§ 1 – Name, Registered Office, Field of Activity, Financial Year and Logo of the Association

a) The name of the association is “I-Can-Ser e.V.”. Designations in other languages:
• German (long form, descriptive): Ich kann der Menschheit dienen: Internationales Krebshilfenetzwerk
• English: I Can Serve Humanity: International Cancer Assistance Network
• Turkish: İnsanlığa Hizmet Ediyorum: International Kanser Yardım ve Servis Ağı
The uniform multilingual short form is “I-Can-Ser e.V.”.

b) The registered office of the association is Hamburg, Germany. It is entered in the Register of Associations under number (26206/1) e.V.

c) The financial year is the calendar year from 1 January to 31 December.

d) The field of activity of the association lies primarily in Germany; however, the association operates internationally and, in particular, provides humanitarian assistance in the field of cancer diseases.

e) The association logo consists of a red heart with a white star, the blue lettering “I CAN SER e.V.” as well as a blue-white heartbeat signal.

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§ 2 – Purpose and Public-Benefit Status of the Association

a) The association exclusively and directly pursues charitable and benevolent purposes within the meaning of the section “Tax-Privileged Purposes” pursuant to §§ 51–68 of the German Fiscal Code (AO).

b) Main objectives:

Promotion of the public health system and public health care (§ 52 para. 2 no. 3 AO), support in particular of economically needy persons suffering from cancer, domestically and abroad, as well as, where applicable, other seriously ill persons (§ 53 AO),

Promotion of international cooperation in cancer research and patient care as well as the promotion of science and research (§ 52 para. 2 no. 1 AO).

c) The statutory purpose is realized in particular through:
• Organization and implementation of concrete assistance measures for persons suffering from cancer and who are economically needy,
in particular through counseling, accompaniment to medical institutions, arrangement of treatments as well as individual financial assistance;
• Conducting information and awareness events, seminars, trainings and publications
for the promotion of public health care and cancer prevention;
• Establishment and operation of an international support network for the assistance of patients
through cooperation with hospitals, physicians, rehabilitation and social institutions;
• Collection and forwarding of donations for the financing of concrete support services for persons in need;
• Promotion of international professional exchange in the field of cancer treatment and patient care;
• Psychosocial support for patients and relatives through counseling services and self-help initiatives.

d) Cooperation with domestic and foreign health institutions, professional associations, NGOs, companies and individuals is permissible on the basis of written agreements.
Donations in kind and monetary donations are accepted. In the implementation of tax-privileged purposes abroad, the association shall keep proper records in accordance with § 63 para. 3 AO and ensure the verifiability of the use of funds.

e) The association acts selflessly; it does not primarily pursue its own economic purposes.
Funds of the association may only be used for the purposes set forth in the statutes.
Members shall not receive any benefits from the funds of the association.
No person may be favored by expenditures that are unrelated to the purpose of the corporation or by disproportionately high remuneration.
The association operates entirely on a voluntary basis and without the intention of generating profit.
It may carry out special projects and campaigns, in particular in the areas of pandemics, natural disasters and humanitarian aid.

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§ 3 – Membership of the Association, Rights and Duties, Membership Fee and Termination of Membership

a) Membership: Any adult natural or legal person who recognizes the objectives and the statutes of the association and pays the membership fee may – irrespective of the country of residence – become a member of the association. Each member has one vote in the General Assembly.

b) Admission procedure: The application shall be submitted in writing via the website or by e-mail.
The Executive Board shall decide on the admission application. The rejection of an admission application must be justified in writing. The person concerned has the right to lodge an appeal against the rejection before the General Assembly. The General Assembly shall decide finally on the application. The person concerned must be informed of this right in the letter of rejection.
Membership begins upon receipt of payment.

c) Membership fee: The fee shall be transferred to the association’s account – preferably by standing order – within one month after admission and annually no later than 10 May.
The amount of the fee shall be determined by the General Assembly and published on the website.
In justified cases, the Executive Board may defer or waive a member’s fee.

d) Termination of membership: Membership ends by death (in the case of legal persons, by their dissolution), resignation or expulsion.
Resignation may be declared at any time in writing by e-mail or via the website and becomes effective upon receipt by the Executive Board.
Members who have resigned or been expelled shall have no claims to the assets of the association.

e) Expulsion of members: Members who, despite two written reminders, fail to pay their fee by the end of the year or who violate the statutes, resolutions of the association or the reputation of the association may be expelled.
Prior to expulsion, a written warning is required.
The member concerned has the right to be heard at the next General Assembly.
The decision of the Assembly is final.

f) Rights and duties of members:
Each member has the right to participate in association activities, to use the services offered, to vote and to be elected.
Members are obliged to support the objectives of the association, to pay contributions on time and to display respectful conduct. Disputes should, as far as possible, be settled internally.

g) Beneficiaries of assistance (cancer patients) are not required to be members in order to receive support.
The type and scope of assistance shall be regulated by the Executive Board in guidelines in accordance with the financial possibilities of the association.

