Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds

Name

Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds

Legal name

Stichting het Cultuurfonds

Website

https://cultuurfonds.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Grant-making Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

Keywords

• Cultural grant funding
• Arts philanthropy
• Heritage preservation
• Donor fund management
• Cultural project grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donaties en schenkingen: The fund receives financial contributions from private individuals through one-time and recurring donations. Schenkingsovereenkomsten (gift agreements) allow donors to make tax-deductible periodic gifts over a minimum of 5 years. Large donors can establish their own named fund (CultuurFonds op Naam) with a specific focus.
2. Loterijbijdragen: Annual contributions from VriendenLoterij and Nederlandse Loterij. VriendenLoterij contributes a minimum of 40% of lottery proceeds to good causes including the fund. These lottery contributions are used to cover the organisation's operational costs.
3. Fondsen op Naam beheersvergoeding: For donors who establish a CultuurFonds op Naam, the fund charges an annual administration fee of 7.5% of the annual spendable amount to manage and distribute the named fund.
4. Nalatenschappen: Legacies and bequests from donors who include the fund in their testament. These unrestricted bequests are added to reserves.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Cultuurfonds is a private cultural foundation that funds cultural and nature projects in the Netherlands through grants ranging from €1,500 to €100,000+ per project. It manages multiple application routes (project grants for foundations and associations, individual maker grants, quick routes, purchases, scholarships, and themed funds) and operates a portfolio of over 536 donor-established named funds (CultuurFondsen op Naam). It also administers prizes and stipends including the €100,000 Cultuurfonds Prijs, the €50,000 Cultuurfonds Mode Stipendium, and the Talentprijs Charlotte Köhler.

Product overview

Het Cultuurfonds (formerly Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds) operates as a cultural foundation that functions as both a grant-making organization and a donation platform. The core offering consists of project funding programs where cultural and nature organizations can apply for financial support, managed through the Aanvraagportaal (application portal). The organization manages multiple product lines including: project funding routes (Projectaanvragen) for foundations, associations, and individual makers; a comprehensive prizes and stipends portfolio (Prijzen en Stipendia) including the flagship €100,000 Cultuurfonds Prijs; over 500 CultuurFondsen op Naam (named funds) for donors; and provincial branches covering all of the Netherlands. The donation side enables individuals to become donors, join giving circles, or establish named funds, while the funding side processes applications through various routes ranging from quick small grants (up to €5,000) to major project funding (up to €50,000). Special thematic funds include Fonds ZOZ for polarization projects and DNB Fonds for Suriname and slavery legacy initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Project Funding (Projectaanvragen) The main grant program where associations, foundations, and individual makers apply for financial support for cultural and nature projects across the Netherlands, Caribbean, and Suriname.
• Aanvraagportaal (Application Portal) Online portal for submitting and managing funding applications across all application routes and applicant types.
• Projectaanvraag Stichtingen en Verenigingen Application route for foundations and associations to receive funding for national and provincial projects, with contributions up to €50,000 for national projects.
• Projectaanvraag Individuele Makers en Collectieven Fast application route for individual makers and collectives to receive up to €5,000 for public-facing activities or professional development, in collaboration with Voordekunst. Available from January 2025.
• Snelle Aanvraagroutes Quick application routes including purchases (up to €5,000), public projects of amateur organizations (up to €1,500), and other expedited funding options.
• Prijzen en Stipendia Portfolio of prizes and stipends including the Cultuurfonds Prijs (€100,000), Talentprijs Charlotte Köhler, Mode Stipendium (€50,000), Documentaire Stipendium (€50,000), and provincial prizes.
• CultuurFonds op Naam Named fund vehicle allowing donors to establish their own fund with a self-chosen name and objective, contributing to specific cultural or nature causes. Subject to a 7.5% annual administration fee.
• Provinciale Afdelingen (Provincial Branches) Twelve provincial branches with their own boards that evaluate and process regional project applications, covering all Dutch provinces plus Suriname.
• CultuurFondsen (536 Named Funds Portfolio) Portfolio of 536 active named funds established by donors, covering diverse topics from architecture to theater, music, heritage, and nature conservation.
• Fonds ZOZ Themed fund addressing polarization and radicalization through research and project applications, with maximum contributions up to €35,000.
• DNB Fonds Fund for initiatives in Suriname and projects addressing the legacy of slavery in daily life of descendants, with maximum contributions up to €25,000.
• Donatie Programma's Various donation options including becoming a member, choosing a theme, joining a giving circle (geefkring), one-time or monthly gifts starting from €3 per month, and legacy giving (nalaten).
• Open Call Internationale Studiebeurzen Scholarship program for talented students to apply for funding for continuing education or research abroad.
• Regeling Conservatoren Stipendium Annual program allowing institutions to hire junior conservators or fund supervised research. Deadline July 1, 2026.
• Open Call Architectuur en Bouwkunst Annual open call for outstanding architectural projects with a fixed grant of €100,000.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of donations reach projects and makers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• RestauratiefondscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Restauratiefonds is a key collaboration partner, particularly for monument conservation projects. They co-participate in Cultuurfondsen voor Monumenten (heritage funds) with provinces.
• VoordekunstcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVoordekunst collaborates with het Cultuurfonds on the project application route for individual makers and collectives, providing joint support for emerging cultural talent.
• De Hollandsche MolenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDe Hollandsche Molen is a key partner for the preservation of Dutch windmills and mill heritage. They are a former winner of the Cultuurfonds Prijs (2019).
• BlockbusterfondsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA collaboration of het Cultuurfonds, VandenEnde Foundation, VSBfonds, and VriendenLoterij that provides loans to exceptional 'blockbuster' cultural projects such as major musicals and exhibitions.
• Cultuurloket DigitALLmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA public-private partnership supporting cultural institutions in reaching audiences through digital means. Partners include het Cultuurfonds, VriendenLoterij, Fonds 21, VSBfonds, VandenEnde Foundation, Ministry of OCW, Municipality of Amsterdam, Stichting Zabawas and Elise Mathilde Fonds.
• Het Cultuurfonds Caribisch Gebied (CCG)coreOthersAn independent sister organisation operating on the six islands of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom (Curaçao, Aruba, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba). Supports the same work areas as the Dutch fund. Receives an annual fixed amount from het Cultuurfonds.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fonds Podiumkunsten: Dutch public fund for performing arts. Comparable as a Dutch cultural grantmaking body though publicly funded rather than donation-driven like het Cultuurfonds.
• Mondriaan Fonds: Public Dutch cultural fund for visual arts and cultural heritage. Comparable as a Dutch grantmaking body funding similar disciplines (visual arts, heritage) though publicly funded and more narrowly focused than het Cultuurfonds.
• Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation: Large European private foundation supporting arts, education, science, and social causes. Comparable as a multi-grantmaking European cultural foundation with similar donor-advised / named-fund structures and cross-border cultural programs.

