Inspiration
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Climate Protection Donor Circle
Giving Circles have been established in the USA for years: groups of people who pool their money, make decisions together, and thus achieve an impact that no individual donation could match. In Germany, the model is still in its infancy. The Spendenzirkel Klimaschutz shows what is possible and how bcause makes the organization behind it invisibly simple.
€415,000
bundled and donated – in 7 rounds of donations
7 climate projects
democratically selected by the group
15 members
each with their own account, full transparency, automatic receipt
The Challenge
The Climate Protection Giving Circle has been in existence since 2022. The group meets online, gets to know three carefully selected climate protection organizations, reviews them, and decides together who receives the pooled donation. Democratic philanthropy in its purest form.
But the administration behind it was laborious: Has every participant really transferred their donation yet? How much has been received in total? When and to whom was it paid out? These questions rested on a single person – with all the effort that entails.
„[Placeholder for quote from Susanne Kersig]"Susanne Kersig, Co-founder, Climate Protection Giving Circle
The Solution
Via bcause, every member of the giving circle has their own account. Everyone pays in individually and receives their personal donation receipt. Automatically, without any inquiries. The amounts of the respective donation round are pooled in the circle's shared Foundation. Because all members are assigned to the Foundation, everyone can track at any time: Who has paid in? How much has been collected? When was it paid out?
No manual tracking – the status of the round is visible to everyone
Each member receives their own donation receipt – automatically after payment
The payout is transparent for everyone – no black box, no inquiries
No administrative effort for the administering person
The Result
In 7 rounds, the circle has raised €415,000 and donated it to seven climate organizations: Deutsche Umwelthilfe, urgewald, GenderCC, Wilderness International, ClientEarth, GermanZero, and Global Nature Fund. And that's not all the women have achieved: they have built a network, educated each other, and experienced what it means to act together instead of hoping alone.
„No matter what you donate money to – in the end, climate protection plays into all areas. That has welded us together."Susanne Kersig, Co-founder, Climate Protection Giving Circle
🎙 More about the giving circle in the...
Giving Circles – not just for activists
A Giving Circle doesn't have to be a major initiative. Many groups start within family or friend circles with the shared desire to make a greater impact than would be possible alone. bcause provides every Giving Circle with the same infrastructure: transparent pooling, automatic receipts, shared overview.
Tip: Anyone wishing to start their own Giving Circle will find an experienced contact point for planning, structure, and consulting at Wider Sense.
