De Vonk

What De Vonk does

De Vonk (legal entity Stichting De Vonk) is a Dutch non-profit expertise center founded in 1975 and headquartered in Tilburg, Noord-Brabant, operating under the administrative umbrella of ContourdeTwern with ANBI public-benefit status. The organization supports, activates, and trains volunteers and professionals on poverty and social exclusion, serving a regional territory that spans Zeeland, Oost/Midden/West-Brabant, Noord-Limburg, and part of Gelderland.

Its product portfolio is built around experiential learning tools and a Train-de-trainer methodology developed since 2015. Core offerings include the Armoede onder de Loep training and the Train-de-trainer Armoede program (60+ trainers trained, 24 active nationwide), proprietary game-based tools (Arm en Rijk, Je Geld of Je Leven, De draden en het anker), workshops (De Selma's, the shame-awareness workshop), the 45-minute Inspiratiesessie, and the Armoede Beleven 2.0 publication that underpins the curriculum. Supplementary offerings include the SchuldenVrijMaatje volunteer buddy program, the Platform Sociale Zekerheid convening network (50+ organizations since 1995), and commissioned activating research for municipalities, schools, and parishes.

The business model combines (1) fee-based training and workshops priced at €180-€950 depending on organization type, group size, and engagement length, (2) commissioned research from municipalities and foundations, (3) grants from foundations such as Bergmansfonds and CZ Groep, and (4) tax-deductible donations through Steunstichting De Vonk and ContourdeTwern. The go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct engagement, partner referrals (Sociale Alliantie, Leergeld, Alliantie Kinderarmoede, Stimulansz), and network-driven demand from municipalities, schools, parishes, and social organizations. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

De Vonk

Legal name

Stichting De Vonk

Website

https://de-vonk.nu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

De Vonk is a Dutch non-profit expertise center in Tilburg that trains professionals and supports volunteers addressing poverty and social exclusion through workshops, game-based tools, commissioned research, and a train-the-trainer network across southern Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Poverty Alleviation and Social Inclusion Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

Keywords

• Poverty awareness training
• Social exclusion expertise
• Volunteer matching programs
• Activation research
• Experiential learning tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Tilburg

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Training and Education Services: De Vonk generates revenue through training programs, workshops, and inspiratiesessies for professionals and organizations. Pricing varies by organization type, group size, location, and duration of engagement.
2. Research Projects: Conducting commissioned activation research for municipalities, schools, neighborhood teams, and parishes. Projects are funded by foundations and commissions.
3. Donations and Gifts: Supported by gifts and donations through Steunstichting De Vonk and through ContourdeTwern foundation. ANBI status allows tax-deductible donations.
4. Publication Sales: Sale of Armoede Beleven 2.0 booklet at €8.50 per copy, excluding shipping costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

De Vonk is a nonprofit knowledge, expertise, and activation center delivering training programs, workshops, and inspiratiesessies on poverty and social exclusion to professionals and volunteers. It develops and deploys proprietary experiential learning tools (board games and simulations), publishes the Armoede Beleven 2.0 booklet, runs the Train-de-trainer Armoede program, coordinates the SchuldenVrijMaatje volunteer buddy program, and conducts commissioned activation research for municipalities, schools, neighborhood teams, and parishes.

Product overview

De Vonk is a non-profit expertise center providing a portfolio of training programs, workshops, game-based learning tools, and research services focused on poverty and social exclusion. The core offerings include the Armoede onder de Loep training and Train-de-trainer Armoede programs, supplemented by game-based tools (Arm en Rijk spel, Je Geld of Je Leven, De draden en het anker), workshops (De Selma's, schaamte workshop), and volunteer programs like SchuldenVrijMaatje. The organization also conducts custom activating research and manages the Platform Sociale Zekerheid network. Publications include the Armoede Beleven 2.0 booklet that serves as the theoretical foundation for training programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Armoede onder de Loep A training program teaching participants to communicate more effectively with people living on a low income, covering the nature and forms of poverty, social exclusion, and behavior influenced by poverty. Targeted at professionals and volunteers seeking to develop poverty-aware communication skills.
• Arm en Rijk spel (Poor and Rich Game) A board game for youth up to approximately 15 years old where players are randomly assigned to 'rich' or 'poor' categories and complete tasks exploring their views on money and financial choices, increasing understanding of poverty and related regulations.
• Je Geld of Je Leven (Your Money or Your Life) A game that makes financial choices discussable and tangible so users are less likely to judge decisions made under financial pressure; designed for groups seeking insight into the lives of people with limited money.
• De draden en het anker (The Threads and the Anchor) A meaningful game format in which participants experience how emotional stability can be disrupted by life events and how to find new balance.
• Workshop De Selma's A workshop exploring how Selma, a person living with limited money, experiences her situation, providing insight into different perceptions of poverty and practical tools for adapting one's approach.
• Workshop 'Ik wil niet bijdragen aan de schaamte van anderen!' A workshop addressing how to support people dealing with financial difficulties without contributing to their shame, exploring the effect of biases and recognizing one's own images in contact.
• Training Waarde(n)vol motiveren A training program teaching participants to motivate people to sustain behavioral change while setting achievable goals, focusing on personal motivation, motivational interviewing, values, and shame.
• Train-de-trainer Armoede A train-the-trainer program that trains professionals and (voluntary) key persons to become ambassadors who make financial concerns discussable, having produced more than 60 trainers since 2015 with 24 currently active nationwide.
• SchuldenVrijMaatje A volunteer buddy project where trained volunteers (SchuldenVrijMaatjes) are matched with participants experiencing financial problems to provide moral and practical support during debt repayment, coordinated by De Vonk in collaboration with Bureau Schuldhulpverlening.
• Armoede Beleven 2.0 (Publication) A booklet providing insight into different ways of experiencing poverty, covering resignation, shame, pro-activity, and distrust, converted into practical tools for effective communication. It serves as the theoretical foundation for the Armoede onder de Loep training.
• Inspiratiesessie (Inspiration Session) A 45-minute inspiration session offered on a quote basis, covering topics such as poverty sensitivity, social inclusion, dignity, and meaning, with variants for education, funds, and volunteer initiatives.
• Onderzoek op aanvraag (Custom Research) Custom activating research conducted by De Vonk for municipalities, schools, neighborhood teams, and parishes to identify opportunities, threats, bottlenecks, and challenges, with practical recommendations formulated for the client.
• Platform Sociale Zekerheid A platform active since 1995 bringing together more than 50 organizations, politicians, and city leaders three times per year to discuss social domain trends, new policies, and cooperation proposals, with De Vonk as coordinator.

