Frequently asked questions

Why should I register with betterplace, and how do I go about it?

There are only two reasons why you should register with betterplace:

1. You want to actively contribute and make a change in this world.
2. You need assistance, and you are looking for people who are willing and able to support your project.

To register with betterplace is free and uncomplicated – all can be part of it!

On the start page of betterplace.org click “Sign up” on the top right of the navigation bar. Fill in your name and surname, your email address and your chosen password. Click the Sign up button and we will send you an automatic email to your given email address. All you need to do is to accept the email by clicking on the link sent to you. This is to ensure that users do not enter the site with a false email address.
In some cases, depending on your email program, the link we send you may not function – so all you need to do is copy and paste the link into your web browser and you will be connected to betterplace.org.

It’s that easy! Now as a registered user, you will have access to all the sites, functions and possibilities on betterplace.

Can I use betterplace with a very slow internet connection?

We are constantly optimising betterplace to ensure that it is user-friendly, even with a slow internet connection.
This is very important to us, as we want users from all regions of the world to have access to betterplace.

However, should you find that it takes a very long time for each page to load, please try the following:
Go into your Internet Browser under “Tools”, and de-activate the “Image loading” function. Thereby all pictures and photos will not be loaded and help to speed up the site.

The site is still slow? Please be aware that we at betterplace are only partially responsible for the speed of the site – most often the problem lies with your local internet infrastructure. We at betterplace, along with countless internet providers continue to strive towards making the internet accessible to all.

Now I am registered. But I have landed on a „Personal Profile” page – what is this?

betterplace is a social networking site where individuals, organisations and companies meet in support of social initiatives. Each has a personal profile site. Furthermore, each project also has a profile page (which is kept up to date by the project responsible, the person who posted the project on betterplace), and likewise each organisation or company is represented by one person who ensures that the content on their profile site is valid.

The Profile page is the medium through which private users, projects, organisations and companies can portray who they are and why they choose to support betterplace.

And what can I do on my profile page?

Your profile page can be used to present pictures and write Blog entries. It can be translated into English or German, or can be used to edit your personal details.
You also have the possibility to connect as Friends to other users on the site, or list yourself as an employee of an organisation or company that you work for, listed on betterplace.

Where can I change my personal details, such as email address or password?

Your personal details can be changed and updated on your “My betterplace” site, which is also your personal profile site. Click on “Edit Your Profile”, and you will be given the opportunity to edit your email and password, as well as any personal descriptions you wish to have on the site.

Should you wish to make changes to your projects, organisation or company, you proceed in the exact same way as explained above, on the respective profile sites.

Are my details on betterplace secure?

Yes! Data security on the site is one of our highest priorities. We would never share your details with third parties without your consent.

Furthermore, you also have the option to donate anonymously over betterplace, without even having to create a user profile.

How do I upload personal pictures?

Pictures say more than words! That is why we provide you with ample opportunity to upload your pictures on the site. Go to “My Betterplace”, click on “Photo” than on “upload images”. Select a picture from your computer and click “open”. The picture will now be uploaded onto betterplace. The first picture you upload will automatically be your personal profile picture.

It doesn’t work? Be sure that the picture you are trying to upload has one of the following file formats: *.JPG, *.PNG or *.GIF, and is not larger than 4 mega bytes.

Follow the same procedure for uploading pictures to your projects, organisation or company, as explained above, on the respective profile sites.

How do I change my personal profile picture and how do I delete other pictures?

Under “Photos” on your “My betterplace” site, you have the opportunity to change your personal picture. This is done by selecting the small thumbnail pictures on the bottom left, and using your mouse, drag-and-drop the picture.

To delete your pictures, move your mouse over the picture, wait for a “X” to appear on the top right hand side of the picture, and click the “X”. This will delete the picture.

Follow the same procedure for changing pictures to your projects, organisation or company, as explained above, on the respective profile sites.

What exactly is a „blog“ and how do I use it?

Although blogs are becoming more and more common place on the internet – not everyone is familiar with them.
A blog is a type of writing block on the internet. It can be used to capture your thoughts, your experiences, interesting facts or opinions that you feel are important. But most importantly, it can be read by all on the internet.

