Stichting DON

Name

Stichting DON

Legal name

Stichting Diabetes Onderzoek Nederland

Website

https://stichtingdon.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Health Research Foundation

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• Diabetes research funding
• Charitable medical foundation
• Nonprofit fundraising services
• Disease cure research
• Donation management programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. One-time Donations: Individual donors make one-time gifts through online donation tools. Every euro goes directly to research for curing Type 1 Diabetes.
2. Multi-year Partnership Donations: Multi-year donors commit to supporting DON for five years with minimum 1,000 euro annual donations. They receive research updates and lab visits. This creates sustainable, predictable funding for long-term research projects.
3. Legacy/Bequest Giving: DON accepts inheritances through wills. Options include: full inheritance designation, specific bequests (legacies), or Named Funds where donors determine the name and direction within DON's mission. DON has ANBI status, making legacies tax-free.
4. Event Fundraising: Revenue generated from events like the DON Masters (golf tournament), DON Open (padel), and other fundraising events. The 2024 DON Masters raised over 300,000 euros.
5. Corporate Partnerships: Business partnerships where companies support DON's mission, such as Abbott sponsoring the podcast 'Insuline mijn benzine' and Cycle Software sponsoring the DON Open.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Stichting DON is a Dutch charitable foundation that raises and channels donations exclusively toward curing Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). It operates Cure One, a dedicated research center co-founded with Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), and funds research into stem cell islet transplantation, immune therapy using dendritic cells, fecal microbiota transplantation, and vaccine development. DON offers one-time donations, multi-year partnership donations (minimum €1,000/year for five years), legacy/bequest giving, a DIY fundraising platform, and signature fundraising events such as the DON Masters golf tournament and DON Open padel event.

Product overview

Stichting DON (Diabetes Onderzoek Nederland) is a Dutch charitable foundation that functions as a fundraising and research acceleration organization for type 1 diabetes cure research. The organization operates Cure One, a specialized research center co-founded with LUMC in Leiden, as its core initiative. DON's portfolio includes donation programs (one-time, multi-year, and legacy giving), a DIY fundraising platform for supporters, and major fundraising events such as the DON Masters golf tournament. Additionally, DON produces the 'Insuline mijn benzine' podcast series for awareness and education. The organization connects researchers, donors, partners, and ambassadors to accelerate the path from laboratory to patient, focusing exclusively on cure research rather than symptom management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cure One: A specialized research center dedicated to developing curative treatments for type 1 diabetes, established in partnership with Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC).

Products and services

• Cure One Research Center A specialized research center co-founded with Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), fully dedicated to developing and applying curative treatments for type 1 diabetes. The center focuses on stem cell islet transplantation, immune therapy, and regenerative medicine approaches, with the goal of becoming a leading European hub for T1D cure research.
• One-time Donation Single online donation option allowing supporters to contribute directly to DON's T1D cure research funding efforts through the website's secure donation tool with flexible amount selection. Every euro goes directly to research, as organizational costs are covered by a separate donor group.
• Multi-year Donation Program Recurring donation program where supporters commit to five years of donations with a minimum of €1,000 per year. Multi-year donors receive research updates and are welcome to visit the researchers' laboratory. Periodical gifts are tax-deductible in the Netherlands, providing nearly 50% more value for DON than the net cost to the donor.
• Legacy Giving (Nalatenschap) Bequest and legacy giving program allowing supporters to include DON in their testament. Options include inheritance designation (erfstelling), fixed legacy (legaat), or Named Fund (Fonds op Naam) with personalized direction within DON's mission. Tax-advantaged through DON's ANBI status.
• DIY Fundraising Platform Online action platform (actievoorstichtingdon.nl) enabling supporters to create personal fundraising campaigns for DON for events, birthdays, or other activities, including access to professional fundraising website tools and promotional materials.
• DON Masters Golf Tournament Annual golf tournament serving as a major fundraising initiative, bringing together supporters for networking and sport while raising funds for T1D research. The 2024 edition raised over €300,000.
• Podcast 'Insuline mijn benzine' Six-episode podcast series hosted by Maarten de Gruyter (DON founder) and ambassador Roxanne Kwant, discussing life with type 1 diabetes, covering topics including sex, drugs, puberty, sports, pregnancy, acceptance, and scientific developments toward a cure. Sponsored by Abbott.

