Individuals

AMAIDI concentrates on two different types of projects, in neither of which the volunteer is paid:

Knowledge/competence-based/ pro bono projects: The volunteers use their skills to measurably increase the efficiency of the social organisation. Volunteers can help develop a strategy, purchase a new IT system, help to draft legally binding contracts, improve communication with key stakeholders, etc. This special form of volunteer service (probono) will enable the organisation to work more efficiently and to have more time to concentrate on its main tasks. The project mandate and milestones are clearly defined. Sometimes the project can be carried out remotely (virtual or remote). The duration of the project depends on the scope and varies from project to project. The impact of these projects is very high.

Additional manpower (hand) projects: Volunteers provide their manpower free of charge to support activities of the social organisation. Typical examples are working in a soup kitchen, serving food (e.g. at Die Tafel eV), cleaning the green areas, supporting a summer party with service staff, packing goods in the clothing store, renovation and painting work by laymen. This type of project is ideal for so-called Social Days, i.e. a 24-hour assignment in a social organisation. In most cases, these are ongoing projects and cannot be carried out remotely. The impact of these projects is rather low.

AMAIDI’s focus is on pro bono projects.

Voluntary work or voluntary activities, are “activities or work that some people do out of conviction, without being paid for it. They do so to further a cause or to help someone who lives outside their household or immediate family”.

Volunteering refers to a wide range of activities, including traditional forms of mutual help and self-help, formal civic engagement. Voluntary work is done of one’s own free will and is good for the public and for society at large. It takes place where monetary reward is not the main motivating factor. It is an expression of citizenship, social and global responsibility, and an integral part of human relations. (Source: “Volunteering – A snapshot – Exploring the role and contribution of volunteering”- UN Volunteers – 2013).

  • International Voluntary Service offers the opportunity to live and work abroad for a limited period of time. Volunteers deal with economic, social, cultural or ecological problems in their host countries and search for solutions together with their project partners. They are involved in leisure activities for orphans in Kenya, in the development of a concept for sustainable tourism in India or in campaigns against human rights violations in Colombia. The volunteers experience direct exchange with people from other cultures and thus make a valuable contribution to strengthening democracy, human rights and global solidarity.Just like the international voluntary service, the national voluntary service is usually based on a full-time (pro bono/voluntary) job, in which the volunteers are integrated into the everyday life and work of their project site.Voluntary service enables volunteers to shed everyday roles. It requires the volunteer to re-orientate and to adapt to other ways of life. In the foreground is the motivation for social commitment and the goal of intercultural learning. However, some initiators of volunteer placements benefit specifically from the expertise of their volunteers in their programmes. Especially in projects of medical aid or handicrafts, professional aptitude and experience is a prerequisite for participation in an international assignment. These are programmes that can be described as “voluntary expert service” or “pro bono”. Doctors, craftsmen, engineers or other experienced volunteers offer their expertise abroad. Certain professional qualifications are therefore crucial for some sending organisations to get involved.A comprehensive insight into the diversity of international assignments can be gained by reading the experience reports of former volunteers.

Various studies show that voluntary and competence-based commitment (probono) has a high impact. For committed people, because they find their work particularly meaningful. For organisations, because they have access to professional services to which they would otherwise lack access or budget, and for companies, because their commitment produces more satisfied and motivated employees.

While in the USA and England, for example, there are traditionally many pro bono people and companies, in Germany the issue still ranks below the perception threshold. This is despite the fact that there is a great need for pro bono services in non-profit organizations, many people would like to contribute their professional skills for the common good but do not know how, and many companies are looking for ways to make their social commitment as strategic as it is effective.

Nowadays, pro bono – short for pro bono publico, “for the public good” – is understood to mean a service donation to promote the common good, or in other words, a free service that helps a non-profit organization to achieve its goals. While monetary donations play an important role in the budget of nonprofit organizations, many nonprofits dream of more than just fat checks.

