Your donation can do more!
We show you which aid projects are most effective worldwide. Scientifically sound, independent and free of charge. You can support these projects on our charitable platform. And you can be sure that your donation will not only be received, but will really make a difference.
We show you which aid projects are most effective worldwide. Scientifically sound, independent and free of charge. You can support these projects on our non-profit platform.
How we identify the most effective aid projects
Prioritizing problems
The impact of a donation depends heavily on the issue area. We focus on problems that are large but neglected and for which proven solutions exist.
Evaluating solutions
Independent experts analyze the most cost-effective approaches in these cause areas, based on scientific research.
Recommending charities
Projects that focus on cost-effective solutions to the most urgent problems are extensively evaluated. Only the best are recommended by us.
effective donations
committed donors
hours of research per year
What do you want to achieve with your donation?
Fighting Poverty
Thousands of children die every day as a result of extreme poverty. This does not have to be the case: The most effective aid projects in this area can save the life of a small child for less than €5,000.
Mitigating Climate Change
We are currently heading for global warming of more than
2.5°C with considerable consequences. This does not have to be the case: The most effective climate protection projects can save a ton of CO2 for less than a euro.
Improving Animal Welfare
Billions of animals live and die in horrific conditions every year. This does not have to be the case: The most effective aid projects in this area can help numerous animals living in inhumane conditions with just one euro.
Safeguarding the Future
Humanity faces a number of existential threats, such as a potentially more aggressive pandemic, nuclear war or the risk of unregulated AI. Our Giving Fund supports the most effective responses to these risks.
Your personal advice
Those who donate want to make a difference. We are happy to help you achieve the greatest possible impact in line with your ideas and values. Simply make an appointment for your personal consultation.
Anne Schulze,
Founder & Managing Director
Your personal advice
Everyone who donates wants to make a difference. We want to help you make the biggest impact possible, in line with your ideas and values. Simply make an appointment for your personal advisory session (in English or German).
Anne Schulze,
Founder & Managing Director
Why donating with us is better
The most effective aid projects
We introduce you to aid projects that have been rated by leading international experts as having outstanding effectiveness.
Conveniently donate through us
You can donate to these and similar projects directly and without deductions via our platform: with our topic-specific donation funds.
Deduct donation from tax
The donation funds enable the implementation of projects by our partners. Your donation is tax-deductible in Austria.
Maximum
impact
With your donation, you will be supporting projects with an outstanding impact in the areas that are particularly close to your heart.
FAQs
How much should I donate?
How much you want to donate is, of course, ultimately your own personal decision. But perhaps you will find some inspiration in the article "How much should I donate?" and "Why and how I donate".
Can I deduct my donation from my taxes?
Yes, you can deduct your donation from your taxes Austria deductible from tax. Effective donations Austria (ZVR: 1750302948) is a charitable organization. You can find us under the registration number BI-27009 on the so-called Donation list of the Ministry of Finance.
However, it is important that you actually participate in our austrian association (and not to our Swiss association or our German gGmbH). You can recognize this by the Austrian flag at the top right of the donation form and, if paying by bank transfer, by the Austrian bank details.
Unlike in Germany and Switzerland, in Austria we focus entirely on our Giving Funds (except democracy and AI). Donations to specific individual organizations are currently not possible. Do you have any questions or feedback? Please write to us at [email protected].
(If you make your donation in Germany, the Switzerland or in Czechia (if you would like to deduct your donation - this is possible in all these countries - please select the relevant country in the donation form at the top right).
How does the tax deduction actually work?
If you are in Austria as Private individual you don't have to worry about almost anything. When donating, simply leave the "Donation tax-deductible in Austria" box ticked and let us know your date of birth. We will then report your donations directly to the tax office by the end of February of the following year and the amounts submitted will be automatically deducted from your taxable income in your tax assessment (up to a maximum amount of 10% of your income). If you want to change your decision or are no longer sure what you selected when you made your donation, please contact us at [email protected] or +49 30 26035519. You can find more information on the automatic tax recognition of donations here on the website of the Ministry of Finance.
If you are in Austria as company you will automatically receive a donation receipt by e-mail at the end of February of the following year (collected for all your corporate donations of the year). This allows you to deduct your corporate donations from corporation tax through us as business expenses (up to a maximum amount of 10% of the profit). Unlike donations from private individuals, company donations are not reported directly to the tax office by us, but must be declared as expenses by the company itself.
For donations from Germany, the Switzerland and Czechia (regardless of whether you are a private individual or a company), you will also automatically receive a donation receipt by e-mail at the end of February of the following year.
I don't want to donate online, can I also transfer the money?
Yes! To do this, simply select "Bank Transfer" in the last step of the Donation form the payment method Bank transfer from. You will then receive our account details and can transfer your donation. Please use your personalized reason for transfer (starting with "ES-") so that we can automatically allocate the transfer.
What fees apply in Austria? Does 100% of my donation go toward actual aid projects?
We use donations to our donation funds in full to implement outstandingly effective aid projects together with partner organizations. We do not keep any of your donation for ourselves. However, the payment methods credit card and SEPA direct debit incur fees from the payment services we work with. These fees will be deducted from your donation. Their amount is calculated as follows for donations from Austria:
- Bank transfer: Free of charge within the SEPA payment area
- SEPA-direct debit: 0.35 Euro
- Credit card: 1.2 % + 0.25 euros for European cards (3.25 % + 0.25 euros for international cards)
Therefore, for donations with amounts < 10,000 euros, we recommend For donations with amounts < 10,000 euros, we use the particularly easy to process SEPA-direct debit and for amounts > 10,000 euros the free of charge Bank transfer. For security reasons, we only offer direct debit payments < 10,000 euros and credit cards are not recommended for large amounts for cost reasons.
Comparable fees apply to all organizations that collect donations. We have already negotiated with all payment services and receive particularly favorable conditions for charitable organizations.
We also finance ourselves through donations, but completely independently. You can here .
How can I cancel my recurring donation?
You can cancel your permanent donation at any time and without giving reasons. Simply send us an informal e-mail to [email protected] or call us at +43 (0)1 266 01 38.
How do you cover your costs?
Effective donations are made possible by private sponsors. This support covers all the costs of our educational work and the operation of the platform. This allows us to use your donation to our donation fund entirely for the implementation of effective aid projects with our partners. Of course, we also appreciate your donation to us as a platform. You can find out more about our funding here.
“Yes, there are a whole series of examples of ineffective aid organizations. But that just means you have to do your own research. Where can you find the most effective donation projects in the world? On effektiv-spenden.org.”
Rutger Bregman (Author and historian)
“Through good research, we can measure better and better what is most effective in supporting people in extreme poverty. The aid organizations on effektiv-spenden.org are among the most effective that we know of so far. That's why I focus most of my donations on these organizations.”
Dina Pomeranz (Professor, University of Zurich)
“I base my work on scientific evidence. Why should I take a different approach to donations? If I support projects that are proven to be highly effective through effective donations, I not only know that my donation will be received, but that it will achieve an extraordinary amount on the ground.”
Andreas Hackethal (Professor Goethe University Frankfurt)
“As the fight against extreme poverty is literally a matter of life and death, I cannot be satisfied if my donation only reaches a fraction of what is possible. That's why I only donate to the most effective aid organizations.”
Thomas Smettan (priest in the diocese of Fulda)
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