Save the Children is the largest independent children’s rights organization in the world. It provides support in disaster situations and via long term projects to ensure that children can grow up healthy and live a safe, autonomous life. As part of it long term funding initiatives, Save the Children looked for innovative ways to strengthen its support from its financial supporters for its work for children in Germany and worldwide.

A select group of individuals who provide major financial support to Save the Children’s efforts were invited to an unusual evening mix of music, dialogue and fine food. Bertelsmann’s Berlin premises Unter den Linden 1 was transformed into a unique setting for a focused exchange of ideas about the important difference which Save the Children makes for children’s lives worldwide. The evening was kicked-off with a presentation by the head of Save the Children India who offered a first-hand look into their projects in that country. The World Café which followed provided a unique process through which supporters were able to meet face-to-face and share their insights with each other as a group for the first time.

The idea of offering a setting for its key financial supporters to interact with each other was conceived to provide a platform for both these and Save the Children to explore their needs and expectations for their mutual collaboration. The World Café was designed to foster a deeper personal understanding of the importance of this work to improve the lives of children through their projects worldwide. In addition, the dialogue provided an opportunity to reflect upon the empowering role which supporters play to make a difference for children’s lives. The World Café aspired to create a stronger bond between the financial supporters and Save the Children. As a result, Save the Children hoped to encourage a more personal and financial engagement of their financial supporters in the future.

One of the most significant results of the Berlin dialogue was the recognition of the need for Save the Children to develop more visibility for its evolving work in Germany. The dialogue’s results recommended that Save the Children develop an approach for a spectrum of projects which should be developed in Germany. The impact of this thinking can be observed in the Save the Children’s work with children in German refugee accommodations and Children-Parent School programs.