Newsletter Volunteering and association work - 1/2026

In December, the Federal Council approved the Tax Amendment Act for Voluntary Work. This resulted in important tax and legal improvements. The main changes came into force on January 1, 2026.

Among other things, the lump-sum allowances for trainers and volunteers were increased so that more income remains tax-free. At the same time, liability protection for volunteers has been significantly extended. Associations also benefit from higher exemption limits, less bureaucracy and more planning security. Another new feature is the recognition of e-sports as a charitable purpose and clear rules for photovoltaic systems on club buildings.

For more information on the changes to the law, click on the image or the headline of this news item.

Citizens who volunteer for the common good are indispensable for a city society. Their voluntary work strengthens social cohesion, enlivens club life and makes an important contribution to the quality of life in Offenbach.

In December, Lord Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke paid tribute to this commitment at a ceremony in the town hall and presented three women and three men with the State of Hesse's Letter of Honour. Gertrud Helduser, Markus Merkel, Esther and Helmut Schwoll, Angelika Stoltze and Manfred Vater received the award for their many years of commitment to the common good.

For more information on the honorees and the event, please click on the picture or the headline of this news item.

In mid-January, Lord Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke presented the bronze citizens' medal to five women and seven men who have shown exceptional commitment to the city.

The recipients were Erika and Kurt Breitenbach, Egbert Färber, Dr. Rainer Gareis, Petra Heckelmann, Peter Janat, Detlef Kohsow, Manju Kumar, Hiromi Mori, Bruno Persichilli, Ursula Scherer and Jürgen Uhlein, all of whom have dedicated their heart, time and energy to the common good of the city of Offenbach over many years.

For more information on the honorees and the event, please click on the picture or the headline of this message.

Seven Offenbach personalities who have made outstanding voluntary contributions to the common good were honored in January in the town hall. Lord Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke presented six silver citizens' medals to Frank Albrecht, Sigrid Isser, Simon Isser, Barbara Levi-Wach, Manfred Reißmann and Hilde Schädle-Deininger. Thomas Isser received the bronze citizens' medal for his commitment.

In his speech, the Lord Mayor praised the honorees as role models and "do-gooders" who take responsibility and strengthen social cohesion in Offenbach. Their commitment goes far beyond the usual and deserves special recognition.

For more information on the honorees and the event, please click on the picture or the headline of this news item.

Three women and six men who have made a special contribution to sport in Offenbach were honored for their achievements.

Mayor and Head of the Sports Department Dr. Felix Schwenke honored Jutta Gardon, Siegfried Hildenbrand, Hans Kaiser, Klaus Schürmann and Sigrid Stih with the Sports Plaque following a decision by the Sports Commission. Horst Müller, Kristoffer Uhlisch and Hans-Dieter Werner were awarded the Silver Sports Badge of Honor. Gudrun Bayer received the City of Offenbach am Main's Sports Certificate of Honor.

For more information on the honorees and the event, please click on the picture or the headline of this news item.

In mid-January, the city of Offenbach awarded the 30th Culture Prize as part of the New Year's cultural reception at the Capitol Theater Offenbach. The prize went to the Stadtgarde Offenbach in 2025.

The prize, which is endowed with 2,500 euros, recognizes the music and dance club's long-standing commitment to cultural diversity, community and active club life. The Stadtgarde includes numerous well-known formations such as the Icebreakers with their distinctive Guggemusik or the Glamour Girls. With the Guggemusik as well as the guard and show dance groups, the association is present at numerous festivals and celebrations in Offenbach and the surrounding area, thus helping to shape Offenbach's cultural city life.

For more information on the Culture Prize and the Stadtgarde Offenbach, click on the picture or the headline of this news item.

In December, Hesse's Minister of Social Affairs, Heike Hofmann, presented the state award for social civic engagement to five individuals and five associations and initiatives. Among the award winners is "Unsere Sternenkinder Hessen e. V.", an association from the city of Offenbach.

