Olijf

What Olijf does

Olijf is a Dutch non-profit patient organization founded in 1986, headquartered in Utrecht, Netherlands, dedicated to supporting women affected by gynecological cancers and their families. The organization operates a community-led service model combining 160+ trained volunteers with 3 part-time paid coordinators, delivering peer support (Olijflijn telephone/contact line, buddy programs), information dissemination through a quarterly Olijfblad magazine, newsletters, webinars, and regional theme evenings held at Dutch hospitals including Erasmus MC, Maastricht UMC+, LUMC, and MST.

Its product surface extends to specialized content formats such as podcasts and 'praatkaarten' (visual discussion aids designed for patients with low health literacy), alongside structured participation in clinical guideline development (CRGO, NVOG, WOG, DGOA) and formal representation in Zorginstituut Nederland (ZIN). Olijf is a member of the Nederlandse Federatie van Kankerpatiëntenorganisaties (NFK) and engages at the European level through ESGO/ENGAGE.

Revenue is generated through a non-profit funding mix comprising individual donations, member contributions, and institutional subsidies/grants from entities such as KWF (Dutch Cancer Society), ZonMw, and Fonds PGO. Ancillary service revenue is minimal, disclosed only as €100 per external presentation and €107 per hour for research participation. The organization also runs joint advocacy campaigns with peer organizations such as Borstkankervereniging Nederland, including the 'Daarom Doorvragen' awareness initiative.

Name

Olijf

Legal name

Stichting Olijf

Website

https://olijf.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Olijf is a Dutch non-profit patient organization, founded in 1986 and based in Utrecht, that provides peer support, information, and advocacy for women with gynecological cancers and their families through 160+ volunteers and institutional partnerships with Dutch hospitals and oncology bodies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Patient Advocacy / Non-profit Healthcare Support

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Gynecological cancer support
• Patient advocacy services
• Peer support programs
• Cancer information resources
• Non-profit healthcare organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and membership subscriptions: Olijf raises funds primarily through donations from donors, gifts, and bequests. The organization sends newsletters 6x per year to donors and relations, and receives donations through its website and forms.
2. Subsidies and grants: Olijf receives funding from subsidies, including from KWF (which finances NKF and research into gynecological cancer), ZonMw, and Fonds PGO (a fund of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport that finances patient organization activities).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Stichting Olijf provides free peer support, information, and advocacy services to women in the Netherlands affected by all forms of gynecological cancer (cervical, ovarian, uterine, vulvar, vaginal, fallopian tube, trophoblastic, and GCT) and their families. Core services include the Olijflijn telephone and WhatsApp support line, a fixed buddy program, regional theme meetings, online forums, the quarterly Olijfblad magazine, downloadable folders and praatkaarten, newsletters, awareness campaigns, webinars, and the annual Olijfdag congress. The organization also contributes patient perspectives to clinical guidelines, research, and healthcare policy in partnership with Dutch and European medical societies.

Product overview

Olijf is a Dutch patient organization offering a comprehensive suite of information, peer support, and education services for women with gynecological cancer and their relatives. The core offering includes the quarterly Olijfblad magazine and newsletters (6x/year) for information dissemination; peer support via the Olijflijn telephone service, WhatsApp, buddy contacts, and online forums; regional themabijeenkomsten (theme evenings) and national webinars; and the annual Olijfdag congress. Publications include downloadable/orderable folders and praatkaarten (visual talk cards). The organization also conducts awareness campaigns, provides patient education, presents to healthcare professionals, and maintains a clinical trials database.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Olijfblad quarterly magazine

