Help where help is needed: ”ergo: wir helfen e. V.”

"ergo: wir helfen e. V." is a non-profit charitable association founded and run by the work-forces of ERGO’s companies and with the purpose of extending a helping hand to people in need via social and charitable projects at home in Germany and abroad.
Current and former ERGO employees can join the association and support its work by donating the portion of their salaries or commission that comes after the decimal point and/or by making a maximum donation of 1.50 euros per month. ERGO does its bit by topping up the amount that employees give in this way by another 50 percent and by practical support for the association's work.
All donations made to "ergo: wir helfen e. V." reach the projects they are intended for in their entirety, without a percentage going on administration costs.

The association's standing committee and membership representatives take great care to personally vet all projects proposed for funding from the association, with particular scrutiny directed towards the degree to which the project does serious, sustainable work and how it makes use of donations. Members of the association can propose projects for funding; such suggestions are particularly welcome when the proposer is personally involved in the project.

• The Evangelisches Krankenhaus Düsseldorf, a hospital established by Germany's Protestant church, receives regular financial support for the treatment of seriously injured children from areas where there is war and conflict. The hospital works with the organisations Hammer Forum and Peace Village International to bring the children to Germany, give them the surgery, treatment and care they need, provide them with artificial limbs where required, and return them to their home countries once they have recovered.
• We sponsor nine children via Kindernothilfe e. V. Duisburg; part of this entails supporting children and young people suffering from lead poisoning. We also make it possible for children in Peru and India to go to school.
• We provide financial support to the social enterprise DKMS, the German bone marrow/stem cell donor register, which helps cover the 50-euro-a-time cost of typing. Four of our employees have already been able to help someone else by donating stem cells.
• We help the Christoffel-Blindenmission, an internationally active development organisation which cares for and supports people with visual impairments and other disabilities.