Introduction
The voluntary welfare associations play traditionally an important role in the German
welfare state, particularly in providing social services in different areas of the local so-
cial policy. As part of the Third sector they have undergone many changes in the past
and are facing many problems and challenges at present and in future. If the voluntary
welfare associations want to maintain their leading role in the sector of social services
and health they have to continue and reinforce the profound process of change.
In the following the voluntary welfare associations and in particular the five central
charity organizations will be introduced with their specific character, structure, estab-
lishments and employees and the framework conditions and challenges they have to
tackle.
1. The Third Sector
1.1 Definition
The term „Third Sector“ comprises all organizations which are established between the
first sector (state), second sector (market) and the primary communities (family,
friends).1
In Germany the big corporations like churches, welfare associations, trade unions and
the diverse clubs, associations, societies, foundations, initiatives, self-help-groups and
projects including all organizations recognized as charitable by the tax office are con-
sidered to belong to the Third Sector.2
There are five core structural or operational features distinguishing the Third Sector
from other types of social institutions:3
• formally constituted in the sense of institutional permanence,
• non-governmental in basic structure, i. e. organizationally separate from govern-
ment,
• self-governing, i.e. legally independent and self-regulating internal affairs, inde-
pendent decision-making,
• nonprofit-seeking and nonprofit distributing, i. e. not mainly oriented towards
profit-making, and not distributing surplus among the proprietors or members,
1 See to the definition and categorization: Anheier/Salamon 1993: 2-15; Zimmer/Priller 1997: 249-279.
2 With regard to the results and principal findings of the German part of the Johns Hopkins Comparative
Nonprofit Sector Project - JHP: Priller/Zimmer/Anheier/Toepler/Salamon 1999: 100-115; Pril-
ler/Zimmer 2001: 200-226.
3 Salamon/Anheier 1992:1; Anheier/Salamon 1993: 4; Anheier/Priller/Seidel/Zimmer 1997: 15; Betzelt
2001: 26.