Quantifiable outcome

• Clinical trial results: 10 out of 12 patients who received stem cell islet transplants no longer need insulin
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Diabetes FondscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 2025Strategic partnership announced on World Diabetes Day. Diabetes Fonds brings expertise and network to support Cure One's mission. Both organizations share the goal of curing Type 1 Diabetes through international collaboration.
• Leids Universitair Medisch Centrum (LUMC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2025Cure One research center established in partnership with LUMC in Leiden. DON serves as co-founder, fundraiser, and strategic partner. DON invests annual base financing and brings entrepreneurship, strategic focus, and network to accelerate scientific breakthroughs to patients. Cure One aims to cure Type 1 Diabetes through stem cell therapy and other regenerative treatments.
• AbbottminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAbbott, producer of FreeStyle Libre systems, sponsored the podcast 'Insuline mijn benzine' and Suzannes marathon vlog series. Abbott has no influence on content - shared opinions are those of the creators.
• Cycle SoftwareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored the DON Open 2026 padel event, contributing to the 7,500 euro fundraising total.
• SimpelZodiak (TV Production)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerProduction company of Football Island reality show. When Frank de Boer won and chose DON as charity, SimpelZodiak donated 50,000 euros to DON.
• Roland Berger (Strategic Advisory)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerInternational strategic advisory firm hired in 2024 to analyze how DON can best contribute within the research, drug development, and market introduction chain for Type 1 Diabetes cure.
• DiabetercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTreatment center in Amsterdam collaborating with Prof. Nieuwdorp's research, providing access to a cohort of nearly 4,000 T1D patients for large-scale gut bacteria studies. Also helping select patients for clinical trials.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• International Diabetes Federation (IDF): IDF is the global umbrella organization for national diabetes associations, representing over 230 associations across 170 countries. While much broader in scope than DON, IDF's policy advocacy and research funding work intersects with DON's mission at the international level, particularly around World Diabetes Day where Cure One was launched.

Regional players

• Diabetes Australia: Diabetes Australia is the national peak body for diabetes in Australia, funding research and supporting people with diabetes. Operates a similar research grantmaking and donor stewardship model but in a different geography and with broader scope. Comparable as a national-level diabetes foundation peer.
• American Diabetes Association: The American Diabetes Association is the largest US diabetes organization, funding research, advocacy, and education across all diabetes types. Operates a broader research portfolio than DON and serves a different geography, but its scale and grantmaking infrastructure make it a relevant comparator for mature-stage diabetes nonprofit operations.
• Diabetes UK: Diabetes UK is the UK's leading diabetes charity, funding research and supporting people with all types of diabetes. Operates a similar grantmaking + research funding + donor stewardship model but in a different geography and with broader scope (all diabetes types), making it a regional rather than direct peer.

Direct peers

• T1D Exchange: T1D Exchange is a US-based nonprofit driving T1D research through a large patient registry and clinical research network. Like DON, it focuses exclusively on Type 1 Diabetes and accelerates research via coordinated patient cohorts — comparable to DON's Diabeter partnership accessing 4,000 patients. T1D Exchange emphasizes real-world data, DON emphasizes cure research.
• JDRF (Breakthrough T1D): JDRF (now Breakthrough T1D) is the world's leading T1D research foundation, with a mission nearly identical to Stichting DON: funding cure research for Type 1 Diabetes. Both operate multi-year donor programs, fund stem cell and immune therapy research, and run ambassador/event-driven fundraising. JDRF is the global benchmark DON models itself against.
• Diabetes Fonds: Diabetes Fonds is the largest Dutch diabetes research charity and a direct domestic peer of DON. While Diabetes Fonds covers all diabetes types, both organizations compete for Dutch donor mindshare and have recently entered a strategic partnership around Cure One. They are the two dominant nonprofit brands in the Dutch diabetes funding landscape.
• Beyond Type 1: Beyond Type 1 is a US-based nonprofit focused exclusively on Type 1 Diabetes, combining community storytelling, ambassador-led awareness, and research grantmaking. Mirrors DON's emphasis on personal stories, ambassador networks, and T1D-specific funding, though DON is more research-curation oriented while Beyond Type 1 leans digital advocacy.
• Diabetes Research Institute Foundation (DRIF): DRIF is the US nonprofit fundraising arm of the Diabetes Research Institute, focused on a biological cure for T1D through islet transplantation and immune modulation. Directly analogous to DON's Cure One model — a dedicated research center, donor-funded, with a cure-not-management mandate. Comparable structure and mission.

Others

• Helmsley Charitable Trust (T1D Program): Helmsley Charitable Trust is a major private foundation with one of the largest T1D cure research portfolios globally. It is both a co-financier of Cure One's immune therapy trial and a strategic partner/funder. While not a peer in the fundraising sense, Helmsley is a critical ecosystem participant whose funding decisions materially affect DON's research pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@stichtingdon
• Facebookfacebook.com/stichtingdon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stichting-don-diabetes-onderzoek-nederland-
• Instagraminstagram.com/stichtingdon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stichting DON