DONATION PROCESS

You would like to transfer a donation abroad? Or are you looking to collect donations in Germany as a foreign organisation? We will gladly support you in your charitable efforts abroad.
I would like to make a donationI am expecting a donation

THE DSZ – INTERNATIONAL GIVING FOUNDATION

01.

VERIFICATION

Verification of the non-profit status of the receiving organisation.

02.

AUTHORISATION

Transfer of the donation to the EUR/USD account of the DSZ – International Giving Foundation and subsequent support of the specified project.

03.

CONFIRMATION

Issuance of a valid, official German donation receipt.

04.

REPORT ON EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS

Assurance of adherence to increased funds utilisation history and contact with the financial authorities.

Guidelines for transfer of donations

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Recognition of non-profit status

Only organisations with a recognised non-profit status, such as associations or foundations, can be supported. The DSZ – International Giving Foundation verifies whether this is the case for the recipient of your donation. Otherwise, we are not able to process your donation.

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Project report by beneficiary organisation

The organisations benefitting from your donation commit to providing a financial and project report about the utilisation of the funds after completion of the supported project.

Free donation share

General

A free donation share is retained to cover the expenditures per donation (5% up to 100,000 Euro). If the donation exceeds this amount, 1% of the share exceeding €100,000 will be retained. In case of higher donation amounts and/or significant consulting or management requirements, special support agreements can be made. The donation receipt will be issued for the full donation amount provided to the DSZ – International Giving Foundation.

Bank fees

Possible bank fees, especially for payments outside of the SEPA countries, will be deducted from the donation amount and charged to the donor.

Help in the provision of certifications

We support receiving organisations in providing certifications in other languages. Please contact us if documents such as statutes, annual reports or confirmation of non-profit status are only available in the original language. We will gladly support you with the necessary translations.

General

A free donation share is retained to cover the expenditures per donation (5% up to 100,000 Euro). If the donation exceeds this amount, 1% of the share exceeding €100,000 will be retained. In case of higher donation amounts and/or significant consulting or management requirements, special support agreements can be made. The donation receipt will be issued for the full donation amount provided to the DSZ – International Giving Foundation.

 
 

Bank fees

Possible bank fees, especially for payments outside of the SEPA countries, will be deducted from the donation amount and charged to the donor.

Help in the provision of certifications

We support receiving organisations in providing certifications in other languages. Please contact us if documents such as statutes, annual reports or confirmation of non-profit status are only available in the original language. We will gladly support you with the necessary translations.

 

Earmarked donations below €2,000 cannot be accepted for cost and expense reasons.
Special provisions can only be made in case of regular donations.

What amount must I donate so that my intended amount is received by the organisation?

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. How must I proceed to profit from a special deduction in German when making a donation abroad?

For an enquiry, we required an official recognition of the non-profit status from the responsible financial authorities, the statutes, progress reports, a revenue and expense statement or annual report, documentation about the receipt of donations and their purposeful utilisation as well as minutes from board meetings. However, if every donor were to request this information from a non-profit organisation, donations would be associated with an additional financial strain due to increased organisational costs, making the cost/benefit factor presumably less attractive for smaller donation amounts. This is frequently a reason for donor and donation recipient to forgo the donation.

2. How does the DSZ - International Giving Foundation help?

We offer an easy, legally compliant and very comfortable solution:

Private persons and companies make an earmarked donation (for a specific organisation) to the DSZ – International Giving Foundation. After verification of the non-profit status, we support the foreign corporation according to your wishes.

3. What does the verification process entail?

Foreign corporation can submit an application to register with us. We verify whether the charitable purpose of the project aligns with the goals of our statutes.

4. What goals does the DSZ - International Giving Foundation pursue with its statutes?

As our motto is “Donations worldwide”, we fulfil all purposes of the general tax code in accordance with our statutes. We support the promotion of science and research, the promotion of religion, the promotion of public health and public healthcare, the promotion of youth and senior support, the promotion of art and culture, the promotion of preservation order, the promotion of environmental protection and landscape conservation in accordance with the Federal Environmental Protection Law and the Environmental Protection Laws of the states, environmental, coastal and flooding protection, the promotion of search services for missing persons, the promotion of rescue in case of life danger, the promotion of international disposition, of tolerance in all areas of culture and the concept of international understanding, the promotion of animal protection, the promotion of joint development work, the promotion of consumer advice and consumer protection, the promotion of equality of women and men, the promotion of the protection of marriage and family and the promotion of civil efforts in support of non-profit, charitable and church-related purposes.

5. Who pays for possible bank fees for the transfer of the donation?

Possible bank fees, for example in case of transfers outside of Europe, will be deducted directly from the donation amount. Please keep this in mind when calculating the amount of your donation. We would be happy to answer any questions.

6. For how long may a verified organisation receive donations from Germany?

The non-profit status of every receiving organisation is verified on the occasion of the first donation request. This status is valid for three years after which another review is required.

7. In short: What are the benefits for the donor?

The greatest benefit is the issuance of a German donation receipt which you would otherwise not receive for a donation to an organisation abroad. As the trustee foundation of the German Foundation Centre in the Donors’ Association for German Science, we offer utmost transparency and a stable framework to all parties involved. The DSZ has been in existence for more than 55 years and currently administers more than 660 foundations with assets of approx. three billion Euro. Furthermore, when it comes to advising and administering foundations, we voluntarily follow the principles for good foundation management of the German Foundation Centre as well as the principles of good foundation practice of the Federal Association of German Foundations.

Would you like to make a donation abroad

We will support you in your charitable efforts abroad and take over all the necessary steps, so that you can receive a German donation receipt.

Are you expecting a donation from Germany?

Potential donors from German receive a donation receipt for the donation to your organisation abroad.