What they say they really need are donations to strengthen their organizational structures, professional expertise especially in the areas of marketing, finance, fundraising, human resources, accounting, IT and strategic planning. With such expertise donations, they can expand their pool of personnel without increasing costs. (Source:  BMW Foundation)

In the business world, pro bono means the provision of professional skills for charitable activities. In contrast to classical voluntary work, pro bono workers contribute their specific knowledge and skills. The commitment is temporary, voluntary and without payment or at a payment that is significantly below the usual market price. Pro bono commitment can be private or organized as corporate volunteering through the employer. “Social days”, on which employees of a company make their time available for a joint project outside the normal purpose of the company (e.g. employees of an advertising agency paint walls in the neighboring day care center) are a form of corporate volunteering but not pro bono commitment. Source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro_bono

Before deciding on a project and contacting AMAIDI or planning a self-organised social commitment (especially when staying abroad), interested people should be aware of their motivation and be able to justify why they want to work as a volunteer, what they expect from their commitment and why they are interested in certain tasks.

Depending on the project, the project partners may have specific requirements for the volunteers. Some knowledge of foreign languages is very useful. In addition, our project partners expect extraordinary flexibility in adapting to new situations, an open-mindedness towards foreign cultures as well as joy and the will to gain new experiences. In some cases, the place of assignment requires special commitment or psychological stability.

If you decide to volunteer abroad, you should be prepared for a preparation phase (usually at least 6 months). Early application or long-term planning is therefore advisable.

Anyone over 18 years of age who meets the project requirements can become a volunteer. Vocational and educational qualifications play a special role in knowledge transfer projects (“pro bono”), while those that only require cooperation (“helping hands”) tend to play a subordinate role.

In addition, the volunteer should have a very good knowledge of the official language of the respective target country as well as good English skills. Very important to us are openness and tolerance as well as the willingness to adapt to the working and living conditions at the place of assignment. In addition, we attach importance to a good physical constitution, resilience and flexibility.

The concrete benefits of our projects have many facets. They train determination and the will to succeed, test project management methods, expand language skills during assignments abroad, learn flexibility, tolerance and the art of improvisation.

In short, social commitment broadens educational horizons, personal skills and increases satisfaction at home, in retirement and at work.

This is true at first sight! On closer inspection, the selection of a suitable and safe project is a very time-consuming matter, which also involves risks.

With AMAIDI you have a competent and experienced partner at your side, who will support you where you need assistance. We have long-standing contacts to project partners in Europe, Asia, Africa, Central and South America who need your knowledge and support. We not only place you in a project that meets your requirements, suitability and wishes, but also guarantee you appropriate preparation as well as qualified and authentic support before, during and after your assignment.

The staff of AMAIDI have their own sound experience and some of them have already worked as volunteers in a project. We only work together with project sponsors who are personally known to us and with whom we have a written agreement; this creates the necessary framework for security and sustainability in the projects.

Interested persons and employees of socially committed companies can apply for specific projects or simply submit speculative applications with details of the target country, duration of assignment, working hours, age, project orientation and main focus of the task.

Please submit a non-binding application together with your application documents consisting of your letter of motivation and your curriculum vitae (in the case of stays abroad, please submit both in English).

It can be used in social institutions, health care, nature and animal protection as well as in the field of renewable energies and much more. You can find an overview of our project categories under project overview.

AMAIDI mediates in projects of different orientation. Your specific expertise and personal advice is required in the areas of organisation, marketing, IT, advertising, fundraising, strategy, law, project management, sales, finance, controlling, but also production. Tasks in social institutions, in nature and animal protection as well as in the field of renewable energies make the projects versatile.

In concrete terms this means for example Creation of a strategy, development of a logo, design of an internet presence, painting a wall by a painter, building a new counter in the sports centre by an experienced carpenter, writing a press release, assistance in controlling, annual accounts or bookkeeping. Click here for the projects.

You first apply for a specific project or initiative for a voluntary commitment at home or abroad.

In the application form, you have the option of indicating whether you are interested in just one of our projects or in several.

And this is how it continues after my application:

AMAIDI does not mediate in crisis, disaster and war zones!

Yes, we also offer projects where you do not have to be a local partner of the project. Nevertheless, we recommend regular meetings for quality assurance, either online or in person.

The total costs depend on the goal and duration of the assignment as well as the services booked. For preparation, placement and support before, during and after your assignment we charge a placement fee. This is due in advance and only in case of a successful placement!

