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Your gift will make a difference!

Millions of people in Afghanistan and Pakistan have spent much of their lives in fear, uncertainty and great need. Many are still suffering from the effects of war or natural disaster and from having to flee their homeland.

Your gift provides help that goes immediately to those who need it the most in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Donations help to provide:

• A new roof on a damaged home
• A new home for a family who has lost theirs
• A hot meal to help a family make it through the winter
• The opportunity for a child to attend school

A brighter future for two countries that desperately need oneShelter Now is committed to using its funds efficiently. The figures from Shelter Now Germany e.V. show that:

• Over 80% of the income given directly benefits the aid projects and other similar initiatives
• Our large number of volunteer staff enables us to keep the Shelter Now administrative costs to just 5%

We have regular independent audits conducted to certify our use of funds and have always received a good report. The German Central Institute for Social Affairs (DZI) in Berlin has awarded Shelter Now the DZI seal of approval for the proper and efficient use of donations.  The DZI is a supervisory body for donation-collecting charities in Germany and is known for the strict criteria it applies in the award of its approval.This approval has been regularly renewed on an annual basis following an extensive examination.

Shelter Now is an international network of sister organizations in various countries. Donations and project funds received from the individual countries are channeled specifically towards the aid projects ensuring that gifts given by individuals around the world are put to optimum use.

The benefits of giving - Information for (potential) givers

Giving empowers people to make necessary changes in the world.

Donors are unique individuals.

• They refuse to simply accept the status quo.
• Their actions show that they are aware of the injustices and needs around them and committed to doing something about them.
• They are the feet of democracy - the people who move things forward.
• They take advantage of the options at their disposal.
• Beyond democratic elections and political decision-making, donors impact the lives of real people.

Particularly towards the end of a financial year, it's not uncommon in our Western societies for funding scandals to surface in the media. Fortunately these tend to be isolated cases. In Germany alone there are more than 40,000 non-governmental organizations dedicated to various worthy causes and who, by contrast, demonstrate appropriate use of funds.

Giving effectively

Sponsors can help determine the effectiveness of their gifts. If for example you gave $300 in one year and split it between ten different organizations. That would involve administration costs (accounts, issuing and sending a gift receipt, sending out information material) for each area that you designate your gift. By giving to just one organization your gift is processed only one time. By choosing direct debit, administration costs are even lower.

Here are some tips to help you maximize the impact of your giving:

• Give regularly
• Don't restrict your gift to a specific purpose
• Give to the same organizations over a longer period of time
• Include your full address on the bank transfer or reverse side of the check
• Or, preferably, fill out a direct debit form