The Financial Aspect

ASF and the project partners offer the following benefits to the volunteers:

• accommodation ( a simple single or double room in a shared apartment)
• food and pocket money (e.g. 393 Euro/month in Germany)
• cost of public transportation (bus, tram, subway), if necessary for the service
• insurance (medical, accident, and liability insurance)
• cost of visa
• 4 seminars during the year of service
• cost for language courses and materials up to 250 EUR for introductory language courses
• cost of travel to and from project
• cost of travel to and from seminars

The Financial Aspect

ASF is a non-profit organization. To finance our program we are dependent on support of our volunteers! A placement in our program costs between 1.200 and 1.500 EUR a month (including travel costs, insurances, seminars, accommodation, board, pocket money). A big part of those costs bear the host projects. In addition ASF is funded in part by the Protestant Churches in Germany, by foundations, by the E.U. and by "Erinnerung, Verantwortung, Zukunft". But first of all we refund our program by donations and contributions.

1. Solidarity Contribution

All volunteers are asked to make a solidarity contribution of 650 Euro, wherever they come from and whatever project they are going to work in. This is a contribution to the overall cost of our volunteer service, not a participant fee toward specific costs like airplane tickets and such. The contribution is a joint effort of all volunteers to enable a greater number of young people to participate and to ensure similar living conditions for all, irrespective of the financial situation of the volunteer project or possible subsidy programs. Please speak to the person in charge at the ASF office in your country about your solidarity contribution. Volunteers from the USA do not pay a solidarity contribution. They are requested to pay for their travel costs (in the beginning of their service to Germany and at the end back to the USA).

2. Form a support group

A support group is a group of sponsors and "godparents". They support ASF with donations. They may help you to pay your solidarity contribution. Those people in return receive information on the work of ASF and your personal reports about your service. The sponsors are very important for public relations. During your service they will give you advice, they will accompany and support you. Sponsors may be family members, friends, teachers, students, schools, communities, associations, clubs, members of the local government and even business companies or enterprises... Volunteers not coming from Germany are supposed to find at least 10 sponsors.

Please, form your personal support group before your service will start. Therefore we gladly offer advice. ASF may issue certificates where donations are tax-deductible. Ask the ASF office in your country.

3. Project reports

In order to make our work known to the public, we ask all volunteers to write two project reports in the course of the year. These reports are aimed at the "godparents" and for our public relations work. But they're also useful for you to reflect on your own experience.