Guaranteed donation transparency
Our definition for transperancy
Donations are a matter of trust. BOS Germany is a reputable association and recognised as a non-profit organisation that is particularly worthy of support. Furthermore, we have joined the Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft (Transparency International Initiative). Transparency, however, means more to us than just participating in the relevant alliances. That is why we annually publish both an activity report as well as a financial report, detailing what income we have received and from where, how it has been spent and what we have been able to achieve with your support.
BOS Germany and chargeable donation seals
We had been a member of the Deutscher Spendenrat e.V. for many years and were also very satisfied with the level of cooperation. However, membership and the formal examination required for granting and retaining membership involve considerable costs. The fees are calculated as a percentage of the total annual income. Currently, they would be approx. 0.04% of our yearly income. For BOS Germany, this would result in additional costs of about 8,000 Euros. As we strive to keep our administrative costs as low as possible in order to generate a greater and direct flow of donations into the projects on Borneo, we have withdrawn from this membership.
We guarantee our donors and supporters the greatest possible transparency and trustworthiness:
- Irrespective of our decision described above, we have committed ourselves to the principles of the German Donations Council and continue to operate in accordance with them. In our annual activity and financial reports, which can be accessed online, we provide information on general conditions, achievements, developments and trends in the organisation’s areas of activity and in the organisation itself. The audit of our annual financial statement as well as the so-called multi-sectoral account is carried out in accordance with sections III. and V. of the principles of the German Donations Council (Deutscher Spendenrat e.V.), with the respective applicable guidelines of the Institute of Public Auditors in Germany (Institut der Wirtschaftsprüfer e.V. — IDW), and with the provisions of the German tax law with regard to non-profit organisations.
- In a letter from September 23rd, 2020, a good and open provision of information was attested by the Deutsches Zentralinstitut für soziale Fragen (DZI, German Central Institute for Social Issues) for BOS Deutschland e.V.. In its review of the available documents, the DZI did not come across any critical aspects.
- For BOS Germany, it is important that every donation makes a difference. Our vision is to ensure the survival of the orangutans, and to protect their habitat, the rainforest, on Borneo in the long term. One way of pursuing this vision is to fight the causes through our awareness and education campaigns in Germany. In addition, we implement focused holistic projects with our local partners, such as the protection and restoration of the ecosystems on Borneo.
- Ethical responsibility is indispensable for BOS Germany. We do not advertise in a way that is offensive or unethical. We do not conduct membership or donation advertising campaigns that involve gifts, benefits, or any other advantage that is not directly related to the purpose of the association, or that is disproportionately expensive. BOS Germany refrains from selling, renting or exchanging member or donor addresses. We do not offer or pay commissions.
FAQ Secure Donations
I have not yet received my current donation receipt. What should I do?
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First of all, many thanks for your support. We automatically send out a donation receipt for the past year at the beginning of the new year. You should have received it by February at the latest.
You did not receive a donation receipt at the beginning of the year, even though you made a donation towards the orangutans in the previous year? Please feel free to contact us. We will be happy to help you and send once again the donation receipt.
I am missing one of my donations on my annual receipt.
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Thank you for your help and please accept our apologies for the inconvenience. There may be a number of reasons why a particular donation was not included on your receipt. For example, your donation may have already been acknowledged with an individual receipt. As donations must only be receipted once, this donation will not appear again on your annual receipt.
Or perhaps you have just made a donation around the turn of the year? It is possible that the bank only credited this donation to us in the new year because of the holidays. We are legally obliged to indicate the value date of our donation account. However, we will be happy to issue a separate individual receipt for this donation. Along with proof that the donation was debited from your account in the past year, this receipt is usually accepted by the tax authorities for the previous year.
In any case, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. We are always happy to hear from you and to provide further assistance.
I have organised a peer to peer fundraising event. Can I get a receipt for that?
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Thank you for collecting donations for the orangutans and their habitat. Unfortunately, such collective donations cannot be receipted for legal reasons, so the collection amount will not appear on your receipt.
Can I also receive my donation receipt as a PDF document by email?
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We can gladly send you a copy of your donation receipt by e‑mail.
For tax purposes: Can I claim my donation(s) without a donation receipt?
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Yes, your donations are tax deductible. Donations of up to 300 euros can even be claimed without a donation receipt. However, you will need to provide an account statement and the exemption certificate (§ 50 Abs. 2 Nr. 2 Buchst.b. EStDV) from BOS Deutschland e.V. You can download this certificate here and submit it to the tax office along with your account statement where your donation to BOS Deutschland e.V. is listed.
For donations made through Paypal, a simplified proof is generally not possible, not even for donations of less than 300 euros. If you donate through Paypal, you will need a donation receipt.
All supporters automatically receive a donation receipt for the previous year at the beginning of the new year.
If you still need an individual receipt, simply contact us. We will be happy to help you.
Why is my credit card donation not listed on my donation receipt?
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Thank you for your donation! It can take up to six weeks for credit card payments to be debited from your account and for the donation to reach us. Only then can we acknowledge your donation. Consequently, credit card payments made at the end of a calendar year can often only be claimed for the following year.
Why is BOS Deutschland e.V. not a member of the DZI or holds another donation seal?
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We joined the Transparent Civil Society Initiative in 2013. Obtaining a donation seal involves significant administrative expenses. For our organisational size, this would amount up to 8,000 euros of additional expenditure. This is a significant amount of money that would then not be available for the orangutans. We therefore continue to follow the guidelines of the German Donations Council and the Transparent Civil Society Initiative — but on a completely voluntary basis and without paying for a seal of approval. Our Berlin office doors are always open for personal conversations and questions.
How high are the administrative costs of BOS Deutschland e.V.?
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Our administrative costs average just under 10 percent of total expenditure.

You have a question?
Donations are a matter of trust
Transparent use of funds is a matter of course for us. In September 2013, we joined the a non profit initiative of Transparency International Germany and signed its declaration of commitment.