The team from Sternenkinder e. V. was honored for its civically initiated help for self-help for parents and families who have lost their child during pregnancy, at birth or shortly afterwards. The association accompanies parents, grandparents and siblings throughout Hesse on the path of grief. The free services create space for individual grief, dignity and remembrance.

For more information on the state award, click on the image or the headline of this news item.

Following the great success of previous years, Energieversorgung Offenbach AG and Offenbach-Post are once again inviting you to a joint summer festival this year with the support of the city.

The event will take place on Sunday, July 5, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Büsing Park. Associations and organizations from the city of Offenbach are once again cordially invited to participate in the family day and present their activities to a wide audience with their own stand. We are still looking for 3 to 5 organizations, preferably with a connection to children, young people and families, who would like to run their own stand on this day of action.

Interested organizations are invited to apply for participation via an online form by April 7.

Further information on the Family Day and the link to the application form can be found by clicking on the image or the headline of this news item.

Applications for the "#deinehrenamt" funding program of the state of Hesse can be submitted again from 15 February. However, approvals can only be made after the Hessian state parliament has passed the 2026 budget law - probably from April 1.

With "#deinehrenamt", the state of Hesse supports non-profit organizations, associations and initiatives in projects to strengthen civic engagement. Funding is provided for projects to recruit and support volunteers, recognition events (e.g. volunteer parties or thank-you evenings), club anniversaries and digital measures with an external impact such as a website or social media channel. Projects to address new target groups, develop modern structures or reduce bureaucratic hurdles are also possible. The funding amount is up to 30,000 euros per project. From 5,000 euros in funding, a personal contribution is provided.

Further information on the funding program of the state of Hesse can be found by clicking on the image or the headline of this news item.

The LandesEhrenamtsagentur Hessen invites you to free online seminars aimed at all those who are involved in voluntary work. In February, the program includes two online theme evenings (each from 6 to 8 pm):

• On February 10, Topic Evening III is all about finding engagement stories. The webinar will show how to discover strong stories from your own commitment and make them usable for your website, social media and public relations work. The speaker will be Katrin Gildner. Places are limited, registration closes on February 6.
  
  
• Topic evening I "Associations, taxes and volunteering" will follow on February 25 as an introduction to non-profit law. In terms of content, the focus will be on a comprehensible overview of non-profit status and taxes - including donation law, lump-sum allowances for trainers and volunteers as well as VAT - supplemented by opportunities to exchange ideas. The speaker will be Markus Exner from the Hessian Ministry of Finance. The registration deadline is February 16.

Further information on the digital theme evenings and registration options can be found by clicking on the image or the headline of this news item.

To support volunteers, the adult education center, in cooperation with the volunteer center and the city's volunteer officer, is developing a practice-oriented range of courses and further training led by experienced speakers.

Courses on the following topics are on offer for the coming semester:

• Retirement! Just rest, right? Actively shaping the stage of life
• Creating flyers with Canva
• Word - creating lists, tables and interactive forms
• Excel basics
• Free software for word processing or spreadsheets - Libre Office for beginners

For more information on the training program and to register for the individual courses, click on the image or the title of this message.

Individuals talk about their voluntary work in clubs/organizations/initiatives in the city of Offenbach in a short interview.

In this issue, Sandra Gottscheck reports on her voluntary work with the Stadtgarde Offenbach. The association was honored by the city of Offenbach as a 2025 Culture Award winner.

You can access the page with the full interview by clicking on the image or the headline of this news item.

... that pupils in Hesse can have a certificate issued as an attachment to their school report, also known as a "certificate supplement", to confirm and recognize their voluntary work?

This contains information on the type and duration of the voluntary work and, if applicable, the skills and abilities acquired. This is an important additional qualification that can be used, for example, when looking for an apprenticeship or applying for a place at university.

Further information on the certificate supplement can be found by clicking on the image or the title of this message.