The foundation gladly accepts contributions from friends and supporters on both sides of the Atlantic. Three types of donations are possible: open donations, earmarked donations, and donations to the foundation’s endowment. Donations can be made either by wire transfer or by paypal; which method is best for you depends on your geographic location (see below). Donations to the foundation’s endowment are a special case; please see the respective page for more information.
Open Donations
Open donations are used immediately for ongoing projects, regardless of their amount, and do not add to the foundation’s endowment. All donations that the foundation receives are considered to be open donations, unless the donor indicates otherwise.
Example:
Mrs. M. donates 50€ to the Checkpoint Charlie Foundation in April of this year. In late May, the foundation hosts ten American students from Creighton University in Nebraska for an educational program in Berlin. The 50€ are used to cover the cost of the students’ visit to the Berlin Film Museum. Thank you, Mrs. M!
Earmarked Donations
Earmarked donations for the Checkpoint Charlie Foundation are also used for upcoming projects. However, in this case, the donor requests that the foundation provide him or her with a list of which projects the foundation will be organizing in the next six months. The donor then decides which project his donation should support. If you would like to make an earmarked donation, please send us an e-mail when you make your donation, or before.
Example:
Mr P. requests information about projects which will take place in the next six months. He receives the following information:
- Project 04 finances a workshop for German and American theater actors in Chicago.
- Project 11 is publication costs for a book about the American presence in Berlin.
- Project 13 supports a visit of a group of American high school students to Berlin, including a stay with host families.
Mr. P. also stayed with a host family in Berlin during his youth. He therefore decides to support project 13 with a contribution of 150€. The money is then used to finance a two-hour tour of Jewish Berlin for the students. Thank you, Mr. P.!
Donations, regardless of their type are tax deductable under German law. They are currently not tax deductable under US law, as the foundation is not incorporated in the US.
How to make a donation
There are two methods of donating to the foundation: via paypal or by wire transfer. Which method you should use depends on your individual circumstances.
For donors based in Europe, or who have European bank accounts, a wire transfer is the most economical option, as this is free for both you and the foundation.
For US-based donors without a European bank account, paypal is a more economical way to donate, as you avoid the international wire fees that US banks charge. A small percentage of your donation is deducted by paypal as a transaction fee before it reaches the foundation. Please note: for tax and legal reasons, donations via paypal are currently denominated in Euros; contributions from accounts denominated in other currencies will be automatically converted by paypal when you make a donation.
Donate by Paypal
Please contact us by phone or e-mail and we will be pleased to tell you how to donate using paypal. Due to repeated attempts to defraud us, which paypal has refused to prevent or police in any manner, we unfortunately can no longer provide information about how to make such a donation on our website.
Donate by Wire Transfer
Wire your donation to the account listed below. Please note that US banks will charge a fee to make a wire transaction; transfers from German banks are free of charge.
Account Holder: Checkpoint Charlie Stiftung
Financial Institution: Berliner Volksbank
IBAN Number: DE 90 1009 0000 8848 0510 05
SWIFT Code: BEVODEBB