§ 1 Name, legal status, domicile and fiscal year
The association bears the name “Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V.”. It has the legal structure of a registered association and shall be entered in the register of associations of the local court of Charlottenburg in Berlin. The association´s domicile is Klingelhöferstraße 23, 10785 Berlin. Its fiscal year is the calendar year.
§ 2 Purpose
The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V. is exclusively and directly engaged in non-profit interests based on a Christian Democratic vision. In particular, the Foundation will
- provide political education,
- research and document the Christian Democratic movement´s historical development,
- develop the foundations of political activity through research and consultation,
- support the European unification, foster international understanding by means of information exchange and encounters and provide assistance with development policy projects and programmes,
- provide moral and material support for politically persecuted democrats,
- promote the scientific education and training of talented young people of suitable character,
- promote art and culture through events and grants,
- make the results of its work available to the public.
In order to undertake its tasks, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V. employs its moral, human and material resources in Germany and abroad.
§ 3 Membership
Only natural persons can become members of the association. The Board makes all decisions regarding preliminary membership. The General Assembly confirms the preliminary decision. The total number of association members is limited to 55. Membership expires three years after admission to the association, unless it is extended by the decision of the General Assembly for a further three years. A member can resign from the association at any moment. Membership ceases if a member does not attend a General Assembly within a period of three years.
With good cause, on request of the Board a member may be excluded from the association by a two-thirds majority vote of the assembly. The member shall be heard before the decision is made.
§ 4 Raising of the association’s funds
Association members are not required to pay a contribution.
Funds for the purposes pursued by the association shall be raised by grants, voluntary contributions and donations.
§ 5 Executive bodies
The association’s executive bodies are the General Assembly, the Board of Directors and the Board of Trustees.
§ 6 Board of Directors
The General Assembly elects the Board of Directors for a two-year period. It shall consist of the Chairperson, up to three Vice-Chairpersons, the Treasurer, the General Secretary and up to 16 other members, three of whom shall be appointed by the Board of Directors. The election and appointment of non-members to the Board of Directors is not admissible. More than half of the Board of Directors’ members must be members of the association. On the proposal of the Chairperson the secretary-general shall be elected for a four-year term and represents the Chairperson internally and externally. The Board of Directors’ term of office shall not end before new elections have been held. The General Assembly decides upon the election procedure for new Board of Directors members. Only individuals may be elected to the Board.
On the proposal of the Board of Directors the General Assembly may appoint a person as Honorary Chair on account of his/her outstanding services to the Foundation. He/she shall hold a seat and vote on the Board of Directors and in the Foundation’s other executive bodies.
The Board of Directors manages the association’s business and administers its assets. The Board of Directors is responsible for all tasks not assigned to the General Assembly or the Board of Trustees. The Chairperson and the Secretary-General may receive reasonable compensation or reasonable remunerations.
The board of directors shall decide upon the amount of such payment. Members of the Board who qualify for said payment shall not vote on this matter.
Meetings of the Board of Directors can be called at any time there is a need. The Board of Directors shall be convened with seven days’ notice, stating the agenda; in justified exceptional cases, the notice period may be shortened.
In urgent cases, Board of Directors’ resolutions may also be passed by circular letter, mail or telephone call. Decisions are taken with a simple majority of valid votes. If a Board member objects to resolution passed by the circulation method, the issue shall be dealt with during the next meeting.
The Board of Directors adopts rules of procedure for the foundation, which have to be approved by the General Assembly.
§ 7 Representation
Within in the meaning of § 26 of the German Civil Code (BGB) all of the Board members are the Board of Directors according to § 6 of the Statutes. The Chairperson, the Vice-Chairpersons, the Treasurer and the Secretary-General are authorized to represent the association individually. Two of the other Board members may represent the association jointly.
§ 8 Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees advises and supports the planning and execution of the Board of Directors’ tasks. The Board of Trustees shall consist of at least 10 members appointed by the Board of Directors for a three-year period. The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees may suggest candidates for appointment as members of the Board of Trustees. There shall be no need for the members of the Board of Trustees to belong to the Association. On the proposal of the Board of Directors the Board of Trustees shall elect their Chairperson for a three-year term. The appointment may be renewed twice for further three-year terms. Provided there is good cause, the Board of Directors may dismiss members of the Board of Trustees prior to the end of their term. If members of the Board of Trustees resign prior to the end of their term, the Board of Directors may appoint substitute members for the remainder of the election period.
The Board of Trustees shall meet once a year, if possible, but at least once in each election period. The invitation shall be issued by the of the Board of Trustees’ Chairperson, who shall inform the Board of Directors about the results of the Board of Trustees’ deliberations.
§ 9 General Assembly
The General Assembly is the Foundation’s supreme executive body and has the following tasks:
- Deliberations and voting on the Foundation’s working guidelines;
- Reception and approval of the management and financial report;
- Discharge of the Board of Directors;
- Election of the Board of Directors;
- Voting on the matters assigned to the General Assembly in the Statutes.
§ 10 Extraordinary members
Extraordinary members advise and support the Foundation’s work. They shall have the right to participate in and speak at General Assembly. The Board of Directors decides upon the preliminary extraordinary membership. The General Assembly confirms the preliminary decision. Extraordinary membership ends 5 years after the beginning and can be renewed for a further 5 years.
§ 11 Organisation of the General Assembly
The General Assembly shall be convened in written form with at least 14 days’ notice, stating the agenda. It shall be held at least once per year, preferably in the third quarter of the fiscal year.
The General Assembly shall constitute a quorum if at least half of the members are present. If there is no quorum - irrespective of the number of members present - a meeting convened with the same agenda shall constitute a quorum; this must be pointed out in the invitation.
Resolutions are passed with the simple majority of the members attending the meeting.
§ 12 Extraordinary meeting
Extraordinary meetings can be convened by the Board of Directors, as required in the course of the association’s activities. They must be convened if one third of the members require it.
§ 13 Resolutions
The resolutions of General Assembly shall be recorded in the minutes and signed by a member of the Board of Directors and one other member.
§ 14 Non-profit status
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V. is engaged exclusively and directly in non-profit interests as specified in applicable legal provisions, and specifically in promoting democratic and civic education as well as scientific research.
The association is non-profit-making; it does not primarily pursue its own financial purposes.
The association’s assets and revenues may only be used for the purposes stated in § 2. Any profits shall only be used for the purposes set out in the statutes. Members shall not receive any share of the profits and, in their capacity as members, shall not receive any other benefits from the funds of the Association. They shall have no claim whatsoever on the association’s patrimony on ceasing to be a member or in the event of dissolution of the association. Nobody shall be favoured by administrative expenses alien to the purposes of the Association or with disproportionately high remuneration.
On the dissolution or annulment of the association or on the discontinuation of its purpose, its funds shall be transferred in equal shares to the “Deutscher Caritasverband” and the “Diakonisches Werk – Innere Mission und Hilfswerk der Evangelischen Kirche in Deutschland”, which shall use them directly and exclusively for non-profit purposes.
§ 15 Accounting and Auditing
In the first quarter of the fiscal year, the Board of Directors shall prepare the annual accounts and the annual report for the previous fiscal year.
The annual accounts shall be audited by an expert by the end of the first half of the new fiscal year.
§ 16 Amendment of the statutes and dissolution of the association
To amend the statues and to dissolve the association it is necessary to obtain a resolution of the General Assembly which is adopted with a three-quarters majority.
§ 17 Regulations of the German Civil Code BGB
In addition, the regulations stipulated under Articles §§ 27 (2 and 3), 28, 32 and 33 of the German Civil Code BGB shall be applicable.