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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Tag 7

Plant 1 coral in Indonesia

Preserving colorful underwater worlds

Resilient corals for strong reefs

Tropical coral reefs cover only about 0.1% of the world's oceans, yet they are home to around a third of all known marine species (Voolstra et al. 2023). At the same time, they are indispensable: they protect coastlines, ensure fisheries, attract tourists, and even provide active ingredients for medicine (ICRS 2021). But the wonders of coral reefs are severely threatened – primarily by climate change and rising water temperatures. In the last 50 years, about half of all coral reefs have already disappeared (Harf 2023). If the Earth warms by 1.5°C, up to 90% of the remaining reefs could be lost (Voolstra et al. 2023). However, the coral reefs in Indonesia have promising chances of survival, partly due to their particularly high biodiversity (BR2 2024). In the Indonesian Gita Nada Marine Protected Area, German scientists have shown that some coral species – and even some colonies of the same species – can tolerate several degrees warmer water temperatures.

Children's book author Alina Gries tells you about her favorite project

Need

Protection and restoration of threatened coral reefs in Indonesia

Activity

A team of experts and local residents plants new corals on special frames, ensuring that destroyed reefs can regenerate and be preserved

Measurable performance

Number of corals to be planted

Result

The coral reef is being renewed, dead areas are being revived, and new habitats are being created for many marine species

Systemically relevant impact

Preservation and protection of one of the most biodiverse and valuable ecosystems on Earth

Background

Tropical coral reefs cover only about 0.1% of the world's oceans, yet they are home to around one-third of all known marine species (Voolstra et al. 2023). At the same time, they are indispensable: they protect coastlines, ensure fisheries, attract tourists, and even provide active ingredients for medicine (ICRS 2021). But the wonders of coral reefs are severely threatened – primarily by climate change and rising water temperatures. In the last 50 years, about half of all coral reefs have already disappeared (Harf 2023). If the Earth warms by 1.5°C, up to 90% of the remaining reefs could be lost (Voolstra et al. 2023). However, the coral reefs in Indonesia have promising chances of survival, partly due to their particularly high biodiversity (BR2 2024). In the Indonesian Gita Nada Marine Protected Area, German scientists have shown that some coral species – and even some colonies of the same species – can tolerate water several degrees warmer than others (see Harf 2023; Voolstra 2022). Offshoots of these particularly resilient corals also grow better and faster.
By selectively planting such corals and preserving the greatest possible diversity, there is a chance not only to rebuild reefs but also to give them a long-term chance of survival (ICRS 2021; Harf 2023; Voolstra et al. 2023). It's time to save them together – coral by coral!

The good deed

Today's advent calendar door will feature the replanting of a coral in the Gita Nada Marine Protected Area in Indonesia. Particularly robust coral fragments are cultivated in a nursery for this purpose. These are then placed on special frames, such as those made of sand-coated metal, which provide excellent growing conditions. Marine biologists, trained staff, and numerous local volunteers anchor the frames in damaged reef areas. They then attach the coral pieces and care for and nurture the corals. On average, just 28 coral donations can revitalize one square meter of reef.

Indonesia

Jakarta

Capital city

283.487.931

population

As of 2024

1.811.569

Land area in km²

5.2 times the size of Germany

Bahasa Indonesian

Official language(s)

As of 2025

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago, comprising more than 17,500 islands. It would take almost 48 years to visit each one, even for just a day – let alone explore their coral reefs.

About the organization and further information