Zewo
The Zewo Foundation is a Swiss foundation based in Zurich . It awards the Zewo seal of approval to tested and trustworthy donation- collecting organizations . Around 500 organizations currently carry the label.
purpose
The purpose of the foundation is to promote the transparency of charitable, donation-collecting organizations towards the public in order to protect private charitable activities. Zewo is neither politically nor ideologically bound, nor is it profit-oriented. It awards a seal of approval to charitable non-profit organizations based in Switzerland and provides all those interested with information about donations. It also provides services such as the creation of the Swiss collection calendar and the coordination of the accompanying campaign “mitenand”.
activity
The foundation awards a seal of approval to charitable, donation-collecting organizations. In addition to the audit, certified and non-certified aid organizations are also advised on how to achieve and comply with the Zewo standards.
Zewo participates in the continuous further development of standards and methods and advocates consistent and realistic implementation of the applicable guidelines in practice. In doing so, it helps to maintain the quality and trust in the non-profit organizations in the long term.
Anyone interested can find out more about charitable organizations and questions about donations at Zewo. In addition, the list of quality seal carriers, information sheets and other current information on donations can be downloaded from the website or requested free of charge.
Zewo stands for ethical and economic fundraising for non-profit organizations. It develops and sets appropriate standards and coordinates the national collections of around 40 major Zewo quality seal holders in the Swiss collection calendar.
Through active public relations work, Zewo ensures awareness of the seal of approval, provides information and creates understanding for complex issues in the donation system. To this end, it is in dialogue with quality seal holders, specialists, authorities, interest groups and the media.
The annual financial statements are checked by an independent auditor. In addition, the decisions of the Board of Trustees can be intervened at the Zewo appeals court.
The seal of approval supports the aid organizations in raising funds and helps them to obtain numerous discounts, e.g. B. for advertisement prices.
Compensation for work expenses
Aid organizations based in Switzerland can have Zewo check their compliance with the seal of approval criteria. The costs for the initial certification and the recertification that takes place every five years are based on the testing effort at an rate of 150 francs per hour. An advance payment is made for the main examination procedure, the final account is based on expenditure. The flat rate for the preliminary examination procedure costs 2,500 francs. Then there are the annual license fees. They depend on the size and type of organization. The minimum is CHF 300 (for sub-organizations) and the maximum is CHF 13,000. In 2009, the average license fee was CHF 1,200. 60 percent of the organizations paid CHF 500 or less.
seal of approval
The seal of approval distinguishes non-profit organizations for the conscientious handling of money. It is aimed at the public and serves as a decision-making aid.
The seal of approval certifies the economic, targeted and effective use of donations and stands for transparent organizations with functioning internal and external control structures that maintain honesty in fundraising and communication.
The prerequisite for an application is that the organization is dedicated to social, humanitarian, socio-cultural tasks or the protection of the environment and has existed for at least two years.
The exam is divided into two parts. The preliminary examination clarifies whether the prerequisites for being successfully certified are met. On the basis of the interim report, the organization decides whether it wants to undergo the in-depth main examination procedure with an on-site visit. If the organization meets the requirements, it receives the seal of approval for five years. Afterwards, a new check will be carried out as part of the recertification.
The audit examines charitable status, fulfillment of the purpose, effectiveness, economic efficiency, control structures, transparency and ethics. The check is carried out through analysis of public information, data collection with questionnaires, internal documents, if necessary clarification on site, involvement of technical experts. After the assessment, the application goes to the Board of Trustees, the appeals court reviews the decisions on request.
If, during the recertification, which takes place every five years, it is found that an organization does not meet the Zewo requirements, the organization is required to remedy the deficiency within a certain period. After the deadline, the organization will be checked again. If the defect is not remedied after the grace period has expired, the seal of approval will be withdrawn.
Board of Trustees
The majority of the members of the Board of Trustees are independent of aid organizations. The composition of the Board of Trustees is regulated in accordance with Art. 8 of the deed of foundation or the articles of association and states that the Board of Trustees consists of at least nine members and must ensure balance. No individual interests should get out of hand. The 2009 annual report shows that only three out of nine members represent relief organizations, i.e. a clear minority.
history
The Central Office for Welfare Organizations was founded in the 1930s by the Swiss Charitable Society SGG .
In June 2001 the Zewo association dissolved and together with the SGG founded the Zewo Foundation . The association's capital of CHF 200,000 and the SGG contribution of CHF 400,000 form the basis of the foundation's capital.
See also
- DZI (German Central Institute for Social Issues) , the analogous organization in Germany
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Page no longer available , search in web archives: see approved regulations on appeals court (pdf)
- ↑ Extract from the commercial register ( Memento of the original dated December 24, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Page no longer available , search in web archives: BDO Visura audit report (pdf)
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original dated August 29, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from August 21, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Page no longer available , search in web archives: zewo.ch
