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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 8

30 min. swimming lesson for a child in Mecklenburg West-Pomerania

With courage from the poolside

Children can learn how to swim – regardless of their budget

"One, two, three – splash!" With a big laugh, Lina resurfaces from the water. The four-year-old wipes the drops from her face and beams with pride: she dared to jump in from the edge of the pool all by herself! Next to her, her friend Emil paddles with a pool noodle and calls out excitedly: "Look, I can already float!"
The other children stand in awe at the edge of the pool, waiting for their moment. One after another, a child finally jumps into the water – some full of courage, others still with a cautious look. But every paddle, every jump, and every smile shows: Here, not only is safety growing, but also self-confidence.
For children, it's a game full of joy – but for their parents, it's also a great relief. Because being able to swim safely means more than just fun in the water: it saves lives. That's why it's so important that every child has the opportunity to learn to swim at an early age.

Extreme swimmer Nathalie Pohl tells you about her favorite project in the video.

Need

Free swimming lessons for children in daycare centers

Activity

Two German Red Cross lifeguards offer swimming courses in kindergartens and daycare centers and train educators to become swimming instructors

Measurable performance

Number of children who demonstrably learn to swim through the program

Result

Around 400 children learn to swim as part of their everyday kindergarten routine and move safely in and around the water in the long term

Systemically relevant impact

The number of non-swimmers is decreasing; the program ensures long-term benefits, a healthy development and integration and equal opportunities for young people

Background

Learning to swim at an early age offers many advantages: children gain confidence in the water, develop self-esteem, and their motor skills are strengthened. Swimming gives them freedom to play and splash around in the water – and at the same time protects them from dangerous accidents. It also fosters integration and community.
The situation in Germany is critical: Only about half of all children can swim confidently by the end of primary school (DLRG 2022). Over five percent of adults aged 14 and over cannot swim at all – that corresponds to around 3.5 million people (DLRG/Forsa 2022). At the same time, swimming accidents are among the second leading causes of death for children up to 14 years of age (Stiftung Kindergesundheit 2021).
The reasons for this are manifold: Many swimming pools are dilapidated or closed – according to the German Lifesaving Association (DLRG), one in seven public pools could disappear in the coming years (Welt 2025). Schools often can no longer find available pool time for swimming lessons, even though it is part of the curriculum. In addition, there is a shortage of qualified personnel: Nationwide, at least 3,000 lifeguards are needed, which seriously jeopardizes safety and training (Welt 2025). Especially in rural areas, distances are long, and often there are only lakes available for swimming lessons, which are only suitable for swimming lessons to a limited extent due to the seasons (IW Cologne 2023).
This is where the German Red Cross's project "Every man for himself – learning to swim in kindergarten" comes in: Kindergarten children receive free swimming lessons – regardless of their age.

The good deed

With today's good deed, you'll be supporting swimming lessons for kindergarten children in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Two German Red Cross (DRK) lifeguards visit kindergartens and playfully explain warning signs, flag signals, swimming rules, and where swimming is dangerous. Together, they then go to the nearest swimming pool or lake about 15 times. There, they practice with kickboards, pool noodles, and diving rings until each child proudly holds their "Seahorse" badge. At the same time, the DRK Water Rescue Service trains kindergarten teachers to become swimming instructors, creating a domino effect that extends far beyond the individual courses.

Germany

Berlin

Capital city

83.510.950

population

As of 2024

348.672

Land area in km²

German

Official language(s)

As of 2025

Lake Müritz, at 113 km², is the largest lake in Germany, located in the Mecklenburg Lake District. For comparison, Berlin's Wannsee could fit into it about 40 times – all the more reason to go for an early swim!

About the organization and further information