Partnership Requires Responsibility

Brot für die Welt is an agency of the Protestant Churches in Germany. We expect our partners to share our underlying ethical values. We support projects which benefit marginalised people and which help to transform unjust structures in the countries of the Global South as well as in Germany and Europe. The following criteria apply to projects which we support:

• A project has a clearly-defined target group;
• A project comprises time- and scope-limited measures which are intended to achieve a clearly described change in the living conditions of the target group – the project objective;
• A project is a clearly definable component of the partner organisation's work. As a rule, all expenses directly related to the project can be funded.

Brot für die Welt exclusively supports projects of organisations. These organisations can have different statutory forms depending on the country. Individual persons can in no case be funded by Brot für die Welt.

In addition, there are three exclusion criteria for the funding of projects:

• Brot für die Welt does not provide emergency assistance in humanitarian crises or catastrophes. Our sister organisation, Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (Diakonie Emergency Aid) can assist in such situations;
• Brot für die Welt cannot fund projects by government institutions, political parties or politically-affiliated foundations. The support is also not intended to replace government responsibilities;
• Brot für die Welt avoids 100 percent funding of projects, meaning that partner organisations must secure and demonstrate other sources of financing (e.g. own funds, third-party financing from their own country or from other countries).

We have presented some of the applicable requirements for co-operation partners in the project cycle. In order to apply for a project, an organisation must demonstrate expertise in the relevant field.

In order to consider a possible cooperation, the organisation must submit the following documents:

• Registration: A current certificate must be submitted verifying its legal form and that it is registered with the local authorities. The precise appearance of this registration varies from country to country and according to the type of organisation;
• Statutes: The organisation's statutes describing its administration, its organs and their functions must be provided. These must confirm its non-profit status and detail the disposition of its assets and funds in the event of its dissolution;
• Letter of recommendation: A letter is required which clearly shows that actions do not take place in isolation, but that they are integrated into the local development policy or church policy landscape.

In the case of a wider scope of planned co-operation, the organisation must also present the following documents:

• Institutional annual financial statement: A current annual financial statement, disclosing assets and financial standing, must be submitted. This report should have been compiled within the previous two years. In addition, an audit of the annual accounts by an accredited auditing firm may be requested;
• Proof of regulated financial management: Internal financial management control systems and regulated processes by which the provided funds are managed must be demonstrated;
• Proof of competence in the areas of planning, monitoring and evaluation (PME): This competence may be demonstrated, for example by means of successfully implemented projects and the project application. Internal PME guidelines, which show how PME processes are integrated, can also be submitted.

Organisations which do not fulfil these minimum requirements are not eligible to receive financial support from Brot für die Welt.