What Apostolisch Genootschap does

Apostolisch Genootschap is a Dutch religious-humanistic community organization founded in 1951 and headquartered in Baarn, Netherlands, operating with 99 employees and serving approximately 11,586 members and sympathizers as of December 31, 2024. The organization runs a network of 16 to 30 local communities across the Netherlands that deliver weekly Sunday services, contemplative rituals, small-group support, music activities, and programs aimed at connection, meaning, and personal development. Its product surface is content- and community-led rather than technology-led, comprising the apgen.nl website, the Iederal sub-brand for life discoverers, the Centrum voor Religieus Humanisme for worldview education, a digital music library of over 250 songs organized by choir and liturgical occasion, the Weekbrief weekly newsletter in Dutch/German/English, and member magazines De Stroom and VANDAAG, plus a secure login.apgen.nl member portal.

The organization's revenue model is built on three streams: voluntary liefdesaanbiedingen ("contributions of love") from members and sympathizers collected continuously since 1951, donations and gifts, and returns from a sustainably managed investment portfolio exceeding €300 million. It holds ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling) status as a kerkgenootschap under Dutch law. Distribution is exclusively domestic through local communities and the national Dienstencentrum; there is no commercial sales motion, no pricing structure, and no geographic expansion outside the Netherlands.

Governance was restructured between 2022 and 2023, retiring the "apostle" title and replacing it with two first-responsible spiritual leaders, and forming an executive board with a five-member Supervisory Board (Raad van Toezicht) effective September 1, 2025. The organization published a new long-term vision "Samen het grote verhaal van liefde brengen" on March 25, 2025, targeting 2% annual membership growth and the addition of ten new communities per year, supported by a planned 2025 public awareness campaign. It also deploys capital from its investment portfolio into social-impact partnerships with Yespers, A Beautiful Mess, Steenvlinder, and CupXchange focused on creating employment for status holders, refugees, and people distant from the labor market.

Name

Apostolisch Genootschap

Legal name

Apostolisch Genootschap

Website

https://apgen.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Apostolisch Genootschap is a Dutch religious-humanistic community organization founded in 1951, operating 16-30 local communities that serve 11,586 members and sympathizers with spiritual services, small-group support, and worldview education funded by voluntary contributions and a €300M+ investment portfolio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Community Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Community Language Conversation & Exchange Groups (EDAAAFAO)

Keywords

• Religious community services
• Spiritual gatherings
• Community-based support
• Religious humanism programs
• Member-based faith community

Headquarters

HQ city

Baarn

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership contributions (Liefdesaanbiedingen): Members and sympathizers contribute financially through 'liefdesaanbiedingen' (contributions of love), which have been collected since 1951. These form the primary source of funding for the organization's activities and investments.
2. Donations and gifts: The organization receives donations and gifts from members and supporters to fund activities and initiatives.
3. Investment returns: Returns from a diversified investment portfolio of over 300 million euros, managed sustainably, contribute to funding activities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Apostolisch Genootschap is a religious-humanistic community organization that delivers spiritual gatherings, contemplative services, small-group support, and educational programming through approximately 16 to 30 local communities across the Netherlands. It supports members and sympathizers through sub-initiatives including Iederal (for life discoverers), the Centrum voor Religieus Humanisme, a digital music library of over 250 songs, and weekly multilingual newsletters and member magazines.

Product overview

Apostolisch Genootschap is a religious-humanistic community organization (church community founded in 1951) offering spiritual connection, reflection, and support. Its digital portfolio consists of the main website for community activities, the Iederal initiative for life seekers, the Centrum voor Religieus Humanisme for worldview education, a digital Music Library with 250+ songs organized by choir type and occasion, the Weekbrief weekly newsletter in multiple languages, and member magazines (De Stroom and VANDAAG). The ecosystem also includes a secure member portal for accessing exclusive content. The organization has approximately 11,586 members and sympathizers as of December 2024.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Iederal: An initiative of the Apostolisch Genootschap where life discoverers come together to explore meaning in life. Organizes activities and publishes a magazine for people seeking purpose.
• Centrum voor Religieus Humanisme
• Muziekbibliotheek

Products and services

• Apostolisch Genootschap Website (apgen.nl) The main digital platform of the religious-humanistic community providing information about activities, locations, inspiration, and membership for current and prospective members and sympathizers.
• Local Community Gatherings Weekly Sunday services and activities for connection, contemplation, and support delivered through 16 to 30 local communities across the Netherlands.
• Iederal Initiative An initiative of Apostolisch Genootschap for life discoverers who want to explore what life is about, offering various activities and a dedicated magazine for people seeking meaning.
• Centrum voor Religieus Humanisme A center where people can deepen their understanding of religious humanism through speakers, trainers, and encounters with art and alternative perspectives.
• Muziekbibliotheek (Music Library) A digital music library containing over 250 apostolic songs organized by choir type (mixed choir, men's choir, youth choir, children's choir, community songs), occasion (Baptism, May memorial, Holy Week/Easter, Pentecost, Christmas), and theme (wonder, connectedness, responsibility, perseverance).
• Weekbrief (Weekly Letter) A weekly inspirational newsletter providing reflection and encounter content, published in Dutch, German, and English, often supported by background information, worksheets, and simple-language versions.
• De Stroom (Member Magazine) The official member magazine of Apostolisch Genootschap providing spiritual content and community news to members, with a digital version also available as the De Stroom newsletter.
• Magazine VANDAAG A magazine that provides inspiration and information about activities, distributed to members and contacts.
• Member Portal (login.apgen.nl) A secure member login portal allowing members to access exclusive content, music downloads, and member-only resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• 11,586 members and sympathizers (as of December 31, 2024)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 minor.

