report on the activities of our organization: provided in a timely, understandable, and comprehensive manner, to the extent reasonably possible (e.g., a copy of the report submitted annually to the members’ or shareholders’ meeting).
Current Annual Report
Annual Report 2022 (PDF, 5.08MB) [LINK]
6. Staff structure: Number of full-time employees, part-time employees, freelance workers, marginal employees, civilian service personnel, voluntary service personnel; information about volunteers.
As of December 2016, ARSP’s office in Berlin had 25 full-time positions. In addition, there were 3 part-time positions and 15 freelance or employees in the low-wage sector (mini and midi-jobs). Furthermore, ARSP maintains offices in 11 partner countries with 20 employees.
In various areas, such as the 23 ASF regional groups or the five ARSP friend associations, around 400 people were actively volunteering for Action Reconciliation Service for Peace e.V. in Germany and partner countries in 2019. Additionally, ARSP currently has about 1400 members.
As the number of employees, members, and volunteers constantly changes, we would be happy to provide you with the current information upon request. Please contact Claudia Stüwe.
7. Sources of funding: Information about all income, presented as part of the annual income and expenditure statement or profit and loss statement, broken down by means from the ideal field (e.g., donations, membership and sponsorship fees), public grants, income from economic operations, nonprofit and/or asset management.
Profit and Loss Statement 2021
Sources of Funding 2021
8. Use of funds: Information about the use of all income, presented as part of the annual income and expenditure statement or profit and loss statement, as well as the asset overview or balance sheet.
Profit and Loss Statement 2021
Use of Funds 2021
Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2021
9. Legal affiliation with third parties, e.g., parent or subsidiary company, supporting association, outsourced business operation, partner organization.
ARSP is a member of the Diakonisches Werk der EKD (Diakonie) and the Aktionsgemeinschaft Dienst für den Frieden (AGDF).
Furthermore, ASF is the initiator of the “Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Kirche gegen Rechtsextremismus” (Federal Working Group Church against Right-Wing Extremism) BAGKR.
10. Names of individuals whose annual contributions make up more than ten percent of our total annual income. Information on donations from natural persons is published with their consent but is always marked as “major donations from private individuals.
In 2021, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth funded long-term peace services with a percentage of 10 percent, as well as the project areas BAG KR and AMigra with a percentage of 11 percent of total income.
The purpose of ARSP’s association requires the highest sense of responsibility and integrity towards those who are supported, employees, volunteers, donors, supporters, and cooperation partners. For this reason, Action Reconciliation Service for Peace has developed an anti-corruption policy and an ombudsman procedure.
Sponsors
Action Reconciliation Service for Peace is supported by members, supporting members, a multitude of donors, sponsors recruited by the volunteers, many church communities, and the following institutions.
Evangelischer Kirchenkreis Altenkirchen | Evangelische Landeskirche in Baden | Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern | Evangelische Kirche Berlin-Brandenburg-schlesische Oberlausitz | Evangelische Akademie zu Berlin | Evangelisch-Lutherische Landeskirche in Braunschweig | Bremische Evangelische Kirche | Evangelischer Kirchenkreis Halle-Saalkreis | Evangelisch-Lutherische Landeskirche Hannovers | Evangelische Kirche in Hessen und Nassau | Lippische Landeskirche | Evangelisch-Lutherischer Kirchenkreis Mecklenburg | Evangelische Kirche in Mitteldeutschland | Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Norddeutschland | Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Oldenburg | Evangelische Kirche der Pfalz (Protestantische Landeskirche) | Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche | Evangelische Kirche im Rheinland | Evangelisch-Lutherische Landeskirche Sachsens | Evangelisch-Lutherische Landeskirche Schaumburg-Lippe | Evangelische Kirche von Westfalen | Evangelische Landeskirche in Württemberg | Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland
Bundesamt für Familie und zivilgesellschaftliche Aufgaben | Bundesministerium des Innern und für Heimat | Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend, insb. Internationaler Jugendfreiwilligendienst, Bundesprogramm Demokratie leben! und Kinder und Jugendplan des Bundes | Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz | Bundesverwaltungsamt | ConAct – Koordinierungszentrum Deutsch-Israelischer-Jugendaustausch | Deutsche Botschaft in Paris | Deutsch-Polnisches Jugendwerk | Deutsch-Tschechischer Zukunftsfonds | Europäische Kommission | JUGEND für Europa | Landesamt für Gesundheit und Soziales Berlin | Ordentliche Gerichtsbarkeit Hessen | Ortsamt Mitte/Östliche Vorstadt der Freien Hansestadt Bremen | Sammelfonds für Geldauflagen zu Gunsten gemeinnütziger Einrichtungen Berlin | Service Civique
Anne Frank Fonds | Annie und Walter Robinsohn Stiftung | Axel Springer Stiftung | Stiftungen Bethel | Stiftung Erinnerung, Verantwortung und Zukunft (EVZ) | Stiftung Mercator | Pater-Siemaszko-Stiftung | Sandorf-Stiftung | Stephanus-Stiftung-Weißensee | Szloma-Albam-Stiftung | Stiftung Versöhnung in der Gedenkstätte Dachau | Volkswagen AG
Allianz Group | Augustinum gGmbH | Begegnung Christen und Juden Niedersachsen e. V. | Die Zeit | Internationales Bildungs und Begegnungswerk | EGC Eurogroup Consulting AG
