Deutsche Humanitäre Stiftung

The Deutsche Humanitäre Stiftung (DHS) is a private, non-profit foundation based in Wiesbach in the Palatinate region of Germany. It was founded in 1991 as an association and converted into a foundation in 1994. The organisation describes itself as politically and confessionally independent and states that it pursues no commercial goals. It is under state supervision and is a member of the Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen (Association of German Foundations). The foundation's work grew out of a spontaneous aid transport organised by around 65 young people from Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland who, returning from a trip to Italy through the former Yugoslavia, witnessed the outbreak of the Balkan war. A 40-tonne truck provided by the Karlsberg/Homburg brewery carried the first relief supplies. What began as a one-off action became continuous aid, and by 1994 supporters from across Germany as well as Austria and Switzerland had joined, leading to the establishment of the DHS as the legal vehicle for the activities. Today the DHS focuses on helping children and their families through sponsorship programmes and targeted relief operations during major disasters. Its core concept combines emergency aid with educational support: school lessons, courses and individual assistance. The foundation reports fixed projects in Mexico, Georgia and the Philippines, and it has carried out time-limited special projects such as aid for Kosovo and flood relief in 2002. It maintains its own offices in Germany, Mexico, Georgia and the Philippines and employs eight permanent staff members, with a project office in Germany. The DHS states that it is financed almost entirely through sponsorship contributions, donations and supporting memberships. It explicitly says it receives no state support and no funds from companies, NGOs or churches. According to its own figures, around 500 sponsors, donors and supporting members sustain its projects, and administrative costs are kept between 15 and 18 percent, meaning that 83–85 percent of donated funds reach the intended purpose. The foundation is recognised as charitable, donations are tax-deductible, and donors automatically receive a donation receipt and an annual report. It is subject to state supervision and has an honorary foundation council that advises it and helps decide on the aid deployed.

The Deutsche Humanitäre Stiftung (DHS) traces its origins to 1991, when a group of around 65 young people from a youth association in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland returned from a trip to Italy through the former Yugoslavia and witnessed the outbreak of the Balkan war at close range. Deeply affected, they spontaneously organised a relief transport using a 40-tonne truck generously provided by the Karlsberg/Homburg brewery. This one-off action evolved into continuous aid. By 1994 the initiative had attracted supporters from across Germany as well as from Austria and Switzerland. In that year the Deutsche Humanitäre Stiftung was founded as the legal entity to carry the activities, and the original association was converted into a foundation. The foundation is a legally capable foundation under private law (rechtsfähige Stiftung des privaten Rechts) and is recognised as charitable. It operates under state supervision and is a member of the Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen. Over the following years the DHS concentrated increasingly on helping children and their families. It established fixed projects in Mexico, Georgia and the Philippines, and it carried out time-limited special projects such as aid for Kosovo and flood relief in 2002. The foundation maintains its own offices in Germany, Mexico, Georgia and the Philippines, and it employs eight permanent staff members, including a project office in Germany. According to its own statements, the DHS is politically and confessionally independent and pursues no commercial goals. Its work is financed almost entirely through child sponsorships, donations and supporting memberships. It states that it receives no state support and no funds from companies, NGOs or churches. Around 500 sponsors, donors and supporting members sustain its projects. Administrative costs are kept between 15 and 18 percent, meaning that 83–85 percent of donated funds reach the intended purpose. Donations are tax-deductible, and donors automatically receive a donation receipt and an annual report. An honorary foundation council advises the foundation and helps decide on the aid deployed.

• 2002

  Carried out flood relief as a special project.

• 1994

  Converted into a foundation (Deutsche Humanitäre Stiftung) with supporters from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

• 1991

  Founded as an association after a spontaneous relief transport to the former Yugoslavia.

A private, independent foundation helping where no one else looks, funded entirely by private donations and sponsorships.

• Child sponsorships

• Educational support (school lessons, courses)

• Emergency relief

• Fixed projects in Mexico, Georgia and the Philippines

• Special projects (e.g. Kosovo aid, 2002 flood relief)

1. 1Deutsche Humanitäre Stiftung – Kinderpatenschaften und Entwicklungszusammenarbeitxn--deutsche-humanitre-stiftung-qkc.de
2. 2Über uns – Deutsche Humanitäre Stiftungxn--deutsche-humanitre-stiftung-qkc.de
3. 3Deutsche Humanitäre Stiftungwikidata.org
4. 4Deutsche Humanitäre Stiftungde.wikipedia.org