In order not to burden the project budget, the volunteer takes over the costs of the stay himself. The costs for transport in the country, accommodation and food are between 50 and 150 Euro per week, depending on the destination and the orientation of the project. Costs for travel to and from the country, insurance (an international health insurance can be booked through AMAIDI from about 1.10 EUR per day), health care (vaccinations), visa formalities and any additional qualification measures that may be necessary, such as language courses or intensive preparation through a seminar lasting several days, are not included in this price.

Some of our projects offer accommodation and meals with host families without any fee. An exact cost breakdown will be provided with the volunteer contract.

As a non-profit organisation, we do not make a financial profit with this contribution. Rather, the cost contribution is calculated in such a way that we can cover all costs incurred. Read more about the services included in this contribution here.

In general, it can be said that voluntary work is priceless. What you do, you do of your own free will, for the cause, the people and for yourself. Realistically speaking, voluntary services, whether national or international, can only be realised if the volunteers contribute financially to the expenses incurred (for preparation, placement, support etc.). Furthermore, placement in a project is a labour and time-intensive process. In addition to the volunteers’ wishes regarding location, field of activity, time and duration of the assignment, arrangements must be made with our team on site and with the project partner, and tasks must be worked out and monitored. In addition, you will be individually prepared by AMAIDI and thus receive the necessary security for your assignment.

In order to be able to provide a professional mediation, AMAIDI also has to incur expenses. They include preliminary talks, clarification of the project scope and objectives with the social organisations, preparation of the project description and publication on various platforms, active advertising to find suitable candidates, support before, during and after the project and evaluation of our work and the projects.

We are continuously working to further reduce these costs. If you have any constructive suggestions in this regard, please feel free to let us know.

After submitting your application documents (CV and letter of motivation in English) online via amaidi.org, the services essentially include

Sending a suitable project description of the cooperation partners to the volunteer after checking his/her qualifications and suitability (in case of unsolicited applications);
Presentation of the anonymised applicant profile to the cooperation partners of AMAIDI (in case of applications for an existing project);
Negotiations with cooperation partners and support of the volunteer in concluding an agreement on the project assignment with the cooperation partner.
Individual placement in a project according to your wishes and qualifications.
Information about the project, the project partner, the project environment and the target country.
Coordination of an interview with the project partner
Checklists and guidelines for your preparation.
Individual support before, during and after the project assignment by a coordinator in your national language before departure and a coordinator in the national language or English on site.
Organisation of the airport transfer on arrival in the destination country.
Qualified proof of activity after return.
Overview of costs and type of accommodation, meals, airport transfer.
Administration costs
Please note that we have a lead time of up to 6 months!

Services not included: Outward and return journey, travel insurance, vaccinations, personal expenses for leisure time, means of transport, etc.

On request and for a fee: Assistance with visa formalities, flight bookings and reintegration into working life.

Our aim is to give an approximate total price that covers as many costs as possible. However, some costs vary for various reasons and are therefore not included in the project description.

In addition to the placement fees, there are costs for travel to and from the conference, travel insurance, vaccinations, local transportation, international health insurance, visa and residence permit (if necessary), health care (vaccinations), travel and accommodation to the preparatory and follow-up conference, liability insurance, personal expenses and any additional qualification measures that may be necessary, such as language courses.

An exact cost statement for your assignment will be handed over to you with the proof of placement (COA).

If things get tight financially, please contact us, because some projects offer free accommodation. In addition, we would be happy to help you set up a circle of supporters.

The cost distribution using the example of the Thailand program for a 4-week stay:

Travel expenses41%
41%
Costs in Thailand26%
26%
coordination and supervision10%
10%
Reserves & scholarship fund10%
10%
Administration5%
5%
Taxes in Germany5%
5%
Insurance2%
2%

In addition to checklists and guidelines on all organisational, legal and financial issues such as health care, insurance, contents of a sabbatical contract etc., we provide you with further project information.

On request and for a fee, we will also be happy to prepare you individually according to your wishes and needs. For this purpose, we organise a preparatory workshop with impulses for intercultural competence, as well as the exchange of experiences with alumni will prepare you comprehensively for your assignment.

AMAIDI organizes your pick up at the airport and your accommodation.

During your entire on-site assignment, we will be in regular contact with you and, in addition to the project manager, will be your contact person.

