Financing of the Organization

The financing of Little Brothers at the international level is based on the idea of being independent from government or church institutions.

The financing of petits frères des Pauvres - Freunde alter Menschen e. V. in Germany follows these basic policies, but at the same time it also takes the national characteristics into consideration. We do not rule out a partial financing by national institution categorically, as long as our independence is not affected. Thus, we are a registered non-profit charitable organization and member of the Deutscher Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband (DPW) - German association of social service organizations that are not politically or religiously affiliated.

In order to reach the donor and to publicize the Freunde alter Menschen, we go purposefully to the public. In co-operation with the state opera Berlin a large tribute concert was held in 2004 and in October the "month of the elderly" gained some attention on the street. The readiness of the people in Germany to donate for small projects is rather small, in contrast to larger sums given for international aids. For this reason we must also go further to the public to gain a larger consciousness for local projects and first of all for the interests of lonely elderly.

The donation financing is based on the thought that, like the relationship between the elderly and the volunteers, a donation is the result of a freely made decision. Donors and sponsors should not be bare "financial sources", but substantially multiplicators for the spreading of the basic ideas of the organization. We always follow our principle of accepting no donations from the cared elderly.

Beside the possibility of donations, we created the possibility of becoming “donating member”. This enable the people who support us, if they want it, to discuss and participate in decisions concerning the future of the organization. The sum of the contribution is thereby not fixed.