Quantifiable outcome

• 46% response rate from parents in research on swimming lesson absenteeism, enabling better understanding of practical barriers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CZ GroepcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Health insurance provider that collaborated on the Tandzorg op Maat (Dental Care Tailored) project initiated by De Vonk in late 2015
• Gemeente TilburgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Municipality of Tilburg partner in Tandzorg op Maat project and various research initiatives; provides access to TilburgsOndersteuningsFonds for dental care
• GGDminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Public health service collaborating on Tandzorg op Maat project for dental care accessibility
• Sociale AlliantiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for addressing social issues and poverty in society, part of De Vonk's partner network showcasing on homepage
• PRESENTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for social initiatives and community engagement, part of De Vonk's partner network
• Stichting LeergeldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration enabling children from low-income families to participate in activities like swimming lessons; joint hybrid training programs
• Alliantie KinderarmoedecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance focused on addressing child poverty, collaborating on initiatives to ensure children can participate regardless of family income
• StimulanszminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in social welfare sector, part of De Vonk's network
• ContourdeTwerncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization providing facilitative support to De Vonk. De Vonk is an integral part of ContourdeTwern. Donations can be made to ContourdeTwern under mention of De Vonk
• Bureau SchuldhulpverleningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDebt counseling bureau collaborating on SchuldenVrijMaatje project, referring participants to volunteer mentors
• Landelijk Steunpunt ThuisAdministratie (LSTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational support network for home administration where De Vonk participates in exploring collaboration; Bettine Arink featured in LSTA inspiration guide July 2024
• HumanitasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational voluntary organization collaborating in the debt support ecosystem
• Alliantie Vrijwillige SchuldhulpminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance for voluntary debt assistance, part of national collaboration network
• HogescholenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education institutions collaborating on research and knowledge development in poverty and social exclusion
• Niemand BuitenspelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram collaboration to develop poverty-sensitive registration forms for sports clubs; joint development of materials for sports associations
• Bisdom 's-HertogenboschcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiocese of 's-Hertogenbosch collaborated with De Vonk to develop diaconal training consisting of separate modules for starting diaconal groups
• SportfondsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSports fund that can be accessed more easily through poverty-sensitive approach and financial contact persons at sports clubs

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Niemand Buitenspel: National program that supports sports clubs in being poverty-sensitive and inclusive. Direct De Vonk partner; addresses the same intersection of sports and financial vulnerability, but focuses specifically on the sports sector rather than cross-sector poverty work.
• Sociale Alliantie: Dutch alliance focused on social issues and poverty reduction through partnerships with NGOs and municipalities. Direct De Vonk partner; comparable thematic focus but acts more as convener than as a direct training/research provider.
• Schuldenlab: Dutch social enterprise developing innovative approaches to prevent and resolve debt problems, working closely with municipalities. Comparable overlap with De Vonk's SchuldenVrijMaatje and debt-related training, but with a more product/innovation-oriented delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• Leger des Heils (Salvation Army Netherlands): Larger Dutch nonprofit operating social-services programs including debt counseling, poverty alleviation, and volunteer-based support — comparable to De Vonk's SchuldenVrijMaatje and broader social-activation mission, but at a national scale and with broader service breadth.
• Cordaid: Large Dutch international development and social-justice organization with Dutch-domestic programs on poverty and inclusion. Comparable mission emphasis on social activation and empowerment, but operates internationally and at much larger scale than De Vonk's regional Tilburg/Brabant base.
• Rode Kruis (Dutch Red Cross): Major Dutch humanitarian organization providing aid, training, and social support including to vulnerable populations. Operates at significantly larger scale than De Vonk with overlapping values around solidarity and supporting excluded groups, but with a much broader disaster-relief and humanitarian mandate.

Direct peers

• Stimulansz: Dutch nonprofit focused on financial self-reliance and preventing/dealing with debt problems. Direct partner of De Vonk; offers overlapping training and advisory services to municipalities and welfare organizations, with a slightly more policy/advice orientation.
• Alliantie Kinderarmoede: National alliance coordinating efforts to reduce child poverty in the Netherlands. Direct De Vonk partner; comparable focus on child poverty, with a broader advocacy and coalition-building remit than De Vonk's training/research core.
• Stichting Leergeld: National Dutch nonprofit focused on enabling children from low-income families to participate in social activities (sports, swimming, school trips). Direct partner of De Vonk; directly comparable mission in child poverty and activation, with a wider national footprint.
• Humanitas: National Dutch volunteer-driven nonprofit offering peer-support and buddy programs for vulnerable groups, including people in debt. Highly comparable to De Vonk's volunteer-mentoring approach (SchuldenVrijMaatje) and training-of-volunteers methodology.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutu.be/K36cbBgYEdU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stichtingdevonk

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 De Vonk