When comparing costs with other providers (intermediaries), we recommend paying particular attention to the following points:

Which services are included?
Do I book a trip or participation in a social project?
Will I be advised on my desired engagement or do I only get one address?
Is it a commercial provider with profit-making intentions, or a social enterprise that lets its profit flow back into its projects.
How extensive are the individual services? How long do preparation and follow-up work take, for example?
For what period of time do the prices apply?
What are the quality criteria?
What are the cancellation conditions?

For all questions concerning our services, we are of course available personally!

Working as a volunteer through AMAIDI involves costs. Financing can be done from own resources, but also by building up a sponsor or support group through one of our cooperation partners, such as helfen-kostet-nix.de or through a scholarship.

Just contact us for further tips.

If things get tight with funding, we suggest that volunteers set up a support group. This means that the volunteers look for people in their environment who are willing to support them financially during their stay abroad. For this purpose we provide volunteers with professional tools and access to platforms such as www.betterplace.de, www.project-boost.de and www.helfen-kostet-nichts.de.

In more and more cases, companies sponsor the voluntary commitment of their employees. Since they see this as a sustainable effect, they are willing to assume social responsibility, strengthen their employer brand and pursue innovative paths. Just contact us, we will be happy to support you in this.

A support group consists of people or institutions that are willing to donate a certain amount of money to AMAIDI for voluntary services, i.e. for commitment and intercultural exchange. This helps AMAIDI to cover the costs of voluntary services, especially abroad. AMAIDI is a social enterprise that does not follow the principle of making a profit, but rather idealistic goals such as civic engagement and social development. It is therefore desirable that the volunteers become active and put together a so-called support group with an average amount of 3,000 EUR. For the EU programmes, a funding amount of 2,750 EUR in the weltwärts programme and 3,900 EUR in the IJFD is to be initiated both programmes are only valid for volunteers up to 28 years of age. Detailed tips and advice on how to set up a support group can be found in the AMAIDI brochure “Information on how to successfully set up a support group” in the protected area.

If the volunteer wishes to resign after the start of the volunteer placement, the fees will not be refunded. The money will be donated to the respective project for which the volunteer has registered. A cancellation of the volunteer assignment or the booked additional services must be made in writing by email. Please use our cancellation form_english.

–> Further information can be found in the volunteer contract, which will be sent to you after your application.

AMAIDI is a non-profit company with limited liability (Social Enterprise), i.e. we work without profits. All income is spent for the purposes defined in the statutes. The costs for the organisation of a voluntary activity arise because…

The volunteers are intensively prepared and accompanied before, during and after the assignment, both in the sending country and the host country
a suitable project is found and, in the case of projects abroad, even a place to live
a cooperation with international partner partners in this form is only possible if there is a competent, trained and experienced contact person on site.

Of course, administration also costs money. Payment must be made from the revenues: Coordinators in the national organisations, internet presence and its technical adjustments, office rent, office supplies, postage, accounting, insurance, general administration and personnel costs, etc.

Actually, one would have to pay even more, but AMAIDI receives funding from the European Union, the German government and various foundations, as well as from donors and paying members / other supporters.

The importance of the honorary commitment of many people cannot be expressed in numbers – because IT IS PRICELESS!

On our website you will find information and checklists for your preparation. Especially for projects abroad, we are happy to support you with your travel preparations and questions about flight offers, visa formalities, health care, etc.

A protected area is available for this purpose.

In some cases, the project partner covers the costs of transport within the project or provides a subsidy for accommodation and meals.

Accommodation was generally examined by the coordinators and selected according to the criteria of infrastructure, service and location. The costs and detailed description of the accommodation can be found in the project description (VJD).

The minimum accommodation requirements for our volunteers are usually as follows:

Lockable room for individual use (privacy),
House key (if there is no separate entrance)
Access to the bathroom (preferably for sole use)
bed with mattress, bed linen changed every 7 days
Cupboard, chair, table, waste container, drinking water (bottle or water filter/canister)
adequate lighting (preferably both ceiling and table lights)
adequate ventilation (air conditioning, ceiling or standing/table fan, windows),
in the immediate vicinity (1-2km) of the project
Mosquito net and (local) insect repellent (bobbin, incense, ointments)
Food should be produced in a hygienic manner
Drinking water should be safe (germ-free) and available in sufficient quantity

If there are no rooms available in the accommodation at the given time, alternatives will be presented. If the volunteers do not agree with the accommodation in question, changes can be made. ONLY if the reasons seem plausible, we will look for new accommodation of the same standard. Change requests must be submitted in writing by email. Depending on availability in the accommodation, they will be reviewed within 72 hours. AMAIDI will not take over any additional costs for the change of accommodation.

