Dorcas

Name

Dorcas

Legal name

Dorcas

Website

https://dorcas.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid and International Development

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Climate, Environment & Natural Resource Management Aid Programs (BPADABAI)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid services
• International development
• Emergency relief
• Community development programs
• Charitable donations

Headquarters

HQ city

Almere

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations (One-time and Recurring): Individual donors contribute one-time or monthly gifts via the website. Donors can give to specific themes (emergency relief, food, water, climate, elderly sponsorship, children) or to specific countries. Monthly recurring donations are offered with a 'Sponsor het Leven' program.
2. Church Partnerships: Dutch churches serve as both a fundraising and mobilization channel. Churches receive dedicated support materials, prayer letters, volunteer coordination, and campaign resources.
3. Corporate and Business Partnerships: Companies support Dorcas through donations, cause-marketing campaigns (e.g., Waterboxx), employee giving programs, and relational partnerships managed by dedicated account managers.
4. Foundations and Funds: Fondsen en stichtingen (funds and foundations) provide grant-based support, often for specific programmatic outcomes.
5. Kringloopwinkels (Second-hand Retail Stores): Dorcas operates a network of second-hand thrift stores in the Netherlands, generating retail revenue while promoting reuse and sustainability.
6. Tax-Advantaged Giving (Periodieke Gift): Donors can make periodic gifts with tax advantages under Dutch law (geven met belastingvoordeel). Legacies (nalaten/testamentary giving) are also accepted.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Dorcas is a Dutch humanitarian foundation that delivers emergency relief and long-term community development programs across 13 countries in Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Core activities include food security support, water/sanitation, elderly and child sponsorship, vocational training, anti-human-trafficking intervention, and climate adaptation through Waterboxx tree-planting. Fundraising is conducted via individual donations, church networks, corporate partnerships, foundations, and a network of second-hand thrift stores (Kringloopwinkels) in the Netherlands.

Product overview

Dorcas is a Dutch humanitarian organization offering a portfolio of charitable programs rather than a technology product platform. Core offerings include the 'Sponsor het leven' (Sponsor a Life) sponsorship program connecting donors with vulnerable elderly and children, the Waterboxx environmental restoration initiative using Groasis technology to enable reforestation in Iraq, the Next Steps anti-human trafficking collaboration with partner organizations, and vocational training programs in Ethiopia. Additional programs address food security, water, protection, climate adaptation, and community strengthening across 13 countries in Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Operational activities include a network of second-hand shops (Kringloopwinkels) in the Netherlands and publications including Dorcas Magazine and prayer letters. The organization does not operate a software platform, SaaS product, or technology API.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sponsor het Leven (Sponsor a Life) Individual sponsorship program that connects Dutch donors with specific seniors and children in program countries, providing ongoing predictable support for food, care, community activities, and skill development.
• Waterboxx Climate adaptation and reforestation program deployed in Iraq's Sinjar region using Groasis Waterboxx technology, which stores 15 liters of rainwater to enable tree cultivation in desert conditions. Donors can fund Waterboxx units at €25/€50/€100 tiers.
• Next Steps (Anti-Human Trafficking) Anti-human-trafficking consortium initiative covering prevention in Romania, legal support, victim care, safe return, and reintegration. Dorcas contributes its community-based networks and long-term development expertise.
• Kringloopwinkels (Second-hand Thrift Stores) Network of physical thrift stores in the Netherlands selling donated clothing and household goods, generating retail revenue that supports Dorcas humanitarian programs while promoting reuse and sustainability.
• Vocational Training Programs (Ethiopia) Six-month vocational training programs in textile, metal, and wood trades combined with entrepreneurship skills, targeting vulnerable youth in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 89% of graduates find employment.
• Farmer Field School (Romania) Agricultural training program in Romania teaching farmers improved cultivation techniques to increase yields and income, contributing to poverty reduction and food security.
• Emergency Relief (Noodhulp) Disaster and conflict emergency response delivering food, shelter, clean water, and medical aid in active crises such as the Ukraine war, the Lebanon/Syria displacement, and natural disasters like Storm Boris and the Moldova earthquake.

