The Friends of Waldorf Education provide support funded exclusively through donations. Since we started working we have passed on 100% of the received donations.
We receive requests of varying degrees of urgency almost daily - crisis situations, new founded initiatives, bursaries, travel costs of mentors a.o. - At our monthly board meetings we discuss how best to assist with our free donations (around 2% or 80.000 Euro per year). (> List of supported projects)

Through joint projects with the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) we are able to increase the value of donations fourfold. In most cases the BMZ provides 75% of the total funding, while we and our local partners provide the remaining 25%. We have been cooperating with the BMZ in this way for many years and we provide our part of the work with the help of our voluntary co-workers. The total amount of these projects is around 350.000 Euro per year. 

Since 1993 The Friends of Waldorf Education have been organizing voluntary services. These services are coordinated by our Karlsruhe office and have seen dynamic development in recent years. Each year we send approx. 500 young people abroad. Through their service they make a significant contribution to the international Waldorf and Curative education movement and also gain invaluable experience themselves. (> Detailed information about our voluntary services).

Meaningful meetings with people in other countries and cultures can be a lifelong treasure. Following each visit abroad, students, parents and teachers return with new impressions, a new perspective on everyday life, and new friendships. If you are interested, we are happy to recommend institutions that currently seek partnerships. An ideal opportunity for a first encounter is a social service internship, or perhaps an upper class project trip. 

More about upper class projects | school partnerships | extensive link collection.

Since 2006 we are working with traumatised children on the field of Emergency Education. Until now there have been deployments in Lebanon, China, Gaza, Indonesia and Haiti. (> More Information).

The international Waldorf movement is based on the principle of fraternity and mutual interest. However, one can only develop active interest when one is informed. This is the aim of our free newsletter being published each Spring and Autumn. Our exhibition has travelled the world since 1994 and has been seen in many countries. Our publication "Waldorf Education" has been translated into 16 languages. Our book "Waldorf Education Worldwide" (2001) includes contributions of authors out of over sixty countries about the development and situation of the Waldorf movement. (> See our publications).

We have been in ‚official relations’ with UNESCO since 2001. Through our support for a child-centered and future-orientated education, we share the same fundamental principles and aims as UNESCO. - Meanwhile around 25 Waldorf schools have joined the network of over 7,500 UNESCO Project Schools regularly facilitating innovative projects focusing on intercultural education, peace education, environmental education, or education towards democracy.