Important note: In order to ensure a peaceful coexistence and a harmonious cooperation in the accommodation, AMAIDI has established rules of conduct which must be followed and respected. In case of non-compliance, AMAIDI reserves the right to cancel the placement without the volunteer being entitled to a refund of money.

You will only receive offers that match your qualifications and details in the volunteer agreement.

On request, an interview will take place between you and the project partner. This can take place via telephone, Skype or in a personal meeting. A representative of AMAIDI is always present. AMAIDI only proposes you to the project partner as a suitable candidate.

AMAIDI has no influence on the success of the application, since the project partner and the project manager in the respective target country make the final decision.

Um den Einsatz für Sie, für das Projekt und für die Projektmitarbeiter vor Ort sinnvoll und nachhaltig zu gestalten, ist ein Mindesteinsatz von drei Wochen wünschenswert. Der Einsatz kann maximal 12 Monate dauern.

If necessary, missing qualifications can be acquired during the preparation for this. If you lack language skills, it is recommended that you take a language course as preparation.

Please contact us if we can support you in finding a suitable training institute. AMAIDI has special conditions with many institutions.

As a volunteer you commit yourself to use your skills to the best of your knowledge and belief for the benefit of the non-profit organisation. Working hours vary depending on the project and country of assignment. As a rule, you are not entitled to holidays. However, days off or possible holidays can be arranged with the local project team.

The exact conditions will be handed over to you with the agency contract.

All project partners have entered into a written agreement with AMAIDI, many of them work exclusively with AMAIDI and are usually known personally to AMAIDI staff.

Projects must already exist and have been developed on their own initiative. All projects are financially independent and sustainable.

AMAIDI must have a clearly formulated project application (VJD) including information about the duration and goal of the project.

AMAIDI cannot guarantee 100% sustainability in the projects. However, sustainability can be positively influenced by long-term monitoring and a largely standardised reporting system.

The main contact persons on site are the respective employees in the project. You will know their names before you leave the country. It is recommended to contact them from home via email or telephone. Furthermore, AMAIDI team members on site and at their home location are always available by phone and email during your assignment.

No, your involvement in a project is free of charge (pro-bono) However, your personal profit is not to be neglected. By working with AMAIDI you have the opportunity to develop your personality individually. In addition, employers nowadays place increased value on positions in the CV that speak for social competence, experience abroad and intercultural understanding. Thus, a commitment pays off twice for you.

You can find out which employers attach particular importance to this here.

The special thing about volunteer work is that it is priceless. What you do, you do of your own free will, for the cause, the people and for yourself. Depending on the institution, volunteers receive: free further training, free admission to events, reimbursement of travel costs, free food and/or accommodation, accident and liability insurance, as well as proof of activity or other benefits, such as a donation receipt in the amount of the volunteer lump sum of approx. 500 EUR per year.

Voluntary work is voluntary and unpaid. It is not a hidden employment relationship and can be terminated at any time. Your entitlement to unemployment benefit remains intact. However, entering a profession has priority over voluntary work. You must therefore report any voluntary work of more than 15 hours per week to the employment agency.

AMAIDI has child protection agreements with clearly described roles and responsibilities. The provision stipulates that the volunteers, the project partners as well as the staff are checked during the selection process to see whether they have already been convicted of criminal offences. A special written agreement will be drawn up to inform the volunteers and the project partners about child rights and child protection. A reporting procedure for suspected cases of violence and abuse is part of our child protection strategy.

We take the rights of children very seriously and therefore do not support orphanage tourism!

As a volunteer at AMAIDI you can not only do something good and thus make a contribution to society. With your commitment you will also gain valuable experience in your field and expand your personal and professional network. In addition, as a volunteer you also have access to other volunteers and socially committed companies.

