In the summer semester of 2016, the Chair of Sustainability Management carried out a service learning project with the project partner Fairness Kaufhaus . The social fairness department store is part of the LEBENSWERK cooperative. It is a social department store that also supports projects such as the refugee café. The fairness department store in Kaiserslautern was opened in 2014. Every employee can also become a member of the cooperative. The fairness department store employs 15 full-time staff, 40% of whom suffer from a mental illness. The fairness department store can therefore be described as an integration company, but without official recognition by the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, which blocks the way to some funding pots. The department store is supported by donations of all kinds - FROM the citizens, FOR the citizens. Items in good condition can be donated there. These are sold on for a very small amount. The proceeds from the sale are used to cover all costs incurred.

The fairness department store pursues socio-political, labor market, economic and environmental policy goals. On a socio-political level, the fairness department store aims to be a non-discriminatory and dignified shopping opportunity for people without their own income or with a low income, to act as a meeting place in the neighborhood, to offer opportunities for contact with people from different social classes and to enable people with disabilities to work so that they can earn their own living and value their own abilities, even if these are limited. In terms of labor market policy, the fairness department store aims to create jobs that are subject to social insurance contributions as well as subsidized, so-called "niche jobs". Furthermore, additional measures are offered for people with special requirements (stabilization and daily structure as prerequisites for the labour market). In terms of economic policy, the fairness department store aims to help the broad masses to satisfy their needs. This is about creating value from used items and sustainable economic activity, which means that items have a longer useful life. This reduces waste and conserves resources, which in turn is environmentally relevant.

One of the two service learning groups focused on calculating the social return on investment for the fairness department store. The fairness department store is an important social component for the city of Kaiserslautern and the region. So far, the commitment and the added value donated have not been sufficiently visible. The social return on investment is potentially a good way of evaluating and communicating the services offered by the fairness department store and the positive and negative effects they cause. The social return on investment is an essential addition to the non-profit organization's accounting, accountability and marketing. Accordingly, the group addressed the following questions:

How can the social return on investment be calculated for the fairness department store? To what extent can this be used to obtain possible funding? What added value can it create for the fairness department store and various stakeholder groups?

The second service learning group developed a cooperation concept for the fairness department store, in which they identified in detail which organizations, institutions and companies could be potential cooperation partners. The cooperation concept serves as a tool for cross-financing the charitable and idealistic purpose of the organization. It therefore concerns the most important business area of the fairness department store, which is also significant for the future opportunities of the organization. Here it is decided which partnerships and cooperations can be entered into in order to be able to finance effective and meaningful services, projects and events and which implementation options the organization has.

The group addressed the following questions: Which organizations and companies are potential cooperation partners for the fairness Kaufhaus? How can the fairness Kaufhaus present itself as a professional non-profit organization so that a viable cooperation concept is created that enables a long-term and sustainable relationship and cooperation between the fairness Kaufhaus and its beneficiaries, donors and customers? The aim was for the organization to remain flexible in order to be able to react to the new needs of the target groups.