Bijzondere Noden

What Bijzondere Noden does

Bijzondere Noden (legal name: Deputaatschap tot Hulpverlening in Bijzondere Noden der Gereformeerde Gemeenten) is a Dutch non-profit diaconal relief organization founded in 1963 and headquartered in Woerden, Netherlands. Appointed by the Generale Synode of the Gereformeerde Gemeenten, the organization functions as the official body channeling charitable giving from Dutch Reformed congregations into humanitarian aid projects worldwide. Its work is organized into three pillars — Diaconal Aid (sustainable improvement of living conditions), The Persecuted Church (support for Christians facing discrimination or violence for their faith), and Emergency Aid (rapid response to disasters and crises) — and as of 2025 it maintained active projects in over 20 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas, and Europe, ranging from orphan education in Zimbabwe and persecuted ex-Muslim Christians in Pakistan to conflict-affected families in Ukraine.

The organization's product surface consists of project-based aid programs executed through local partner churches and Christian organizations in recipient countries, plus supplementary community-engagement offerings. Primary outputs are project allocations: in 2025, the four largest projects received €997,700 (Ukraine), €354,785 (Pakistan), €243,609 (Nepal), and €201,452 (Bangladesh). Supplementary offerings include educational presentations (voorlichtingen) delivered at church associations and congregation evenings, theological publications and an annual report (2022-2025), a webshop selling books, devotionals, reading bundles, and merchandise, and an online donation platform supporting one-time, monthly, quarterly, or annual contributions. Technology infrastructure is non-proprietary and limited to a standard website, donation processing, newsletter/WhatsApp communications, and administrative systems; no AI, API, or proprietary platform exists.

Bijzondere Noden operates a donation-driven revenue model. Three primary streams are identified: periodic and one-time contributions from local diaconieën (church charity committees) of the Gereformeerde Gemeenten, which generated €3.2 million in 2025 (approximately 48% of total income); gifts from individual donors and families contributing €1.5 million (approximately 22%); and legacy bequests plus minor webshop sales. The organization holds ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling) status under RSIN 802042703, enabling tax-deductible giving in the Netherlands. Go-to-market is exclusively community-led through church networks (presentations, newsletters, WhatsApp, Instagram, Diakendag) with no commercial marketing channels. Total income grew approximately 20% year-over-year in 2025 to €6.7 million, following a peak of €8.5 million in 2023 driven by Ukraine and Gaza emergency response, with revenue contraction to €5.2M in 2024 before re-accelerating. The bureau operates with seven permanent staff supported by eleven deputies with specialized oversight responsibilities.

Name

Bijzondere Noden

Legal name

Deputaatschap tot Hulpverlening in Bijzondere Noden der Gereformeerde Gemeenten

Website

https://bijzonderenoden.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bijzondere Noden is a Dutch Reformed diaconal organization that channels donations from Gereformeerde Gemeenten congregations into humanitarian aid projects across 20+ countries, supporting persecuted Christians, conflict-affected families, and vulnerable communities through local partner churches.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Diaconal Humanitarian Aid Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Humanitarian Aid & Relief Ministries (BPAGAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Diaconal aid services
• Humanitarian relief programs
• Emergency disaster response
• Persecuted church support
• Charitable donation platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Woerden

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and gifts from diaconieën (local church diaconates): More than half of all income comes from diaconieën (local church charity committees) of the Gereformeerde Gemeenten, totaling €3.2 million in 2025. These are periodic or one-time donations designated as general or specific project support.
2. Gifts from families and individual donors: Many households and individuals support Bijzondere Noden, generating €1.5 million in income in 2025. These include one-time gifts, periodic standing orders, and campaign-driven donations.
3. Legacies and bequests (nalatenschappen): The organization accepts legacies and bequests as part of its funding model, promoted through a dedicated legacy information page on the website.
4. Webshop sales: A webshop sells books, reading bundles, study materials, and merchandise (bracelets, purses) to supporters. Products include titles such as 'Lelie onder de doornen?' (€12.50), 'Geroepen tot het diakenambt' (free with shipping), 'De vlucht van Vasyl en Irina' (€9.95), and the Bijzonder leesbundel.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Bijzondere Noden is the appointed diaconal body of the Gereformeerde Gemeenten (Reformed Churches) in the Netherlands, coordinating and funding humanitarian aid projects in over 20 countries. Its work is organized around three pillars: Diaconal Aid (sustainable livelihood improvements), the Persecuted Church (support for Christians suffering for their faith), and Emergency Aid (rapid disaster and crisis response). It channels donations from church diaconieën and individual donors through a structured application, approval, and monitoring framework to international partner churches and Christian organizations.

