#17/25 Rich and Poor

Dear readers,

for about a year now, I have been working every now and then at the Bahnhofsmission at Berlin's Zoo station. It is the place for those who are no longer welcome anywhere else. I make sandwiches, pour a lot of sugar into a lot of coffee, follow the instructions of the (admirable) full-time staff. And I learn a lot that I haven't learned in two decades of working on social problems at conference tables, behind computers and on stages.

Above all, however, I understand how difficult and full of contradictions it is to solve problems from the outside - and mostly from above, whatever that means. Manuela Müller (Freie Presse) describes this brilliantly in "The Dark Side of Giving" using the example of the Christmas packages from the Zwickauer Tafel. Her article was just recognized by the Reporter:innen-Forum (which I recommended in Newsletter 15 on democracy and journalism) as local reportage of the year.

Many civil society organizations are currently experiencing a pitch-black year: cuts in state funding, a populist discussion about the "NGO complex", and currently 15% fewer private donations than in the previous year. Something is tipping right now.

On the other hand, at first glance, probably the largest single donation of all time, which Susan and Michael Dell have just made, may appear in a bright light. I will write about its downside in the Handelsblatt this week - a small preview can be found below.

Despite this, or perhaps precisely because of this, I have dared to share a list of organizations that have impressed me. As always, they can be supported with a donation to my FO Foundation (which I will then distribute) or directly via bcause.

A number that stays in your head: 14%

The German Donation Council is sounding the alarm. Nationally, 14% less was donated by November than in the previous year, and in Berlin and Brandenburg even 20% less. Donations have been stagnating for years, and foundation assets are already short of €30 billion compared to the development of private wealth. The crisis of giving has entered its acute phase.

There are many reasons for the crisis. I described some of them in my book "Der gefesselte Wohlstand". But this year, the state has also turned from an ally of civil society into a problem. And I don't just mean the cuts in democracy, culture and development work. Cuts have always occurred.

What has not happened in Germany for ninety years is a political discredit of non-governmental organizations disguised as "just asking questions". And not only from the AfD. I don't care at all from which party corner the suggestion comes that NGOs are funded intransparently and should not actually express themselves politically. Both are simply wrong, and I am grateful that some colleagues have taken the trouble to set this straight clearly.

A person who occupies my mind: Michael Dell

The founder of the computer company of the same name and his wife want to donate 6.25 billion dollars. The idea sounds ingenious: 25 million children are to receive an additional $250 each - in education accounts that are endowed with $1,000 by the government. These will be invested in stocks to enable education and wealth accumulation. This rhymes with ideas in this country concerning basic inheritance, stock yield and education vouchers.

However, the matter has several catches: The "Trump Accounts", into which the money is meant to flow, are politically charged, bureaucratically difficult to access and only available to US citizens. Experts fear that the wealthy are more likely to benefit. And some Republicans make no secret of the fact that they see the model as a prelude to dismantling the state's basic social security.

An idea for further thought

My Christmas list of organizations that impress me focuses on poverty (in Germany). As always, these are not scientifically based recommendations, but a personal selection. Most of the time, I know the founders or have my own experience with the projects and institutions. All of them are recognized as non-profit organizations and can be funded via bcause without any Transaction fee.

1. The Bahnhofsmission offers people in acute poverty a safe place at the train station where they can immediately find support and orientation.

2. Sanktionsfrei empowers disadvantaged job seekers by providing digital guidance and solidary protection against sanctions that threaten their livelihood.

3. Querstadtein makes visible how poverty and exclusion shape the city, as formerly homeless people or refugees share their own perspectives in guided tours.

4. Die Gelbe Villa offers children and young people from financially disadvantaged families a free space to learn, create and grow.

5. Statefree supports stateless people, who often live in extreme legal and social uncertainty, through counseling, community and political participation.

6. Wohn:sinn creates inclusive housing models and stable networks for people with disabilities who are often excluded from social participation.

7. KARUNA accompanies young people affected by poverty, homelessness or crises with mobile aid and safe spaces.

8. Gründer 50 Plus offers people in precarious circumstances a new professional start and boosts economic participation in later working life.

9. Team U Restart (Anonymous Insolvents) provides support for people after insolvency and shows ways out of financial distress into a self-determined restart.

I plan my next lists on the topics of climate protection and education. Suggestions are very welcome and will be rewarded with bcause donation vouchers. These appear as credit in the free bcause foundation account and can be used at any time for any organization - and earn interest in the meantime. Also works great as a Christmas present!