All registered users of betterplace are provided with a blog. The most important of these is the project blog, as this is the means through which users are updated on the progress of projects. The person who is responsible for the project is also responsible for ensuring that the project blog is kept up to date.

Of course each user also has his/her personal blogs, and similarly organisations and companies on betterplace have Blogs that are managed by their respective representatives.

But most importantly – we encourage you to USE your blogs!
Especially in the case of projects, your blogs will bring life and attract other users to your initiatives. Blogs are short and sweet, easy to read, and help betterplace users to connect with one another and identify with what is actually taking place at the project location.

What exactly is a „project” on betterplace, and why is each project broken down into different needs?

A project on betterplace is always a social initiative that aims to improve quality of life. These projects can range from an individual who is asking for help with school fees for their child, to a charity organisation who wants to build a new school.

To ensure that each project remains transparent, we require on betterplace that each project is broken down into “Needs”. These “Needs” are very specific requests, making it more tangible for users who want to know what their money is being used for rather than giving to a project in general.

For example in the project “New opportunities for fisherman at Lake Victoria”, the Needs have been broken down into “35 fishing nets” and “2 Biologists”. This project can be expanded to include other Needs, such as “2 Diesel engines” or “100 meter fishing line”.

Giving to specific Needs rather that to the project in general, also helps ensure that the Project Manager is accountable to his/her supporters, and you as a donor know exactly what your money is going to.

And who is the “project responsible”?

The project responsible is the person who has posted a project on betterplace and is responsible for it. The project responsible lists the specific project needs, documents its progress in the project blog and is expected to answer any questions that potential donors might have with regard to their specific project.

However, the project responsible is not necessarily the person on the ground in need of support. It could also be someone who has close relations to a project and chooses to assist by presenting the project on betterplace, and collecting money on the project’s behalf. This is most important in cases where the individual or project in need may not have Internet access and is not in a position to upload the project him/herself on betterplace. This requires, of course, that the project responsible transparently accounts for the needs and work of the project and later writes frequent updates in the project blog describing clearly how the donations are being used.

What is a “project visitor”?

A project visitor is a person who has personally visited a project and writes about his/her experiences on betterplace, as well as posts photos. The project visitor plays an important role within the betterplace “Web of Trust”, as personal experiences give real credibility to the project.

What is a “project advocate”?

A project advocate is someone who has a personal connection to or expert knowledge about a specific project, and is prepared to standby its authenticity and credibility. A project Advocate needs to be able to confirm that the project has serious needs, and should be able to justify this in writing on betterplace to help encourage other users to support the project.

Why should I support projects of large aid organisations – featuring as “project carriers” – through betterplace, instead of donating to those organisations directly?

On betterplace you have the opportunity to select the specific project of an organisation you want to support. The stated project needs allow you to see exactly how your money will be used and you can follow the effects of fulfilled project needs in detail.

Why are companies able to present their projects on betterplace and support them as “project partners”?

betterplace wants to be inclusive. Companies have social responsibilities. Their influence and at times global reach makes them a prime motor for sustainable change. That’s why we want to include companies as partners for projects, discussions and networking. Presenting themselves as sponsors of specific projects on betterplace enables companies to reach out to civil society and their customers and actively influence their reputation. At the same time their Corporate Social Responsibility policy will become transparent and accessible to their employees, who will be able to identify with it, contribute to projects themselves and post their own projects on the platform.

A map of the social engagement of the employees of a single large company will leave a very powerful impression. The incentive of a company to engage more directly with civil society, customers and employees in order to improve the social environment of the places they work in will grow accordingly.

Cooperating with companies, among others, also enables us to cover our administrative and transaction costs. It is only with this support that we can guarantee that 100% of the individual donations are forwarded.

What is the „Web of Trust“ and how does it work?

Those who choose to give should also be able to trust in the credibility of what they are supporting. That is why we have built a “Web of Trust” around each project – a network of real people who can advocate for the project and who want to see its success.