Direct peers

• Fonds 21: Dutch private foundation funding innovation in arts, culture, and education. Highly comparable as a competitor for cultural projects across the Netherlands and as a co-funder in initiatives like Cultuurloket DigitALL.
• VandenEnde Foundation: Dutch private cultural foundation supporting the performing arts, visual arts, and cultural entrepreneurship. Direct peer as a major co-funder in the Blockbusterfonds and target for shared cultural-project applications.
• BankGiro Loterij: Dutch charity lottery that distributes proceeds to cultural and conservation causes, similar to the fund's partnership with VriendenLoterij. Comparable as a lottery-driven funding mechanism for Dutch cultural projects.
• VSBfonds: Dutch private foundation that supports culture, education, and social participation across the Netherlands. Directly comparable as a major private grantmaking fund targeting similar donor and grantee populations in the same cultural-philanthropy space.
• Stichting DOEN: Dutch foundation funding culture, circular economy, and social innovation. Comparable as a private Dutch grantmaking entity with similar multi-stakeholder funding programs and ANBI status.
• Prinses Beatrix Spierfonds: Dutch royal-named health-focused foundation with similar ANBI status, donor acquisition model, and lottery partnerships. Highly comparable institutionally as a major Dutch ANBI foundation with similar multi-channel fundraising.
• Restauratiefonds (Nationaal Restauratiefonds): Dutch fund specializing in heritage and monument restoration. Direct peer in the cultural-heritage subdomain and explicit co-partner in Cultuurfondsen voor Monumenten with provinces.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cultuurfonds
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/cultuurfonds
• Facebookfacebook.com/cultuurfonds
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prins-bernhard-cultuurfonds
• Instagraminstagram.com/cultuurfonds

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds