Friends of Wangari Maathai International School or Friends of WMIS e.V. is an independent non-profit association with the aim of fostering education, popular and vocational training as well as international attitudes and tolerance in all areas of culture. This is done through material and non-material support to the Wangari Maathai International School in Berlin. The organisation was founded in 2018 and is funded by membership fees, donations and fund-raising events.

We are a proud member of the federation of school and kita support associations Berlin Brandenburg (Landesverband der Kita- und Schulfördervereine Berlin-Brandenburg e.V. – lsfb) 

How we work

The bodies of the association are General Meeting, Executive Board and Board of Trustees. The supreme body of the association is the General Meeting. The General Meeting has to decide on fundamental questions and matters of the association. Each member who is entitled to vote has one vote. The tasks of the Executive Board are the development of strategic objectives, managing current business incl. the use of funds, reporting to the General Meeting, Board of Trustees and members, etc. The Executive Board may by resolution appoint a Board of Trustees, which can include people from all fields of life and can advise the Executive Board and the General Meeting in different areas. The Executive Board may also decide to form committees to advise and support the Board in certain matters.

Who we are

Board: Katrin Angelos (Chair), Jenny Bartz (Vice Chair), Maria Koenig (Treasurer), Julia Warmers (Observer), N.N. (Observer)

Membership Administration: Julia Warmers

Website & Communications: Nils Koenig

Membership

Membership is open to any natural or legal person who wishes to support our aims. There are three types of members: Any natural person who wishes to actively take part in the association can become an active member and can vote in the general meeting (reduced fee). Any natural or legal person who, although not actively involved, wishes to promote and support the aims and purpose of the association may become a supporting member. Persons can be named honorary members for outstanding service to the association. Honorary members are proposed by the board and appointed at the general meeting. They are exempt from paying membership fees and have full voting rights at the general meeting.

Transparency

(last updated 06/’23)

Information about Friends of WMIS e.V. in accordance with the voluntary commitment of the Transparent Civil Society Initiative (Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft)

1. Name, registered office, address and year of foundation

• Friends of WMIS e.V., see here for registration, address and contact details
• Founded in 2018
• Contact: Katrin Angelos

2. Complete articles of association and information on the objectives of our organisation

• Articles of association (inofficial translation) (EN) / Satzung (DE)
• General information about our goals, how we work (about us) and what we do (our projects)

3. Information on tax advantages

• Friends of WMIS e.V. is – according to the exemption notice of the Tax Office for Corporations I in Berlin, under tax number 27/653/59231 of 29.06.2020 – recognised as serving exclusively and directly tax-privileged purposes within the meaning of §§ 51 ff. AO due to the promotion of education, popular and vocational training as well as student assistance (§ 52 para. 2 sentence 1 no. 7 AO) as well as for the promotion of international attitudes, tolerance in all areas of culture and the idea of international understanding (§ 52 para. 2 sentence 1 no. 13 AO) . Friends of WMIS e.V. is entitled on this basis to issue donation confirmations for donations and membership contributions, which it receives up to 31. 12.2022 for use for the fulfilment of its statutory purposes.

4. Name and function of key decision-makers

• Katrin Angelos, Chair
• Jenny Bartz, Deputy Chair
• Maria König, Treasurer
• Julia Warmers, Assessor

5. Activity report

• Annual Report / Jahresbericht 2020 (p.  5 ff.)

6. Personnel structure

We work exclusively on a voluntary basis, see (Who we are, further up this page).

In 2022, about 2.000 volunteer hours were contributed.

7. Information on the origin of funds

Annual Report / Jahresbericht 2020 (p.  8 ff.)

8. Information on the use of fund

Annual Report / Jahresbericht 2020 (p.  8 ff.)

9. Corporate affiliation with third parties

Does not exist

10. Names of entities / persons whose annual payments represent more than 10 % of the total annual budget

The largest single payment in 2022 was an earmarked donation of EUR 2,500 to support the WUF theatre course for grades 5/6 run by an external professional. This payment amounted to 6,3 % of the annual budget.

The largest single payment in 2021 was the FEIN Garden Development Grant of EUR 1,360, amounting to 5.9 % of the annual budget.

The largest single payment in 2020 was the Bayer Foundation’s grant of  EUR 1,113, see Annual Report / Jahresbericht 2020 (p. 8), amounting to 6.6 % of the annual budget.