These people include project visitors, project advocates, project supporters, a project carrier and project partners. Additionally, each user on betterplace.org can pose questions to projects or rate them on a scale of one to five.

The “Web of Trust” is a diversified evaluation network acting to prevent corruption and the misuse of funds, to enhance the project effectiveness and to provide the opportunity for supporters to evaluate and highlight specific projects by their own criteria. This is especially valuable when a potential supporter personally knows other supporters or project responsibles within a project’s “Web of Trust,” thereby strengthening trust for that project.

Why should I use betterplace to connect with other people as “friends”?

We are not trying to be the new “MySpace”, nor a new Business-Platform. What we are building is a direct connection between people who, together, want to bring about real positive change in the world. We believe that there is power in numbers, and it is important to create a network of people who share the betterplace vision. This brings us back to the “Web of Trust” – a network based on trust incorporating people who are connected as “friends”.

Ultimately, you need real people to create real trust. And if you can trust the people who support or advocate a project, what more do you need to believe that the project you wish to support is credible?

OK. But how do I actually support a project?

There are many ways to support a project! First step is to promote the project that you wish to support. Talk about it, send an email to your friends, tell them about the project on betterplace, and of course donate money towards the project.
This is done by selecting a project “Need”, and click on the “Donate” button. Thereafter you can type in the amount of money you wish to give, and your preferred payment method. Needless to say, the entire payment process takes place within a secure site.

Many projects can also be supported by giving donations in kind or by offering your services as a volunteer. Just click on the “Donate in kind” or “Volunteer” button. A new site will open where you will be given the opportunity to write directly to the person responsible for the project, and briefly explain what services or donations you would like to offer. The person responsible for the project will then be in direct contact with you via email.

If the person responsible for the project is interested in your donations in kind or services, all logistics need to be handled between you. betterplace unfortunately does not have the capacity to arrange the transfer of goods or arrange volunteer services over the internet platform. However, we are happy to assist with any questions that you might have.

You can also support a project by being an Advocate for the project. You may have some direct contact to the people working on a project, or know the organisation, and therefore trust its credibility. This helps to build the Web of Trust around a project and attract others to support it.

And as already mentioned – the easiest and most effective way of supporting a project is by talking about it, and inviting friends, colleagues and family to support it.

What happens with my money once I have donated to a project?

After you have donated for a specific need, we will keep the money in the project account until the whole sum for this specific need has come together. Thus we can ensure that the money will really be spent on the concrete specified needs of the project. Transferring the entire sum for a need all at once also makes sense as it reduces transaction costs, hindering unnecessary high transaction fees for each Euro donated.

In addition, we always maintain the opportunity to halt a payment for a project’s various needs if we experience any irregularities throughout our contact with a project responsible.

If a donor has fulfilled a need completely, or once the whole sum has come together, we will transfer 100 percent of private donations without any deductions from us to the bank account listed on the project profile, that is, to the organisation or the project responsible. In other word: we from betterplace don’t get a cent from your private donations.

betterplace covers all incidental transaction costs of international bank transfers with the help of corporate partners and partners active on betterplace. The only costs we can't cover are those which foreign banks might subtract as a commission from the person responsible for a project.

Will money from my donation be deducted for administrative or promotional costs?

At betterplace, we forward your donations 100%, without deductions, the project carrying organisation of your choice or, if it is an individual project, to the project responsible, as soon as the specified project need has been completely fulfilled.

At the end of the day, The organisations or respective project responsibles who receive are required, according to the conditions of our project registration policy to use the acquired money for the realisation of the work and specifically stated needs as described in their project descriptions for which donations are collected.

When a project need states: “We need 800 Euros for 10 survival packets in Haiti,” then 800 donated Euros are forwarded from us to provide for 10 survival packets in Haiti (variations under 10 percent—due to price or currency fluctuations—are allowed). Paragraph 5.3 of our project registration policy states: “Donations may only be used in accordance with the information stated in the project descriptions.”