You can determine that yourself. It is important to us that everyone who wants to make a difference can get involved. Flexibility is therefore very important to us. That’s why we try to offer projects with different amounts of time. No matter whether you want to get involved once or regularly. To ensure that your commitment really helps the organisation and that you benefit from it, the minimum is three weeks. In addition, preparation and follow-up in the form of emails or personal meetings can take a total of 1-2 additional hours in the days/weeks before and after your commitment.

Of course, we are also at your and the project partner’s side after the placement and during the project phase. Should problems arise, we will try to mediate between you. Should they still not get along with each other, we will also find a suitable solution for all parties involved.

You can register as a volunteer at any time free of charge and without obligation. You will then become part of our volunteer pool. If you do not want to receive any offers from us, you can simply indicate this in the comment field during registration. We will only contact you again if you contact us again yourself.

A debriefing will take place after your return. Here the project is evaluated from all angles and you have the opportunity to share your experience with future volunteers.

If a non-remuneration (i.e. honorary) of the service is regulated in the contract, no tax deduction can be claimed, therefore the volunteers do not receive a donation receipt. However, institutions for the promotion of charitable, benevolent and ecclesiastical purposes may pay a so-called flat-rate honorary office fee to cover expenses in accordance with § 3 No. 26 a EStG. For the volunteer, this “income” is generally tax-free up to an amount of 720 EUR/year.

Corporate

Sustainable and meaningful engagement requires that cooperation is characterized by mutual understanding.

You say YES! to social commitment and not just at your desk?
You have more than a short-term interest and want to be more than just a financier?
For you CSR does not stop at the desk?
You have recognized that talent management needs other ways?
Do you want your employees to be an essential part of your company’s capital and that social commitment creates added value for all involved?
Are you ready to break new ground?
Are you looking for innovative pro bono, corporate volunteering programs and personnel development measures?

Then you are the right company for us!

Together with you, we will develop a suitable strategy for promoting the development of your most important resource – your employees – through targeted social commitment. Taking into account the overriding corporate goals, we support you in every phase of your employee involvement. We accompany you from the strategic conception of a pilot to the further development and scaling of existing engagement programs.

We offer you our many years of expertise in the search for and selection of suitable non-profit organizations and ensure the success of your engagement program based on proven quality standards. Because successful engagement inspires your employees and your charitable partners alike.

Of course, we are also available to you after the placement and during the implementation of the project as a contact partner. Should problems arise, we will endeavour to find a suitable solution for all parties involved.

Its employees volunteer their time to support a good cause. The “good deed” of your company is therefore in the foreground.

However, since WIN-WIN-WIN is very important to us, we always try to ensure that your company receives appropriate recognition, e.g. in the form of a reference or mention in an article of the organisation. After consultation with the organisation, it is of course also possible that you communicate your commitment on your company page. We also regularly report on projects on our Facebook page and in our newsletter. We are also happy to support you in communicating your engagement activities. Please do not hesitate to contact us.

Many nonprofit organizations can only partially implement their plans or not with maximum impact. With the support of your employees, you can support the activities of e.g. an educational institution for children, a care for the elderly, an animal or environmental protection organization.

Furthermore, you can expect that these corporate volunteering activities will have a positive effect on the skills and motivation of your employees. They offer them the opportunity to apply and develop their expertise in a completely new environment. Last but not least, your customers will also take positive note of your activities.

Certainly! We strive to offer you the widest possible range of projects so that several employees can work on one project. Should you not find a suitable project with us at the moment, please contact us so that we can find one for you. We would be pleased to discuss your individual ideas in a meeting.

Please fill out our contact form

You can decide that for yourself. It is important to us that everyone who wants to do something good gets the chance.

So that you and your employees can also get involved, we try to make your commitment as flexible as possible and according to your ideas. We would be happy to coordinate the time and space conditions with you in a personal meeting.

Please fill out our contact form.

Of course! Please also register if you would like to get involved with your employees at a later date. We will be happy to include you in our volunteer database.

We will contact you as soon as a project is available that meets your individual needs and expectations as well as the time frame you specify.

Please fill out our contact form.

Projekt Partner | NPOs

AMAIDI is personal, flexible and skilled-based. It is especially important to us that the human being and his commitment are in the foreground. Therefore, we take every placement personally and are available to all participants as contact persons during the entire project phase.