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§ 4 – General Assembly

a) The ordinary General Assembly shall take place annually no later than 31 March.
The date shall be announced at least two weeks in advance by written invitation via e-mail stating the agenda.
In addition, an announcement shall be made via the official association website.
Due to the international orientation of the association, online participation shall be made possible; translations into other languages may be provided.

b) The General Assembly shall be chaired by an elected chair of the meeting and a recording secretary.
The Executive Board, the Treasurer and the auditors shall present their reports; applications submitted by members shall be dealt with.
All resolutions and the course of the meeting shall be recorded in writing and signed by the chair of the meeting and the recording secretary.

c) The General Assembly shall have a quorum if at least one third of the members are present. If this quorum is not reached, a second assembly with the same agenda shall be convened within two weeks and shall have a quorum irrespective of the number of participants.
Reference to this must already be made in the first invitation.

d) Resolutions shall be adopted openly by simple majority of the members present.
In the event of a tie, a second vote shall be held.

e) Amendments to the statutes require a two-thirds majority of the voting members present.
The General Assembly shall furthermore decide finally on admission applications rejected by the Executive Board.

f) Voting rights: Only members who have paid their contribution at least two months prior to the date of the assembly shall be entitled to vote.
Voting rights may be transferred to another member by written proxy (a maximum of one proxy per person).
Upon request of a member entitled to vote, the election shall be conducted by secret ballot.
An electronic voting system may be used.

g) Election of the Executive Board: The Executive Board consists of five regular members and three substitute members.
In odd-numbered years, the Chairperson, the Deputy Chairperson and the Secretary shall be elected; in even-numbered years, the Treasurer and one further member (term of office: two years).
In addition, three substitute members, one internal auditor and his or her deputy shall be elected annually.

h) An extraordinary General Assembly may be convened by resolution of the Executive Board or upon written request of at least one quarter of the members entitled to vote. The invitation shall be made at least two weeks in advance by e-mail.

i) Motions regarding the agenda must be submitted in writing to the Executive Board at least three days before the assembly. Motions to amend ongoing agenda items may be introduced during the meeting.

j) Exemplary agenda of the ordinary General Assembly:

Election of the chair of the meeting

Election of the recording secretary

Report of the Executive Board and discharge

Financial and audit report

Discussion of submitted motions

Approval of the work and budget plan

Determination of membership fees

Board elections (see § 4 g)

Election of auditors

Miscellaneous, closing remarks

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§ 5 – Executive Board

a) The Executive Board consists of:

the Chairperson,

the Deputy Chairperson,

the Treasurer,

the Secretary,

one further member (in total five regular members)

as well as three substitute members.

More than half of the members of the Executive Board must be German citizens or possess a valid residence or work permit in Germany.

b) The Executive Board represents the association, convenes the General Assembly, implements its resolutions, conducts the ongoing business, administers the assets of the association, prepares annual reports and decides on new admissions.

c) The Executive Board shall be elected by the General Assembly.
Re-election is permissible. The term of office is two years.

d) The Executive Board may adopt rules of procedure for its work, provided that these do not contradict these statutes or the resolutions of the General Assembly.

e) Due to the international orientation, the Executive Board may make use of translation or communication services.

f) The Executive Board shall have a quorum if at least 51% of its members are present.
Resolutions shall be adopted by simple majority; in the event of a tie, the vote shall be repeated.

g) Meetings of the Executive Board shall take place at least every two months and shall be convened in writing with a notice period of three days.
Resolutions shall be recorded and signed by the Chairperson and the Secretary.

h) The Executive Board may establish working groups or advisory committees and may involve external experts on a voluntary basis.

i) Substitute members may participate in Executive Board meetings without voting rights; in the event of the absence of a regular member, they shall succeed in accordance with the established order.

j) Members of the Executive Board and appointed representatives shall work on a voluntary and unpaid basis.
Only proven necessary expenses shall be reimbursed (§ 3 no. 26a EStG).

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§ 6 – Branch Offices

a) The association may, by resolution of the Executive Board, establish branch offices domestically or abroad, provided this complies with the respective national laws.
The provisions of these statutes shall apply mutatis mutandis to the branch offices.

b) Branch offices are obliged to implement the decisions of the main association and to comply immediately with instructions of the Executive Board or local authorities.

c) Persons who join a branch office shall automatically be deemed members of the main association.
Each branch office shall be represented in the General Assembly by one delegate with one vote.

d) The main association shall support the branch offices materially and organizationally within its possibilities. In return, the branch offices shall participate in joint projects and activities.