How detailed the organisations or respective project responsibles decide to describe their use of donations is not for us to mandate. We can only make appeals for the largest possible transparency. Whether an organisation simply writes “800 Euros for 10 survival packets in Haiti” or whether they describe with much more detail why 10 survival packets cost 800 Euros—perhaps that the packets actually only cost 700 Euros but the transport of the goods to Haiti costs an additional 50 Euros and the employee who distributes the packets is paid 50 Euros (administrative costs!)—has the same end-effect. Namely, that “Bringing 10 survival packets to Haiti and distributing them there costs 800 Euros—please donate to us!” Of course, at betterplace we ask and encourage the latter approach—the more detailed, clear description of the use of funds that are collected for needs through the organisations and their project responsibles—since we are convinced that such a high measure of transparency increases trust and thereby more donations.

One thing that shouldn’t be lost in the discussion: administrative costs aren’t a bad thing. Good projects require good management.

Administrative and promotional costs can be presented:

• as a portion of specified needs, as described above in the Haiti example or in the following project description
• as a specific “Administrative” or “Promotional Costs” need, as for example here
• Many organisations and their project responsibles use betterplace.org for the sole purpose of acquiring additional donations toward concrete needs and therefore rather seek funding for their administrative and promotional costs from other channels

Under what circumstances will I get a refund for my donation?

At betterplace transparency is our primary objective. That’s why under certain circumstances your donation might not reach the need it was given for. In this case you can donate the amount to another need of the same project or to a different project. In the case of the latter, make sure that the new project belongs to the same tax-category as the original one.

There are two different reasons why you might have to choose a different need or project for your donation:

• you donated money to a need which wasn’t completed within six months.
• you donated money to a project identified as fraudulent and was thus blocked on betterplace.

In all of the above cases, you will, of course, be informed via e-mail. Your refunds will be registered on your personal “my betterplace”, under “my transactions”.

Do you check projects before they are published on betterplace?

No. betterplace.org is not an aid organisation, but rather a neutral mediator between people who are looking for support and people who want to give support. Since betterplace.org is an open platform, small organisations and initiatives as well as private individuals can publicize their projects to a worldwide audience—many of them for the first time—alongside other large organisations. We make very clear that the choice to support a specific project belongs to each donor.

We offer organisations and projects multiple technological and communications opportunities to help gain the trust of potential donors. This includes links to evaluation protocol and audit reports, the non-profit certification status from the revenue office, or the opportunity to upload the “DZI Spendensiegel” from the German Central Institute for social questions.

However, betterplace.org is also characteristic for offering a space on our platform to smaller initiatives that don’t have the opportunity to apply for these “classic evaluation mechanisms,” perhaps because they are located outside of Germany. While the larger organisations can use the benefit of their well-known reputations to attract supporters, the structure of betterplace.org is particularly suitable for these smaller initiatives, allowing them an efficient method to activate their networks. By using email, Facebook or other networking options, they can appeal to their friends and acquaintances for project support, and their friends can easily recommend their project further in those networks. This isthe snowball effect of trust—and who can you trust more than your own circle of friends and acquaintances?

To this end, a “Web of Trust” is thereby formed for each project on betterplace.org. This is an system that openly displays the collected players of a project along with positive as well as negative feedback about the project. The project responsibles are also openly depicted, with the photos, texts and videos that they can upload frequently to outline the daily progress of the onsite work. Every member of the “Web of Trust” can be directly contacted over the platform. As this trust network grows, it can also eventually draw in outside support, since the “swarm intelligence” has positively evaluated the project.

This trio of a) classical evaluation mechanisms, b) direct personal trust and—supplemental to both—c) the swarm intelligence of the Internet constitute a combination of user and expert opinions that is characteristic of other Internet communities and platforms, such as hotel evaluations, book reviews or the user-generated content of Wikipedia. Still, at betterplace.org we use additional technical methods to expose scams early on and, in doubtful cases, we work closely together with authorities.