Furthermore, we are convinced that through flexibility in terms of space and time we can give even more people the chance to get involved in the projects and thus support more charitable organisations.

While we value general volunteer work very highly, we focus on specialist commitment. In this way, we ensure that organisations are supported by experts in their respective fields and that volunteers can also develop professionally in their own specialist area through their commitment.

To get one or more volunteers placed through AMAIDI, you must first register online to become one of our selected project partners. We will thoroughly check your application according to the following criteria, among others, and from time to time we will visit you to get a first-hand impression of your work

Your organisation is recognised as a non-profit organisation in your country and you can prove this with a certificate
The project must already exist or be initiated by your organization.
The project must be financially independent, because AMAIDI supports only with knowledge, not with money.
The project is designed to be sustainable and should be implemented and further developed independently by the project owners in the future.

During our cooperation you are an important companion and partner for the volunteer. If your projects focus on working with children, it is important that you accept and sign our Child Protection Policy. These are part of our Project Partner Agreement, which we will send to you after checking the online registration. You must also submit your requirements in our online project description, including information on the duration and objective of the project and, if applicable, accommodation and meals.

–> AMAIDI does not initiate and finance projects!

Yes, there are selection criteria. These include

Your organization is recognized as a non-profit organization in your country and you can prove this by a certificate
The project must already exist or be initiated by your organization.
The project must be financially independent, because AMAIDI supports only with knowledge, not with money.
The project is designed to be sustainable and should be implemented and further developed independently by the project owners in the future.
If your project focuses on working with children, it is important that you accept and sign our Child Protection Policy.
You must name at least one permanent contact person, because you are an important companion and partner for the volunteer.

To register a project; you must first become our project partner.

Apply here as a project partner and then submit your project (VJD) to us without obligation.

In a joint discussion, we determine the personnel requirements for volunteers, publish the job advertisement and take over the entire procurement process.

If you have any questions about the course of a placement process, you will find answers here on the right.

Make an appointment today with one of our consultants or apply as a project partner

AMAIDI places volunteers from a wide range of fields. After receiving your project application, AMAIDI will compare your requirements with the current pool of applicants or will start looking for a suitable candidate.

Of course, we try to recruit a suitable volunteer as soon as possible. As it is especially important to us to find someone who fits your organisation and project, the duration of the placement can vary according to the complexity, duration and location of the project.

Experience has shown that the search, preparation and placement can take about six months from the moment the project (VJD) is received and published.  We therefore recommend that projects be placed with some advance notice if possible, so that we can start the search early.

In order not to burden the project budget, the actual project assignment of the volunteer in the target country is free of charge for you. In return, the costs for transport within the project and/or for accommodation and food should be covered by you in whole or in part.

The individual preparation and placement of volunteers is a labour- and time-intensive process. As the project sponsor, you will contribute to the costs for the placement, as well as the preparation and follow-up of your desired candidate.

While the programmes at AMAIDI are offered completely free of charge for non-profit organisations, pro bono requires a lot of time and occasionally other resources (e.g. the printing budget for a brochure). It is important to recognise that qualified volunteers and non-profit organisations need to invest time and energy to make the pro bono work work. However, the return on this investment is often enormous.

The selection of suitable volunteers is a very time-consuming and labour-intensive process. The resulting costs must therefore be passed on to all those involved.

Costs are incurred for: creating and advertising the position on the website; selecting a suitable candidate; adequate preparation; comprehensive support before, during and after the assignment; setting up a reporting system to measure the progress and success of the project, which can also be used for the assignment.

No, the volunteer does not receive any financial remuneration. However, an appreciation in the form of an honest thank-you, targeted public relations work, good general conditions with regard to work and accommodation, the issue of a qualified proof of activity, as well as integration into the existing team are taken for granted.

You will be presented with candidate profiles that correspond to your information in the project description (VJD). If you reject the first candidate, another candidate will be presented to you after discussing the reasons.

AMAIDI conducts a personal interview with each candidate. Furthermore, an interview between you and the candidate takes place on request. This can be done via telephone, Skype or in a personal meeting. A representative of AMAIDI will be present if desired.

