What external monitoring bodies are overseeing the project?

The association’s management board is responsible for making all decisions on all issues, including financial matters, that concern The House of One. The board is subject to permanent monitoring by the following external entities:

The supervisory board

As well as providing advice, the supervisory board performs oversight duties in line with the provisions contained in the association’s bylaws. Section 10

§ 10
(1) The supervisory board is an independent body that monitors the management board 
(2) In particular, the supervisory board is responsible for: 
(c) approving the financial statement and the actions of the members of the management board 

Independent auditing firm 

The auditing firm Gieron & Partner GmbH constantly monitors the association to ensure that it is using the funds in accordance with the bylaws. To secure the monitoring of the use of funds, the six members of the management board have only limited access to the bank accounts: None of the members are authorized to act as signatories for account management purposes without the presence of an employee from the auditing firm. This permanent monitoring means the use of donations in line with the bylaws is anchored in the structure of the association. 

Furthermore, the annual financial reports and tax declarations produced by the auditing firm Gieron & Partner GmbH show the tax office that the association is using funds in line with its bylaws. This ensures that the association remains exempt from tax and can continue to issue donation receipts for tax purposes. 

In addition to the abovementioned external monitoring entities, the association also plans to commission, during the fundraising campaign, a second auditing firm to carry out a special annual audit to ensure that donated funds are used in line with the bylaws. The results of these audits will also be made available for download on The House of One website. 

Downloads

Decision pursuant to Section 60a of the German Fiscal Code, issued by the Finanzamt für Körperschaften I Berlin on September 1st, 2016 (cf. annex, attached)

Questions about where the donations go and how they are managed

How can I support/promote The House of One?

You can help make The House of One a reality by donating bricks and by encouraging others to get involved in the project. Launch your own fundraising campaign and get your family, friends, colleagues, classmates, and community to help your reach your goal.

Donation tool

Set up a fundraising page

How exactly do donors become part of The House of One, and how are they rewarded for their contribution?

By purchasing a symbolic brick, donors become co-builders of The House of One. As a thank-you and expression of friendship, we send each donor a blessing. You will also be rewarded with a lasting connection to The House of One. During the groundbreaking ceremony, the names of all the donors will be placed in the ground with the first stone. Also, the messages, wishes, and prayers that donors can submit when they purchase a brick will be documented and made available in The House of One. When the construction work is finished, everyone who helped make the building a reality will be able to find their message at The House of One and can add a new one if they wish. And lastly, your blessing, which doubles up as your donation certificate, will ensure that you are always made very welcome at The House of One.

Your prayer requests will become part of the liturgical celebrations held by the three religions and will testify to the global fellowship that exists within each of the faiths. One of our main goals is, by running initiatives and working with people who are committed to promoting peaceful understanding between the three religions, to create an international community in which we get to know one another, listen to one another and, where necessary, help one another.

Is the project receiving public money?

The idea and concept of the House of One is met with great approval at both federal and state level. This is also expressed in financial support. Both the federal and state governments are each providing 10 million euros for the construction of the building. In 2016 we already received 3.3 million euros from the federal and state governments of the "National Urban Development Projects" fund.

In addition, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs is financing several staff positions and the substantive work to prevent anti-Semitism rooted in religions through its project "Demokratie Leben!". The Federal Ministry of the Interior supported previously the establishment of the Social Media Team.

As an expression of the solidarity with our interreligious peace project, the Governing Mayor of Berlin, Michael Müller, will also assume the chairmanship of the Board of Trustees.

 

Will funds from Germany’s church tax go towards building The House of One?

The Evangelical Church is providing us conceptual support and human resources to the extent that it can. This is extremely helpful in our efforts to grow the project and gain widespread acceptance for it. However, none of the revenue from Germany’s church tax will go into building The House of One.

Is my donation tax deductible?

Our foundation benefits from tax relief (tax office decision of Sept. 1, 2016), which means donations are tax deductible in Germany. Upon request we will send you a donation receipt for the total amount during the first months of the following year by post.

As a rule, donations within the EU are tax deductible, but donors should also check their national legislation. If you require help with donation receipts for countries inside or outside the EU, feel free to contact us.

How much will it cost to build The House of One?

In order to build The House of One, we need donations totaling 43.5 Million Euros.

What exactly will my donation pay for?

Your donation will be used to finance the construction of The House of One, from the planning stage to the completed building. On top of that, a small share of your donation will help cover advertising and management costs. However, as we are receiving a generous amount of pro-bono support from our sponsors, we can keep these costs to a minimum.

We are very much aware that our donors, sponsors, and supporters are putting an enormous amount of trust in us. We are therefore committed to handling the funds responsibly and with a high degree of transparency. For a precise overview of how we are using your donations and a detailed breakdown of all donations, click here:

Use of funds & monitoring