The world will never be free from scammers. Even a donor quality seal is no guarantee for the effective use of donated aid. The non-profit certification status from the revenue office is only a tax verification procedure. The money for a collection box on the street can also come to a shady end. betterplace.org does not have the capacity to scrutinize every jot and tittle of the thousands of projects on our platform—to that end we would require hundreds or even thousands of personnel around the world. Alternatively, we are counting on our transparency and on the responsible, enlightened questions, discussions and choices of our betterplace.org users. We are counting on you!

How about deceitful projects – a school that doesn’t exist or seeks funding for teachers that don’t exist?

This is a question we get asked frequently and work on every day. We want to encourage and support grassroots initiative as a key to sustainable development and results. We want to connect people who want to change their lives with others who want to support them in their goal. Naturally there is also room for deceit. But we believe that we have taken serious measures to prevent fraud as much as possible.

Each project depends on its Web of Trust. It must be trustworthy in order to gain the support of donors – a face, a story and straightforward results. It needs advocates, institutional project carriers and partners, who state why we should trust their judgement and the project. There are also project visitors and commentators who strengthen or correct our trust. Every donor decides for himself how much reassurance he needs to support a project. Is the advocate a missionary of the Catholic church, an Imam, a local politician, a university professor, a member of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra or a Lufthansa stewardess? The question is not who deserves to be trusted, but who deserves my trust. The decision is mine – just like on the other side somebody else decides to do something to better his life.

Those who only trust established structures and institutions are free to support only projects run by large and well-known aid organisations or those that are sponsored by big corporations. On the other hand, those who believe that local, informal structures and initiatives should get a chance might want to support the theatre project for unemployed youth run by an (as yet) little-known writer from Botswana. Both approaches can fail, but they are worth the try.

The basis for learning is feedback. Projects who don’t give feedback will be less trustworthy than others. Feedback creates (more) transparency and accountability. The whole internet history of a project is available and accessible for every user. Successes can be visited, commented on, followed, and implemented in an even better form elsewhere.

In the beginning, all projects on betterplace are known to us or to people we know. Soon, when there are more of them, we will use advanced technology to identify “patterns” for example, similar expressions in the presentation of projects and in the Web of Trust (for example, a group of people who constantly refer to and vouch for each other). This enables us, in the background, to prevent fraud and protect all those whose projects, needs and support are authentic and honest.

Finally, by way of comparison: how many failed and fraudulent projects do you find in conventional development work, even when it is done by well-known international aid organisations? Many studies point out the high overheads, the disappearance of resources in corrupt structures and the failure of badly executed projects. If you are looking for transparency there, you will not find them very accessible. Here also is space for improvement: every organisation that presents their projects on betterplace has committed itself to spent the donations only on the project in question and to give feedback about its progress.

Why are there five stars on every project site?

Everyone registered on betterplace can rate projects. To do so, simply click on the stars.
That’s what the stars stand for:

• *: Do NOT support it!
• **: not interesting
• ***: worth watching
• ****: support it!
• *****: That’s real change!

As you receive more information on the project you can change your ratings over time. For example, when the project representative posts a long and informative message on the project blog you might want to increase the number or stars, or reduce them when you don’t hear anything over a longer time-period.

We know that many people are hesitant about evaluating a project simply on the basis of their personal impressions. Nevertheless – we strongly encourage you to contribute to the rating process. Check whether the person responsible for a project regularly writes about his or her work in the project blog. Decide whether those reports are interesting and trustworthy. Read what the people who have visited the project in person have reported or what advocates have to say. Are the needs well-presented and described in sufficient detail?

We place our trust in the betterplace community. That’s why we are convinced that your rating of a project with the help of the five stars will help identify trustworthy and valuable projects. Give it a try yourself: Go the “search projects” and click on “top rated projects” in the top right corner.

Are my donations tax deductible?

The short answer is: donations for projects run by non-profit organisations registered in Germany are tax deductible for German donors. You can recognize these projects by the small label “-tax”, as well as by the note “This project is recognised as a non-profit in Germany.” betterplace will issue a receipt for your donation by the end of each year. Donations for projects of private individuals or smaller initiatives not registered as charitable in Germany are not tax deductible for German users.

