Together with more than 30 other people from politics, business, the arts, and the media, publisher and author Dr. Florian Langenscheidt established the charitable association "Children for a better World e.V." which he is president of. With CHILDREN Florian Langenscheidt encourages children in taking over responsibility for their live, their future and their environment - in Germany and worldwide. He also promotes civic engagement of children and youth through the nationwide JUGEND HILFT! competition (Youth helps!) and provides a kind of umbrella organisation for members of the association who want to support and get involved with a certain project that is close to their hearts.
At CHILDREN children are not only recipients of welfare services, they also have a say on the giving done by the organization: as members of in total 4 children advisory boards, children aged 6 to 18 decide on the allocation of grants from the CHILDREN-makeshift fund. In their meetings they discuss smaller proposals up to 1,500 € and while doing so learn how to assess charitable projects. US-studies show, that such early involvement of children is a warrantor for future volunteer engagement, making the children advisory boards an important "experimental ground" for the next generation of engaged philanthropists.
Florian Langenscheidt is convinced that the private sector and individuals must care for those issues that the state - with its majority focus - is not able to cover: "Each and every one of us is challenged according to his or her individual objectives and methods, interests and motivations whether through civic volunteering or donations, whether as philanthropist or corporate citizen ..." (speech, Hamburg 09.11.2007, on the occasion of the 7th Hamburg Meeting on Foundation and Non-profit Law).
