Dwarslaesie Organisatie Nederland

What Dwarslaesie Organisatie Nederland does

Dwarslaesie Organisatie Nederland (DON), founded in 1976 and headquartered in Nijkerk, is a Dutch membership-based nonprofit (vereniging) serving as the recognized umbrella patient organization for people with spinal cord injury (dwarslaesie) or cauda equina syndrome (caudalaesie) and their families. The organization provides reliable medical information, facilitates peer support, and represents the collective interests of its members in healthcare, insurance, and policy discussions. Membership is priced at €43 per year and grants access to the quarterly printed Dwarslaesie Magazine, a monthly newsletter, the Socie member mobile app, an expert panel of rehabilitation physicians, experience-expert Q&A, member discounts, and event invitations including the annual Landelijke Laesiedag.

The organization's core technology and product portfolio centers on a set of domain-specialized content and community platforms. The DwarslaesieWiki is a comprehensive medical wiki developed in partnership with Kenniscentrum Revalidatiegeneeskunde Utrecht, the NVDG, ZonMw, and NutsOhra, consolidating ALLRISC research and rehabilitation guidelines. The 'Weer op Weg' (WoW) e-course, launched in 2013 with all 8 Dutch specialized SCI rehabilitation centers and adapted from New Zealand's 'Back on Track' course, supports newly injured patients. Additional products include the Socie mobile app for peer contact in closed lesion-level groups, the Expertpanel Q&A service, a webshop distributing approximately 18 publications and aids, and a podcast channel.

Revenue is generated primarily through €43 annual membership fees, with supplementary income from webshop sales (publications priced €1–€10), donations, project-based research subsidies (notably ZonMw funding for the Wiki), and sponsorships from medical-supply and mobility-aid companies (Hollister, Mediq, Sunrise Medical, Kersten, among others). DON co-publishes and maintains the Zorgstandaard Dwarslaesie, the official Dutch standard of care for SCI rehabilitation, in collaboration with the NVDG. The organization operates exclusively in the Netherlands and is governed by its members without institutional investor ownership.

Name

Dwarslaesie Organisatie Nederland

Legal name

Dwarslaesie Organisatie Nederland

Website

https://dwarslaesie.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dwarslaesie Organisatie Nederland is a Dutch membership-based nonprofit founded in 1976 that advocates for and serves people with spinal cord injury or cauda equina syndrome in the Netherlands, providing medical information, peer support, expert panels, and publications via its DwarslaesieWiki, Weer op Weg e-course, quarterly magazine, Socie app, and webshop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Advocacy & Patient Support Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Spinal cord injury support
• Patient advocacy organization
• Disability information services
• Peer support community
• Rehabilitation resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Nijkerk

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: Annual membership fees at €43 per year. Members receive the quarterly Dwarslaesie Magazine free, monthly newsletter, access to the Socie member app, expert panel, experience experts, member discounts on webshop products, and invitations to events. Many health insurers reimburse membership fees under supplementary insurance plans.
2. Webshop sales: Sale of publications (magazines, brochures, books), information products, and DVDs. Non-members pay full price; members receive discounts, and many products are free for members. Products include Dwarslaesie Magazine (€1.00–€3.50), the 'Dwarslaesie of caudalaesie...en dan?' route map (€10.00), fitness DVD (€3.50), and informational brochures (€2.50–€5.00).

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Dwarslaesie Organisatie Nederland (DON) is a Dutch nonprofit membership organization that provides information, peer contact, and collective advocacy for people with a (incomplete) spinal cord injury or cauda equina syndrome and their families. Its core offerings include an annual membership subscription (€43/year) granting access to a quarterly printed magazine, the Socie peer-contact app, the DwarslaesieWiki medical information platform, the Weer op Weg e-course, an expert panel of rehabilitation physicians, member discounts in its webshop, and invitations to events such as the annual Landelijke Laesiedag. The organization also sells specialized publications, brochures, and information products through its webshop.

Product overview

Dwarslaesie Organisatie Nederland (DON) operates as a membership-based advocacy and information organization rather than a technology company. Its core product portfolio consists of the DwarslaesieWiki information platform, the Weer op Weg (WoW) e-course for newly injured individuals, the quarterly Dwarslaesie Magazine, the Socie mobile app for peer contact, the Expertpanel Q&A service, and the Webshop. The webshop distributes approximately 18 distinct publications and products including magazines, brochures on nutrition and fitness, educational modules for healthcare professionals, DVDs, information cards on autonomic dysregulation, vacation guides, and experiential books. These offerings are primarily informational and community-focused rather than technology products, serving people with spinal cord injury/cauda equina syndrome and their relatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Weer op Weg (WoW): An e-course for people who have recently acquired a spinal cord injury, providing information and practical tools to help them 'get back on track.'
• DwarslaesieWiki
• Socie App
• Dwarslaesie Magazine

