Six major German welfare organizations, represented by the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der Freien Wohlfahrtspflege (BAGFW), have sent a letter to the German Federal Minister of Finance, Lars Klingbeil and the Chancellor’s Office Minister, Thorsten Frei, calling for significant investments in their own services and facilities from the infrastructure special fund. The organizations, which include the Diakonie Deutschland, the German Caritas Association, the Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWO), the Paritätische Gesamtverband, the German Red Cross and the Zentralwohlfahrtsstelle der Juden in Deutschland (ZWST), claim that a massive investment backlog has built up over the past 20 years, as state funding only covered operational costs.
The organizations are demanding 10 billion euros for climate adaptation and climate protection measures in social facilities run by non-profit organizations, as well as an additional 3 billion euros for a new digital accessibility program. According to the letter, the funds will be available from 2026. The six organizations, which employ around two million people and have three million volunteers, argue that the investments are necessary to ensure the well-being of their clients, particularly in the face of the growing effects of climate change.
The letter also highlights the importance of digital accessibility, particularly in the event of a crisis, when social services and facilities must be able to quickly and reliably provide assistance to those in need. The organizations point out that many social facilities, such as hospitals, old-age homes and counseling services, are not adequately equipped with digital infrastructure and are vulnerable to cyber attacks.
The infrastructure special fund, with a total of 500 billion euros, is expected to be available over a period of 12 years, with a corresponding law currently being drafted. Achim Meyer auf der Heyde, President of the BAGFW, emphasized the significance of the non-profit welfare sector, stating that the new special fund must include lines of funding for climate protection investments and the digital expansion of non-profit social facilities.
Eva Welskop-Deffa, President of the German Caritas Association, also stressed the need for additional investments in social infrastructure to ensure the country’s preparedness for the future, particularly in the event of a crisis. She noted that the organizations play a crucial role in crisis situations, but only if they are adequately equipped and prepared.