5 years after completing the Derra project area, the impact of Menschen für Menschen's work continues: This is the conclusion of the sustainability study conducted in June 2016 in the Derra project region, which was completed at the end of 2010. The study shows in detail that Menschen für Menschen's measures have helped to trigger positive and lasting developments that continue to persist and evolve five years after project completion.
In particular, sustainable improvements have been made regarding the nutritional situation, water and health care, and schooling. Microcredits have sustainably increased women's income and social status. To this day, families benefit from better nutrition, improved living conditions, easier access to education and the creation of work opportunities.

After the finalisation of the first project phase in Abune Ginde Beret, an external evaluation of the work was conducted. Evaluator Jochen Currle from the consulting organization FAKT travelled to Ethiopia where he and his Ethiopian colleague Chali Guteta studied the projects on site. An important question to answer was if the objectives for the advancement of Abune Ginde Beret, which had been set by Menschen für Menschen before the project work had started, had been achieved.

In October 2013 developmental evaluator and anthropologist Annette Schmidt and her Ethiopian colleague, agronomist Girma Mengistu, from the advisory organisation FAKT, carried out an evaluation of the project areas Borena and Ginde Beret on behalf of Menschen für Menschen.

It was meant to answer questions such as these: do aid projects from Menschen für Menschen provide sustainable improvement of the populations’s living conditions? Are activities that are implemented in cooperation with the people adequate and viable?

Inspection of our own work through continued monitoring and regular evalutions is an important tool which allows us to verify whether the projects could achieve their pre-set goals or whether measures have to be adjusted and improved.

Every euro that went into the women's program of Menschen für Menschen brings a social return on investment worth 26.60 euros to society. This was the result of the "Social Return On Investment" analysis conducted by the NPO & SE Competence Center of the Vienna University of Economics and Business in the fall of 2015. The impact of the measures for the advancement of women in the Washa Catchment, a region of the Ginde Beret project area, was examined. The results of the study provide impressive evidence of the social impact: Every donated euro invested in the studied women's projects brings about 27 times the value to society.

"The value is exceptionally high," says Olivia Rauscher, head of the study at the NPO & SE Competence Center at WU Vienna. "The study shows quite clearly the high positive impact achieved by the Women's Program of Menschen für Menschen in this region. Not only for the women themselves, but for the entire local society."

To complete work in an entire project area and transfer it completely back into the hands of the population is a great experience and the fulfilment of our actual purpose: one day not to be needed anymore!

But precisely because the completion of our work in a region is such a special event it must be used to question its impact. After all, the donations invested in the project over the years are meant to have brought about sustainable improvement of people’s living conditions.

To ensure this, a final survey of the project area Merhabete was carried out.

“We commissioned the study to find out if we are on the right track“, explains Berhanu Negussie, country representative of Menschen für Menschen in Ethiopia. “How are the people after our withdrawal? Is our work effective and sustainable?” The results of this study should also show what Menschen für Menschen could do differently and improve on in new project areas. Because only constant improvement can lead to effective help on a long-term basis.

The main idea of our project work is the transfer of knowledge to the Ethiopian people so they can free themselves from poverty and lead a better life without help from outside. Consequently, the construction of schools is an important component of our work. Since this is cost-intensive it is essential to monitor whether schools really meet all the requirements concerning the method of construction, equipment and, most of all, longevity we place on our work.

In 2012 TÜV Rheinland (Technical Inspections Organization) was therefore commissioned to carry out a thorough assessment of 29 randomly selected Menschen für Menschen schools. The assessment included schools built many years ago as well as new schools in various project regions. As result of the thorough assessment TÜV gave Menschen für Menschen schools the highest ranking GOOD.

Menschen für Menschen has carried the donation seal of quality continuously since its introduction in 2001. It is awarded annually following an in-depth audit by the Chamber of Tax Advisers and Auditors (KSW).

Menschen für Menschen was one of the first organizations to be awarded the Donation Certificate and has been carrying it without interruption since it was first awarded on 14 November 2001.

The Austrian Donation Certificate from the Chamber of Public Accountants exists since 14 November 2001. The Donation Certificate is a system of fully and strictly applied standards for non-profit fundraising organizations in the sectors relating to the raising and administration of donations.

In cooperation with the German Central Institute for Social Issues (DZI) Finanztest surveyed 28 German charity organizations that are linked to the name of a celebrity. 10 organizations could be rated, 18 did not take part in the test. The following criteria were reviewed: administrative costs, publicity costs, transparency as well as management and monitoring. The detailed test result was published in the November issue of Finanztest magazine (15 October 2014) and can be found at www.test.de/spendenorganisationen.
(Please note that this is only available in German!)

Finanztest evaluated the transparency as well as management and monitoring of the German foundation Menschen für Menschen – Karlheinz Böhms Äthiopienhilfe as “high”. Only three other organizations achieved this. According to the test result, the organization is characterized by low administrative and publicity costs. With regard to transparency, the detailed annual report is considered very important. Finanztest also positively emphasizes the clear procedure for project selection and support in Ethiopia.

The Stiftung Warentest survey therefore rates Menschen für Menschen as “besonders gut“ (exceptionally good).

On behalf of SPIEGEL ONLINE Phineo, analysts for the non-profit sector, tested the transparency of 50 top charity organisations. Three key criteria were evaluated: aims, activities and impacts. Find a detailed description of the methodology in the Spiegel article.

In this transparency test the German foundation Menschen für Menschen – Karlheinz Böhms Äthiopienhilfe was rated as “very good“. The independent survey rated the organisation with 4 stars or 4.2 of 5 points. This means of the 50 organisations tested, the foundation Menschen für Menschen comes in 10th place.

The foundation Menschen für Menschen reached 3rd place in the 2009 Transparency Award by auditing company PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Out of a total of 60 organizations audited, ten were awarded for their particularly transparent use of donations.

Menschen für Menschen was honored for exemplary reporting about the use of donations. PwC spokesman Hans Wagener explained this good performance: “the organization gives detailed descriptions of their goals, informs about internal monitoring and mechanisms for the supervision of funds on site, project and planning risks are described. We as a jury especially liked that [. . .] a part of the donations is deliberately invested in reserves to achieve the continuity of support measure.”