You’ve ordered Advent calendars or greeting cards that haven’t arrived yet? Please enter the email address used for the order. You’ll receive an email with information on whether and when your order was shipped.

How do I get a donation receipt?

For donations under €300, tax offices usually accept a bank statement as proof. You also received a donation receipt with your confirmation email. You can request it again here by email. Be sure to use the same email address you used for your donation.

What is the 24 GOOD DEEDS Advent Calendar?

The 24 GOOD DEEDS Advent Calendar is a unique way to support a wide range of social and environmental projects worldwide. For example, one calendar door might protect 150 m² of Amazon rainforest in Brazil, provide a meal for a child in Nepal, or partially fund a holiday trip for a child in need in Germany. Your donation amount is flexible, starting at €1. Important! You donate this amount per project, meaning per calendar door. Starting from €24, you will receive the 24 GOOD DEEDS Advent Calendar as a thank you gift so you can see which specific projects you’re supporting.

How can I get or gift the calendar?

Via our donation form you can donate to the 24 projects at any time. As a thank you and to show you which aid projects you are supporting, we’ll send you the sustainable Advent calendar starting in October. Of course, you can also send the 24 GOOD DEEDS Advent Calendar as a gift to family, friends, or acquaintances. We’ll include a greeting card where you can write your personal Advent message. Prefer a digital version? No problem! Starting December 1st, we’ll send you the Advent calendar as a digital version via email, including the daily door and background info on the project. Here you can order the Advent calendar.

Is my donation tax-deductible?

Yes, your donation is tax-deductible. 24guteTaten e.V. is officially recognized as a non-profit organization by the Düsseldorf-South tax office. For donations under €300, tax offices generally accept a bank statement as proof. This is because they treat it as direct evidence of the transaction. You will receive a donation receipt by email shortly after making your donation.

Do 100 percent of the donations go to the projects?

75 percent of the donations collected through the Advent calendar go to charitable purposes, 25 percent to administration and marketing. After covering nonprofit expenses of 24guteTaten e.V., the remaining amount is evenly distributed among the 24 calendar projects.

How is it ensured that my donation arrives?

We take the monitoring of donation use very seriously. Each organization signs a contract that defines the implementation of the good deed. Additionally, aid organizations must document their project progress through detailed reports, receipts, and photos. Our organization is also committed to transparency . That’s why we report annually on our activities and disclose how we use our funds.

How can I apply with a project for a calendar door?

The projects featured in the 24 GOOD DEEDS Advent Calendar are selected anew each year. Applications usually open on December 6th of the previous year. Want to be notified when the next application round opens? Then sign up here for our NGO newsletter or submit your application directly. You'll also find everything you need to know about the application process there.

How can I learn more about the projects in the Advent calendar?

You’ll find detailed background info on each of the current projects daily from December 1st to 24th on our website. All previous projects are available in our calendar archive. Also, sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date.

How are the projects for the Advent calendar selected?

Each year, nonprofit organizations can apply for a calendar door. The selected projects must meet strict criteria. Our goal is to support particularly sustainable, impactful, and transparent projects. You can find details about our selection process here

Who is behind the 24 GOOD DEEDS Advent Calendar?

The 24 GOOD DEEDS Advent Calendar is an initiative by the nonprofit organization 24guteTaten e.V., founded in 2011. The organization is based in Düsseldorf.

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Day 20

A story read aloud to a child in Germany

Have you ever put sugar on your fries? Have you ever put sugar on your fries?

Reading aloud for a successful start to school in Germany

Have you ever put sugar on your chips? Can marmots whistle? Are all rabbits afraid or just scaredy-cats? And what does fear actually feel like? These and thousands of other questions are asked by children who are read to at a young age. Creative questions are followed by creative answers and funny conversations. There is laughter and amazement. Can you still remember what it was like when someone read to you? The sound of the voice you listened to? The surprising twist in your favorite story that you loved listening to over and over again? When parents regularly read to their children after birth and talk to them about the stories, they are doing something very special: children acquire new vocabulary, learn to express thoughts and feelings, and their fantasy and imagination are stimulated.

need

Reading and participation opportunities for children from socially disadvantaged families.

activity

A reading event for young children is organized by the organization Librileo in Germany.

Measurable performance

Number of reading events held.

Result

The children’s language development and social skills are strengthened.

Systemically relevant impact

Children from socially disadvantaged families start school more successfully and have better educational opportunities.

background

While reading aloud every day is part of everyday life for many children in Germany, there are also many small children who are not familiar with this situation. According to the Stiftung Lesen, one in five children of pre-reading age is not read to by either their mother or father (Stiftung Lesen, 2013). These families are often affected by child poverty. This is not just a lack of clothing or a holiday program, but above all a lack of daily and age-appropriate educational and development opportunities. Studies show that families who have to make severe financial restrictions find their everyday lives stressful. Because of the excessive demands, they often fail to support their children in their personal development. Child poverty is particularly evident when children learn to speak significantly more slowly than others. These children do not develop a love of learning and do not like going to school. Many of these families therefore need support in order to be able to adequately support their children in their development.

Several cities and federal states (including Berlin, Brandenburg, Hamburg; soon in other federal states), Germany

The good deed

Thanks to your donation today, a child in Germany will have a story read to them. The Librileo organization creates cozy places for children and families to read aloud in various German cities. The children ask curious questions, experience appreciative community and discover the joy of books. In the process, they learn new words and make new friends. Spending time with other children also strengthens their social skills and self-confidence. The reading events and access to books are important steps for a successful start to school later on - confident in the language and hungry to learn.