Product overview

Bijzondere Noden (Deputaatschap Bijzondere Noden der Gereformeerde Gemeenten) is a diaconal relief organization operating as a charitable entity rather than a traditional product company. The organization offers humanitarian aid programs organized in three pillars: Diaconal Aid (sustainable livelihood improvements), The Persecuted Church (support for Christians suffering for their faith), and Emergency Relief (rapid disaster/crisis assistance). Supplementary offerings include educational presentations, congregational project programs, annual reports (2022-2025), and theological publications. An e-commerce webshop sells books and merchandise, while a donation platform enables financial contributions to various aid projects worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Diaconal Aid Program (Sustainable Livelihood Improvement)
• Persecuted Church Support Program
• Emergency Aid / Disaster Response Program
• Donation Platform
• Voorlichtingen (Educational Presentations)
• Gemeenteprojecten (Congregation Project Adoption)
• Webshop (Books and Merchandise)
• Theological Publications (Books and Reading Materials)
• Dagboek: De man naar Gods hart (Devotional Diary)
• Bijzonder Leesbundel (Reading Bundle)
• Jaarverslagen (Annual Reports)
• Nalaten (Legacy and Bequest Program)
• Diakendag (Annual Deacon Day)

Quantifiable outcome

• €6.7 million in total income in 2025, with 20% growth vs. prior year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• DMZ (Deputaatschap DMZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBijzondere Noden collaborates with DMZ (Deputaatschap DMZ) to provide practical handholds and substantive support to local diaconies. DMZ and Bijzondere Noden co-published the book 'Geroepen tot het diakenambt' (free with shipping via the Bijzondere Noden webshop), which serves as theological guidance for deacons.
• Deputaatschap EvangelisatiesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Deputaatschap Evangelisatie (Evangelism Committee) offers useful materials for churches seeking to combine diaconal service with evangelism. Bijzondere Noden refers to this partner for theological resources on reaching those outside the church.
• ZOAsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerZOA is mentioned as a local partner organization in Sudan, working with Bijzondere Noden to provide emergency aid including hygiene kits and cash assistance to refugees in Gedaref. Bijzondere Noden supports ZOA's work through funding and coordination.
• Deputaatschap BijbelverspreidingsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBijzondere Noden works with the Deputaatschap Bijbelverspreiding (Bible Distribution Committee) to provide free Ukrainian Christian literature and audio books through project partners in Ukraine, and to distribute Christian literature and audio books in Tamil in Sri Lanka.
• Stichting MetadidomisupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBijzondere Noden partnered with Stichting Metadidomi to distribute seed potatoes, planting onions, and vegetable seeds to families in Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv regions of Ukraine in spring, enabling families to plant gardens and sustain food supplies.
• KOC (Ds. G.H. Kerstencentrum)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBijzondere Noden co-developed a free educational package for groups 7 & 8 (ages 10–12) with the KOC on religious freedom, personality worship, and Bible smuggling, suitable for use in Dutch Christian schools.
• SDOKsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSDOK (Stichting Dienstverlening Opere Kandidaat? — organization for persecution advocacy) is mentioned as a collaboration partner for one of the three projects supporting ex-Muslims in Pakistan, and one project on the Arabian Peninsula.
• Open DoorssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBijzondere Noden collaborated with Open Doors to publish the booklet 'Hun bloed, hun tranen en hun lijden' (Their blood, their tears and their suffering), a publication about Christian persecution available through the Bijzondere Noden webshop.
• Other Dutch church organizations and denominationssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBijzondere Noden works intensively with other Dutch church organizations and denominations in Northeast Asia, combining expertise and jointly raising funds to organize aid as effectively as possible in highly complex and sensitive operating environments.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ZOA: Dutch NGO providing emergency aid and reconstruction in conflict zones. Directly comparable as a Netherlands-based humanitarian organization working through church-affiliated networks, including joint operational partnership with Bijzondere Noden in Sudan.
• Open Doors: International Christian organization supporting persecuted believers worldwide. Highly comparable given Bijzondere Noden's 'Persecuted Church' pillar and confirmed co-publication partnership. Both serve overlapping donor segments in the Dutch Reformed/evangelical space.
• Dorcas: Dutch Christian aid organization running community development and emergency relief programs internationally. Comparable mission, faith-based positioning, and Netherlands donor base, with similar webshop/legacy giving channels.
• Compassion International: International Christian child sponsorship organization with Dutch fundraising presence. Comparable faith-based funding model, sponsorship-style recurring donor programs, and similar use of local church partners in developing countries.
• Kerk in Actie: Protestant Church of the Netherlands' relief and development arm. Comparable as a Dutch denomination-affiliated humanitarian organization, though anchored in the PKN rather than Gereformeerde Gemeenten, offering diaconal, world aid, and emergency programs.
• SDOK (Stichting Dienstverlening Opere Kandidaat?): Dutch foundation advocating for persecuted Christians and supporting mission work. Directly comparable as a co-funding partner on persecuted-church projects in Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula, with overlapping Dutch evangelical/Reformed donor audience.

Broad incumbents

• Leger des Heils (Salvation Army Netherlands): Major established faith-based humanitarian organization operating in the Netherlands with much broader social service scope (shelters, addiction care, anti-trafficking). Comparable faith-based positioning and donor base but at significantly larger scale and broader service portfolio.
• Tearfund: UK-originated Christian relief and development agency with Dutch operations. Comparable faith-based humanitarian positioning and donor audience, though operating at significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• World Vision Netherlands: Major international Christian humanitarian organization active in the Netherlands. Comparable faith-based identity and child/community development focus, but at substantially larger scale and with broader program portfolio.

Emerging players

• Stichting Hulp aan Vervolgde Christenen: Dutch foundation focused specifically on persecuted Christians, overlapping significantly with Bijzondere Noden's Persecuted Church pillar. Comparable donor base and project delivery model, though smaller in operational scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/bijzonderenoden
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bijzondere-noden

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 Bijzondere Noden