Co-Director EA Germany
Entrepreneur (currently textiles, previously software) for 25+ years and interested in EA since 2015, joining the local group and donating. I joined the EA Munich organiser team and took the GWWC pledge in 2020, developed the software for the new donation management system Effektiv Spenden is using in Germany and Switzerland in 2021 and have been co-director of EA Germany since November 2022.
I run the donation drive Knitters Against Malaria, which has raised over $100,000 for the Against Malaria Foundation since 2018.
EA Germany is a membership association with about 100 members that elect the board that oversees the work of our team. However, there is no membership fee, and our programs are available to anyone, regardless of the membership. We have minimum levels of engagement and an interview for new members to ensure that people have enough context. I think this level of oversight encourages transparency and member engagement, although it probably does not change much of what we do.
In terms of naming, I think many different words are used for EA (e.g. CEA’s website uses the term “global network”), and it probably depends on local contexts and how they are understood. Personally, I’m more interested in how we can ensure professionalism in our actions and showcase the behaviour we want to see than in the label.