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§ 7 – Financial Regulations, Representation and Authority to Sign

a) Sources of income of the association:
Membership fees, donations, public grants, project funds, sponsorships, interest, proceeds from events and, where applicable, tax-privileged economic activities.

b) In accordance with § 60 of the German Fiscal Code (AO), the association shall maintain all tax-privileged income in a separate account and shall use it exclusively and directly for charitable or benevolent purposes.

Of the annual gross income, at least two thirds shall be used directly for the statutory purposes; the remainder shall serve the ongoing operation and further development of the association.
The association shall not engage in an economic business operation within the meaning of § 14 AO.
Any ancillary income shall serve exclusively to fulfill the purpose of the association.

c) Financial administration and authority to make payments:
The Treasurer and the Chairperson are authorized to open and manage the association’s bank accounts and to make payments.
The Treasurer may act and sign alone up to an amount of €10,000 per transaction.
Expenditures exceeding €10,000 require an additional resolution of the Executive Board.
The Treasurer shall present a current financial report at each ordinary Executive Board meeting.

d) Long-term obligations:
The acquisition or sale of real estate as well as financial obligations with a duration of more than one year require the approval of the General Assembly.

e) Financial year and accounting:
The financial year is the calendar year. The annual financial statement shall be prepared by the Treasurer, audited by the auditors and submitted to the General Assembly.

f) Representation and signing authority:

• In accordance with § 26 BGB, the association is represented by the Chairperson and the Deputy Chairperson.
• The Chairperson or the Deputy Chairperson shall each represent the association individually.
• The Executive Board may, by resolution, grant special powers of attorney to other members or representatives.
• Legally binding contracts shall be signed by the Chairperson or – in the event of representation – by the Deputy Chairperson.
• For ongoing payments, the Treasurer may act alone.

g) In accordance with § 30 BGB, the Executive Board may appoint a Managing Director with written defined powers.

h) Liability: Members of the Executive Board and appointed representatives shall be liable only in cases of intent or gross negligence (§§ 26, 31a, 31b BGB).
The association shall not be liable for damages vis-à-vis members unless there is a statutory obligation to insure.
In the case of ownership of real estate or permanently employed staff, appropriate insurance policies must be concluded.

i) Data protection: All office holders are obliged, in accordance with the GDPR (DSGVO) and the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG), to treat personal data confidentially. This obligation shall continue even after termination of their function.

j) Remuneration and reimbursement of expenses: Work within the association is voluntary and unpaid.
Only proven necessary expenses (e.g., travel expenses) may be reimbursed, provided they serve directly the charitable work.
Private co-causation is excluded (§§ 55–56 AO).
The Executive Board may, if necessary, employ paid staff with tasks defined in writing.

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§ 8 – Dissolution of the Association

a) The dissolution of the association may only be resolved by the General Assembly convened for this purpose with a special agenda.
A two-thirds majority of the voting members present is required for dissolution.
If this majority is not reached at the first assembly, a simple majority shall suffice at a second assembly convened within two weeks.

b) In the event of dissolution, the Chairperson together with the chair of the meeting, or the persons designated by the General Assembly, shall carry out the liquidation.

c) In the event of dissolution or if tax-privileged purposes cease to exist, the assets of the association shall fall to “Haus der Krebs-Selbsthilfe – Bundesverband e.V. (HKSH)”, which shall use them exclusively and directly for charitable or benevolent purposes.

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§ 9 – Final Provisions

a) The Executive Board is authorized, after prior coordination with the competent authorities (in particular the tax office and the registry court), to make editorial amendments or legally required adjustments to the statutes without the need for a renewed resolution of the General Assembly.
Furthermore, the Chairperson or the Treasurer shall each individually be authorized to carry out official registration procedures, to open accounts and to sign all documents required for this purpose.

b) These statutes were unanimously adopted at the founding assembly on 22 June 2025. Due to changes in the composition of the members, the relocation of the association’s registered office to Hamburg, and editorial revisions adapted to the recommendations of the tax office, they were unanimously reconfirmed and adopted at the extraordinary updating assembly on 16 November 2025. On 24.02.2026, upon recommendation of the tax office, the amendments in § 2 c, § 3 b and § 4 were implemented by the Executive Board.

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“The only official and legally binding version of this statute is the German original. Translations into other languages are provided for informational purposes only; no liability is accepted for possible translation errors.”

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