• Buddy to BuddycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Buddy to Buddy organization. The Apostolisch Genootschap supports this initiative as part of its societal involvement and commitment to creating connections between people.
• YespersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYespers is a social-sustainable breakfast products brand. The Apostolisch Genootschap has made arrangements to realize 18-24 jobs for people such as status holders and others with a distance to the labor market over the coming years through financial support.
• A Beautiful MessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Beautiful Mess operates social catering locations in the Netherlands where people who fled to the Netherlands work. The mission is to work together on jobs and unlock talent for the Dutch labor market. Financial arrangements target 10-24 jobs for refugees or others with distance to labor market.
• SteenvlinderminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSteenvlinder sells and rents special self-build homes for people who currently fall between the cracks - earning too little for a mortgage and too much for social housing. Target income is 40,000 euros gross annually.
• CupXchangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCupXchange is a social enterprise focused on reusing coffee cups. They collect used cups, wash them thoroughly, and return them to subscribing organizations. Cups are made from recycled or natural materials and washed at four washubs in Amsterdam, Den Haag, Utrecht, and Arnhem, employing twenty workers with over 250,000 cups washed monthly.
• SMPR (Meldpunt Seksueel Misbruik in de Kerk)minorOthersThe organization participates in the SMPR (Reporting Center for Sexual Abuse in the Church), which provides a channel for reporting sexual abuse within church communities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• RKK - Rooms-Katholieke Kerkgenootschap: The Roman Catholic Church in the Netherlands, a much larger ANBI-status religious organization operating across the country. While operating at vastly different scale, it shares the same kerkgenootschap legal structure, contribution-based revenue model, and secularization-driven membership challenges.
• Doopsgezinde Broederschap: The Dutch Mennonite brotherhood, a historic peace church with a small but established membership in the Netherlands. Comparable in denomination structure, ethical investment tradition, and community-based delivery model, though operating with a different theological orientation.
• Protestantse Kerk in Nederland (PKN): The largest Protestant denomination in the Netherlands, facing similar secularization headwinds but operating at significantly larger scale. PKN provides a comparable benchmark for membership trends, contribution-based revenue, and community-based service delivery in the Dutch religious landscape.

Direct peers

• Vrijzinnige Geloofsgemeenschap NPB: A Dutch liberal religious-humanistic community organization that, like Apostolisch Genootschap, combines spiritual traditions with humanistic values. Both serve meaning-seekers and emphasize personal interpretation over doctrine, making it a close niche peer for audience overlap and value proposition.
• Remonstrantse Broederschap: A historic Dutch liberal Protestant denomination with a small, philosophically oriented membership. Comparable to Apostolisch Genootschap in its progressive theological stance, community-based model, and ANBI status, making it a relevant peer for benchmarking scale and engagement strategy.
• Humanistisch Verbond: The Dutch Humanist Association is a directly comparable Dutch membership organization advancing a humanistic worldview outside traditional religion. It shares Apostolisch Genootschap's segments of 'meaning seekers' and 'religious-humanism enthusiasts' and operates with similar advocacy, community engagement, and ANBI status.
• Society of Friends (Quakers) Netherlands: A small Dutch Quaker community organization that emphasizes silent worship, mystical spirituality, and personal experience. Comparable to Apostolisch Genootschap in targeting a niche audience seeking contemplative, non-dogmatic spiritual practice in a secularizing market.
• Religieus Humanisme Netwerk: A Dutch network representing religious-humanistic voices across multiple organizations, including entities close to Apostolisch Genootschap's philosophy. Directly comparable as a peer organization advancing the same religious-humanistic worldview in the Dutch market.

Others

• IKON: A Dutch interfaith broadcasting and media organization that produces faith-based content across religious traditions. Comparable as an ecosystem participant that engages Dutch audiences seeking meaning and connection, and a potential partner/adjacent service provider for Apostolisch Genootschap's media products.
• Kerk en Gemeenteopbouw (KGO): A Dutch organization supporting community development within religious contexts. Comparable as an enabling/supplementary service provider that addresses some of the same community-building and engagement challenges Apostolisch Genootschap faces in its 16-30 community network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apostolisch-genootschap

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Apostolisch Genootschap