In order to make the assignment meaningful and sustainable for you, the project, the project staff on site and ultimately the volunteer, a minimum assignment of three weeks is required. A volunteer can be requested for a maximum of 12 months. If you wish and if it makes sense for the success of the project, we also place volunteers for shorter assignments.

The project description undergoes a multi-stage review process after submission and before publication.

If you already have problems filling out the online form, we will be happy to help you.

Simply contact us or send us a message.

All volunteers must provide proof of their experience in the relevant field. If you are not satisfied with your performance, we would be happy to receive your feedback. We are very interested in ensuring that the projects maintain the high quality standard.

Of course, we will also be at your and the volunteer’s side after the placement and during the project assignment. Should problems arise, we will therefore try to act as mediator in the first step. Should you still not get along with each other, we will try to find a solution for all parties involved.

Of course. You can post several projects via the link to our project form. Please keep in mind that the preparation and implementation of each project takes time. We therefore recommend that you do not post too many projects for the same period of time, so that the effort remains manageable on your side and the respective project can actually be implemented as soon as we have found a suitable candidate.

That depends entirely on your project. Depending on the complexity and duration of the project, the effort can range from a few hours to a few weeks.

For each project, however, it is necessary to submit a short description of the project and the requirements for the volunteer. You can enter the exact requirements in our online project form.

In addition, we ask organisations to provide non-material recognition for AMAIDI after the end of the project, e.g. in the form of a written reference or mention in a report. The exact kind of this “giving back” will be agreed individually for each project and can therefore also be co-designed.

Donations

You can transfer your donation in favour of the work of AMAIDI or by stating the desired project and your address to the following account:

bank account details:
Triodos Bank
IBAN EN14 5003 1000 1025 498 000 BIC TRODDEF1

Payment from abroad: We kindly ask you to make payments from abroad by SEPA transfer or PAYPAL, the accounts for this can be found here. (insert PAYPAL)

Please always state your full address on your bank transfer so that we can issue you with a donation receipt.

At AMAIDI you can donate here in a comfortable way also with VISA, EUROCARD/Master Card or American Express credit cards.

For booking reasons, the donation will be booked with a delay (four to six weeks). Your data will be protected by SSL secure server technology to the highest standards.

Please always state your full address when making a transfer so that we can issue a donation receipt.

AMAIDI International gGmbH was founded in Germany in 2014 and is recognised as a non-profit organisation. The tax office regularly checks the non-profit status of our work and the use of the funds. Donations to AMAIDI International gGmbH are tax-deductible according to the current notice of exemption.

As a private person, your donation reduces your taxable income. Taxpayers can deduct up to 20% of their total income as special expenses when donating for charitable purposes.

As a company, they can deduct 4% of the sum of your total turnover and the wages and salaries spent in the calendar year as special expenses for tax purposes.

The donation deduction is uniformly increased to 20% of the total annual income. The different rates of previously 5% and 10% will no longer apply. There will no longer be a distinction between donations for charitable or non-profit purposes.

Donations up to 200 Euro are accepted without an official donation receipt. As a donor, you can always submit your bank statement to the tax office as a receipt to claim your donation. Alternatively, you can also submit your bank statement and a simplified proof of donation to the tax office. You can download the grant statement here.

From an annual amount of 200 Euros you will automatically receive a collective confirmation (in January of the following year!). Of course we can also issue individual receipts on request.

Please contact us!

The donations provide financial support for selected projects and cover the costs of organisational expenses such as administration costs, acquisition, controlling and evaluation of project partners, projects and volunteers, further development and implementation of the projects, orientation and support of the volunteers, training and education of the project partners as well as the financing of the project itself. The donations are tax deductible.

We attach great importance to transparency in the handling of donations, however, administrative costs are necessary and useful for our work. In this regard, we maintain open communication and are happy to call upon you to help us constructively shape our budget planning.

AMAIDI International gGmbH is exempt from corporate income tax according to the annex to the corporate income tax assessment of the tax office Bergisch Gladbach tax number 204/5804/0495 of 16.03.2019 according to § 5 para. 1 no. 9 of the corporate income tax law and according to § 3 no. 6 of the trade tax law from trade tax.

Glossary

In our glossary you will find explanations of a list of terms with attached explanations, which we use on our website. Please click here to access it.