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% of vocational training graduates in Ethiopia found employment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Next Steps Consortium (Bright Fame, Leger des Heils, International Justice Mission)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDorcas is part of the Next Steps consortium together with Bright Fame, the Salvation Army (Leger des Heils), and International Justice Mission. The consortium works across the full chain of human trafficking: prevention in Romania, legal support, victim care, safe return, and reintegration. Dorcas contributes its community-based networks and long-term development expertise in Romania.
• GroasiscoreTechnology or IntegrationDorcas uses the Waterboxx, an invention of Dutch company Groasis. The Waterboxx stores rainwater (15 liters) to enable trees to grow in desert and drought conditions. Dorcas deploys this technology in Iraq as part of its climate adaptation programs, with 90% tree survival rates and 30% faster growth.
• EO MetterdaadcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEO Metterdaad runs humanitarian fundraising campaigns in partnership with Dorcas, including TV broadcasts on NPO 2 and field visits by EO presenter Arjan Lock. Campaigns have covered the Lebanon emergency (refugees from Syria), reaching Dutch audiences with emotional storytelling to drive donations.
• Groot Nieuws RadiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerDutch Christian radio station that featured interviews with Dorcas staff (Jan Jacob Hoefnagel) about humanitarian crises and field work, including coverage of flooding in Romania and Moldova from Storm Boris.
• Christelijk Platform Oost-Europa (Prismaweb/CPOE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Christian Platform for Eastern Europe (Prismaweb/CPOE) initiated the consortium that led to the Next Steps anti-trafficking partnership between Dorcas, Bright Fame, Leger des Heils, and IJM. Dorcas contributes its Romanian operational expertise and community networks.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cordaid: Dutch Catholic development and humanitarian organization operating in fragile states across Africa and elsewhere. Direct Dutch peer with similar international development focus, institutional grant funding, and faith-based roots.
• Compassion International: Faith-based child sponsorship organization operating across 25+ developing countries. Closely comparable to Dorcas's Sponsor het Leven sponsorship model, recurring donor program structure, and beneficiary-focused programming.
• Habitat for Humanity International: Faith-based (Christian) nonprofit working on housing and community development in 70+ countries. Comparable on faith-based mission, volunteer mobilization model, multi-country operations, and donor-supported field programs.
• Samaritan's Purse: US-based evangelical Christian humanitarian organization with global emergency relief and development programs. Directly comparable on faith-based mission, emergency response, and donor-funded field operations.
• World Vision: Large Christian humanitarian NGO operating child sponsorship, emergency relief, and community development programs across ~100 countries. Directly comparable to Dorcas on faith-based mission, sponsorship model, multi-country presence, and donor-funded program delivery.
• Islamic Relief Worldwide: Faith-based (Islamic) humanitarian NGO operating in 40+ countries across emergency relief, food security, and community development. Closely comparable as a religion-rooted humanitarian peer competing for similar donor and beneficiary populations.
• Open Doors: Dutch-founded Christian NGO supporting persecuted Christians worldwide through advocacy, relief, and community development. Comparable faith-based Dutch origin, donor-driven model, and presence in fragile/conflict-affected regions.
• International Justice Mission: Faith-based anti-trafficking and modern slavery organization that is a direct partner in Dorcas's Next Steps consortium. Comparable faith-based identity and presence in Romania/Eastern Europe for trafficking prevention programs.
• Tearfund: UK-based Christian relief and development agency working through church partnerships in nearly 50 countries. Closely matches Dorcas's faith-based identity, emergency relief and long-term development portfolio, and church-mobilized donor base.

Broad incumbents

• Oxfam Novib: Dutch affiliate of Oxfam International, one of the largest humanitarian NGOs globally. Comparable as a Dutch-headquartered international development and humanitarian organization, though broader in scope and largely secular rather than faith-based.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@dorcashulp
• Facebookfacebook.com/dorcashulp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dorcas-nederland
• Instagraminstagram.com/dorcas.nl
• Xx.com/dorcasaalsmeer

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Dorcas