11
tered association governed by civil law (eingetragener Verein - e.V.), which in its non-
profit form enjoys special tax advantages. For their services and establishments they
often choose other legal forms more appropriate for their increasing entrepreneurial
nature, e. g. a private limited company (GmbH or gGmbH on a non-profit basis).
2.2 The Central Organizations
The central organizations have a federal structure: their bodies at the local and national
level and the member organizations usually form their own legal entity.
The central voluntary welfare organizations are: 22
Workers' Welfare Service (AWO)23
Bundesverband e.V.
• 430.000 members, 100.000 volunteers, 146.000 employees in 14.000 social ser-
vices and establishments.
• 29 associations on regional and state level, 480 associations on district level and
3800 local clubs.
See a need and act on it.
Caritas
German Caritas Association24
The organization comprises 27 dioezesan Caritas associations, 6 regional associations,
18 professional associations and 8 specialized Catholic charity organizations.
• 24.939 establishments offering more than a million places.
• 520.186 employees (full- or part-time), 500.000 volunteers.
German Red Cross25
• Part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
• 116.211 employees, approximately 400.000 volunteers.
21 BAGFW 2003:15. See more detailed: BAGFW 2002: 30-40.
22 See the detailed descriptions of the central associations: BAGFW 2002: 154-193.BackerZNaegele/
Bispinck/Hofemann/Neubauer 2007, Bd. 2: 537-542; Dahme/Schütter/Wohlfahrt 2008: 100-113;
BAGFW 2003: 7-9.
23State: 1.1.2005: AWO 2009.
24 State: 2006: Caritas 2009.
25 State: 31.12. 2007: DRK 2009: 49.