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 5,000 women diagnosed annually with gynecological cancer served by Olijf's network
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NFK (Nederlandse Federatie van Kankerpatiëntenorganisaties)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNFK represents cancer patient organizations and provides administrative services (secretariat and member administration) to Olijf. Olijf is affiliated with NFK to collectively advocate for all cancer patients' interests in areas such as healthcare access, return to work, and insurance coverage.
• Patiëntenfederatie NederlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe national federation of patient organizations advocates for all people needing healthcare. Olijf collaborates with Patiëntenfederatie Nederland on shared interests including healthcare accessibility, transparency of quality, and patient empowerment.
• KWF KankerbestrijdingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKWF is the Dutch Cancer Society that finances cancer research including projects related to gynecological cancer. KWF also funds NKF and various patient support initiatives.
• IKNL (Integraal Kankercentrum Nederland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIKNL maintains the Dutch Cancer Registry and collects comprehensive data on cancer. Olijf works with IKNL to access data and contribute patient perspectives to cancer care quality initiatives.
• NVOG (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Obstetrie en Gynaecologie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOlijf maintains close ties with the Dutch professional society for obstetrics and gynecology, participating in guideline development and quality initiatives for gynecological oncology.
• Werkgroep Oncologische Gynaecologie (WOG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWOG is the national multidisciplinary working group under the NVOG focused on all developments in gynecological oncology. Olijf has been collaborating more intensively with WOG for approximately two years.
• DGOA (Dutch Gynaecological Oncological Audit)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDGOA maintains multidisciplinary registration of quality indicators for gynecological oncology care. Olijf actively contributes to the scientific committee responsible for maintaining datasets and publishing annual reports.
• Commissie Richtlijnen Gynaecologische Oncologie (CRGO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRGO develops and revises clinical guidelines in gynecological oncology. Olijf serves as a reader and reviewer in guideline updates, contributing the patient perspective.
• ESGO/ENGAGE (European Society of Gynaecological Oncology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOlijf is affiliated with ENGAGE, the European partner organization of ESGO that aims to enable patient organization representatives to have their voices heard in research and policy development around gynecological cancer.
• Erasmus Medisch CentrumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOlijf collaborates with Erasmus MC on joint theme evenings about HPV and HPV-caused gynecological cancers, such as the August 27, 2026 online event.
• Medisch Spectrum Twente (MST)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOlijf collaborates with MST Enschede for theme evenings for peers, including one on September 3, 2026 about recovery and balance after treatment.
• Maastricht UMC+minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOlijf collaborates with Maastricht UMC+ and Toon Hermans Huis Maastricht for theme evenings for peers.
• LUMC (Leids Universitair Medisch Centrum)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOlijf collaborates with LUMC and Inloophuis Scarabee for theme evenings, and Dr. Cor de Kroon, gynecological oncologist at LUMC, answers patient questions on Kanker.nl.
• Zorginstituut Nederland (ZIN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOlijf volunteer Carolien Hovenier represents patients at ZIN, providing insight into what new treatments mean for people with gynecological cancer, particularly in the Scientific Advisory Committee for Medicines (WAR-CG).
• Hebon (Hereditair Borst- en Eierstokkanker Onderzoek Nederland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHebon is the national scientific research study of families with high rates of breast and ovarian cancer. Olijf volunteers participate as patient experts in Hebon research.
• DES CentrumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDES Centrum provides information and support for DES-exposed individuals who have elevated risk of cervical and vaginal cancer. Olijf collaborated with DES Centrum on quality criteria publications.
• Borstkankervereniging Nederland (BVN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOlijf and Borstkankervereniging Nederland jointly developed the 'Daarom Doorvragen' campaign to ensure healthcare providers know referral criteria for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, enabling timely referral to clinical geneticists.
• Stichting Lynch-PolyposisminorOthersPatient organization for Lynch and Polyposis syndromes, which carry elevated risk for endometrial and ovarian cancer. Collaborates with Olijf within the broader network of patient organizations.
• Stichting OOKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStichting OOK helps patients and relatives cope with the impact of cancer by providing support at hospitals and online. Olijf contributed to OOK's platform on sexuality.
• Kanker.nlcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKanker.nl is an information platform and social network for cancer patients. Olijf distributes its folders through the Kanker.nl web shop, uses the Kanker.nl online forum for peer support, and Dr. Cor de Kroon answers medical questions on the platform.
• Stichting VaarKrachtminorOthersStichting VaarKracht organizes free sailing trips for cancer patients and their loved ones across the Netherlands. Recommended as a support resource on Olijf's website.
• AYA ZorgnetwerkminorOthersAYA Zorgnetwerk supports young people aged 18-35 diagnosed with cancer. Olijf participates in AYA congresses such as SPACE4AYA.
• Helen Dowling InstituutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Helen Dowling Instituut provides psychological support for cancer patients. Olijf featured an interview with GZ-psychologist Nienke Dekker in Olijfblad about identity after gynecological cancer.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ENGAGE (European Network of Gynaecological Cancer Advocacy Groups): European-level patient advocacy network for gynecological cancers under ESGO, of which Olijf is a member. Operates the same patient-experience and clinical-guideline influence model at pan-European scale, making it the most direct international peer.
• Stichting OOK: Dutch nonprofit providing in-hospital and online psychosocial support to cancer patients and their families. Highly comparable peer support and information dissemination model to Olijf, operating in overlapping hospital partnerships.
• Borstkankervereniging Nederland (BVN): Dutch national patient organization for breast cancer patients, operating an essentially identical peer support, magazine, advocacy, and guideline-participation model as Olijf. Directly comparable as a women's cancer-specific Dutch patient advocacy nonprofit.

Emerging players

• DES Centrum: Dutch nonprofit providing information and support for individuals with DES exposure, who face elevated risk of cervical and vaginal cancer. Has previously collaborated with Olijf on quality criteria publications, making it a niche, closely adjacent peer.
• Stichting Lynch-Polyposis: Dutch patient organization for Lynch and Polyposis syndromes, which carry elevated risk for endometrial and ovarian cancer. Operates within the same Dutch cancer patient organization network as Olijf with overlapping but more narrowly hereditary-focused scope.
• AYA Zorgnetwerk: Dutch care network for adolescents and young adults (18-35) diagnosed with cancer, including gynecological cancers. Provides peer support and clinical coordination in an adjacent demographic segment where Olijf also serves patients.

Broad incumbents

• NFK (Nederlandse Federatie van Kankerpatiëntenorganisaties): Dutch Federation of Cancer Patient Organizations — provides Olijf's secretariat and member administration services. Operates broadly across all cancer types with significantly larger resources than Olijf and overlapping advocacy scope.
• KWF Kankerbestrijding: Dutch Cancer Society — the largest cancer-focused nonprofit in the Netherlands, funding gynecological cancer research that Olijf's patient community supports. Serves as both a key funder of and broad-incumbent peer to Olijf.
• Patiëntenfederatie Nederland: National Dutch patient federation representing all patient populations on healthcare access, transparency, and empowerment. Collaborates with Olijf on shared advocacy priorities and operates a substantially broader portfolio.

Others

• Kanker.nl: Dutch online information platform and social network for cancer patients, which Olijf uses as a channel partner for folder distribution and forum hosting. Functions as enabling infrastructure that complements rather than competes with Olijf's mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stichtingolijf
• Facebookfacebook.com/stichtingolijf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/olijf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Olijf