Why? betterplace is a non-profit foundation. We pass along 100% of the donations. For each project, tax authorities require extensive documentation, contracts and receipts. In principle, this is good practice, as tax deductibility demands the transparency of used funds.

If the project is run by a non-profit organisation registered in Germany, they must provide the tax authorities with the required proofs and betterplace can issue a donation receipt.

At the same time, small projects and initiatives run by people and organisations outside Germany represent a challenge. The project description and the “Web of Trust” surrounding each project are the basis on which every supporter and donor will judge whether she wants to trust a project or not. Appropriate feedback and results will encourage donors to further support a project or a new project run by the same person. Yet the tax office demands more: written contracts and receipts for every expense following a specific German standard. An Internet-based platform has to standardize all of these transactions as much as possible. Thus, if we were to ensure “manually” that we receive (by conventional email) a signed contract from each project leader or to fully document the distribution of food in the Sahel zone, for example, it would demand a logistical effort beyond our capabilities.

What are your criteria for a „successful“ project?

We return the question: what is a successful project for you, as a donor and supporter, as a project leader or beneficiary?

Some successes are measurable. Somebody who wants to build a school has to be measured according to whether the school has been build or not. But maybe what is even more important to ask whether it works: does it have students and well-trained teachers, books and other educational resources?

Other successes are more difficult to measure. Bonty, a young writer from Botswana, works together with unemployed youth in order to develop their artistic talent and to give them confidence that they can do something with their lives. Even if Bonty posts photos and clips about their successful theatre performance on betterplace, it’s hard to know whether she has achieved her goal. Deciding whether or not you rate her work a success depends in part on your own judgement. If you have seen the documentary Rhythm is it about a group of school drop outs, a choreographer and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, then you know an example of what such art can do with the involved youth and perhaps believe in such an initiative.

The people responsible for projects state their targets. You, as donor or advocate, decide which aspects of a project are important for you. You decide whether the presentation of the project, its aims and the testimony of advocates, visitors, partners and aid institutions, convince you in their immediacy and their authenticity. There is no single measure for a good project.

We at betterplace hope that projects with comprehensible and concrete results, are built on local initiative with a promise to be sustainable, will find support. We are committed to deliver results, while knowing at the same time that results are not always measurable.

We believe that the diversity of projects on the platform and the possibility to compare and gain background information helps every supporter to sharpen his view for those changes in the world deserving of his help.

Not every project can be successful. Helping others to help themselves is a complex field, and not all approaches will reach their aim. And there are people who are not (yet) ready to lead their projects to success. At betterplace we want to create an environment – through feedback, reports, commentaries and dialogue – in which we learn which approaches are more useful than others. This the only way an open and collective learning process can be started. As there are no one-size-fits -all recipes, learning – from successes and mistakes – is the only possible way to sustainable change and development. betterplace is going to support this process – over time – with comprehensive knowledge resources.

Doesn’t betterplace encourage a begger-mentality among the needy?

The critique that foreign aid paralyses initiative and is counterproductive is frequently voiced, and it is partly correct. But most of the projects posted on betterplace are based on the local initiatives: that’s why they are there in the first place. The project leaders have already identified a need and taken first steps to fulfil it. The support given through betterplace depends on this hugely important first step. At the same time we trust the wisdom of our users, many of whom will check how much initiative has been shown. Those projects that demonstrate their initiative most clearly are likely to receive more support.

OK, but who is behind betterplace and how does the platform finance itself?

betterplace Foundation GmbH is a completely independent German non-profit foundation. It consists of a highly motivated team, supported by private individuals and institutional partners with their time, their know-how, donations in kind and money.

In order to cover additional running costs, we have set up betterplace solutions GmbH, an incorporated company with limited liability. It is fully owned by betterplace foundation GmbH and handles the fees companies pay in order to present their social engagements on betterplace.

All these partners – individuals, institutions and companies – allow us to transfer 100% of your private donation to the project without any deductions from our side. The only costs we can't cover are those which foreign banks might subtract as a commission from the person responsible for a project.

I have more questions – where can I turn to?

Ask your questions, send us your suggestions, share your advice: just click on GIVE FEEDBACK and write to us.