Frequently asked questions

The organization Dach überm Kopf was founded on April 24, 2001 in Hohenems in Austria. Prior to April 24, 2001 Fr. Mag. Varghese "Georg" Thaniyath conducted fund-raising campaigns under his own coordination.

Since September 22, 2009 the organization is registered with the number "SO1580" and accredited to §4a par. 1 EStG as covenantee with the right to receive donations that are tax deductible for tax payers in Austria. The organization is headed by 4 board members and headed by the chairman.

In Austria a share of approx. 1 % of all incoming donations are utilized to cover administrative expenses. Suche a small portion is only possible through ongoing volunteer work of all the members of the organization. The administrative expenses in Austria mainly consist of stationery, postage and so forth and are regulated by the financial principles of the organization.

Dach überm Kopf is founded and based upon financial principles for handling donations. These financial principles were reported to the Federal Ministry for the Interior in Austria. The management board is obligated to ensure the compliance with these financial principles. The evaluation of financial management is controlled by the financial auditors of the organization. In addition Dach überm Kopf compiles a financial report annually according to Austrian law. This report along with the minutes of the annual general meeting are reported to the Federal Ministry for the Interior in Austria.

Dach überm Kopf in India is represented through it's partner organization Fr. Varghese Thaniyath Charitable Trust. This partner organization was founded in 1999 by Fr. Mag. Varghese "Georg" Thaniyath and is built upon Indian law. The organization coordinates all activities of Dach überm Kopf on site in India. The organization is registered under the number "132/IV/99/SRO" with the central Indian government.

The management board of "Fr. Varghese Thaniyath Charitable Trust" consists of 6 board members, all brothers of Fr. Mag. Varghese "Georg" Thaniyath, headed by the chairman Fr. Francis Thaniyath.

For administrative expenses to remain as low as possible, Dach überm Kopf originally expedited voluntary work. Since the effort on site in India has constantly improved due to increasing numbers of house constructions, the organization was forced to abandon exclusive volunteer work and switch to a mixed model of volunteers and paid contractors.

Even with a mix of volunteers and paid contractors, the administrative expenses of Dach überm Kopf in India remains very low. For example a building supervisor supervises the construction of 5 to 8 houses over a period of 8 to 10 months. He is compensated with between € 22,- and 27,- per house.

Administrative expenses incurred for constructing the houses is similar to construction expenses in Austria. However, these expenses are incurred at a much lower cost. Expenses for the annual audit of the organizations finances as well as expenses for tax consultancy are also covered by the administrative expenses.

Accounting of the partner organization Fr. Varghese Thaniyath Charitable Trust in India is audited by nationally certified accountants annually. The resulting financial report is reported back to the central Indian government. In addition the financial report is sent to Dach überm Kopf in Austria for further audit.

Besides the partner organization Fr. Varghese Thaniyath Charitable Trust, Dach überm Kopf collaborates with the Archdiocese of Verapoly and the Diocese of Kottapuram in India. Through the Archdiocese of Verapoly, Dach überm Kopf is supported with engineers specializing in construction as well as manpower for construction and allocation of the houses for indigent families. With the Diocese of Kottapuram, Dach überm Kopf collaborates through the "KIDS" project.

The organizations Dach überm Kopf collaborates with are audited by the government based on Indian law the same way Dach überm Kopf's partner organization Fr. Varghese Thaniyath Charitable Trust is. Every organization holds a central bank account for collaboration with Dach überm Kopf issued by the central Indian goverment. In addition, the Indian goverment holds permanent privileges to audit financial transactions. These privileges are also used by auditing government agencies to ensure legitimate wires of donations and proper use and direction of donations. Every organization receiving donations from abroad undergoes the same process and is bound to the same regulations and laws. A resulting financial report is reported back to the central Indian government annually.