Products and services

• Donateur- en lidmaatschap (DON Membership) Annual membership subscription at €43/year giving access to the quarterly Dwarslaesie Magazine by post, monthly newsletter, Socie member app, expert panel of rehabilitation physicians, experience experts, event invitations (including the annual Landelijke Laesiedag), member discounts in the webshop, and injury advice including a free first architect consultation for home modifications.
• Weer op Weg (WoW) e-course E-learning course for people who have recently acquired a spinal cord injury or cauda equina syndrome, providing practical information and tools to help them manage daily life after injury. Includes video testimonials from experience experts.
• DwarslaesieWiki Collaborative, expert-reviewed medical information wiki covering spinal cord injury, cauda equina syndrome, health consequences, and related medical topics, organized by theme.
• Socie mobile app

Quantifiable outcome

• DON publishes the Zorgstandaard Dwarslaesie, the standard of care for SCI rehabilitation in the Netherlands
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nederlands-Vlaams Dwarslaesie Genootschap (NVDG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDON collaborates with the NVDG (Dutch-Flemish Spinal Cord Injury Society), the professional association of Dutch and Flemish spinal cord injury treatment professionals. DON co-developed the Zorgstandaard Dwarslaesie with the NVDG, and DON's DwarslaesieWiki content is reviewed by rehabilitation physicians affiliated with the NVDG. The NVDG also provides documents for general practitioners on DON's professional resources page.
• Kenniscentrum Revalidatiegeneeskunde Utrecht (De Hoogstraat Revalidatie & UMC Utrecht)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe DwarslaesieWiki is a formal collaboration between Kenniscentrum Revalidatiegeneeskunde Utrecht, DON, and the NVDG. De Hoogstraat Revalidatie serves as the lead institution in this partnership and manages the ALLRISC research follow-up activities. Project leadership for the WoW e-course also came from De Hoogstraat.
• ALLRISC (Active Lifestyle Rehabilitation Interventions in Aging Spinal Cord Injury) research consortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ALLRISC research program (2011–2015) developed much of the evidence base published through the DwarslaesieWiki. The research was funded by ZonMw and NutsOhra. ALLRISC studied physical activity, fitness, health, and quality of life in people with chronic SCI. DON was a partner in making ALLRISC findings accessible to patients.
• SCIONN (Spinal Cord Injury OnderzoeksNetwerk Nederland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCIONN is the Dutch SCI Research Network, which contains information about research conducted under ZonMw research programs. SCIONN's content will be integrated into the NVDG website. DON links to SCIONN as a source for research information for people with SCI.
• 8 Dutch specialized rehabilitation centers (Adelante, Beatrixoord, De Hoogstraat Revalidatie, Heliomare, Roessingh, Reade, Rijndam, Sint Maartenskliniek)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll 8 specialized Dutch spinal cord injury rehabilitation centers are affiliated with the NVDG and collaborated with DON in developing the 'Weer op Weg' (WoW) e-course. Each center also has its own research and development department and is listed as a source on the DwarslaesieWiki. These centers are the primary points of care for DON's target members.
• Back on Track (New Zealand)minorOthersThe 'Weer op Weg' e-course was developed based on the New Zealand 'Back on Track' course as a reference model. The New Zealand course inspired the Dutch adaptation.
• Jeroen Ephraim / Jeep Media ProductiesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJeroen Ephraim of Jeep Media Producties (Den Haag) was responsible for the design, films, and realization of the 'Weer op Weg' e-course website.
• Proven Web ConceptsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProven Web Concepts is credited with the realization and hosting of the DON website (dwarslaesie.nl).
• HollisterminorOthersHollister appears as a sponsor on the 'Weer op Weg' website, indicating a sponsorship or advertising relationship with this medical supplies company.
• Fitforlife, Wolter-Jagersma, Lagooni, Mediq, Sunrise Medical, KerstenminorOthersVarious companies appear as sponsors on the 'Weer op Weg' website, indicating sponsorship or advertising relationships.
• Sint MaartenskliniekminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Sint Maartenskliniek authored the brochure 'Voeding, gewicht en gezondheid voor mensen met een dwarslaesie' (Nutrition, weight and health for people with spinal cord injury), which DON publishes in its webshop. This brochure was written based on a Swedish original.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Longfonds: Dutch lung-disease patient-advocacy nonprofit with a similar operating model to DON: membership, magazine, research dissemination, advocacy. Serves as a useful benchmark for Dutch disease-advocacy operating scale and structure.
• Hartstichting: Dutch Heart Foundation, a national disease-advocacy nonprofit combining fundraising, research funding, and patient information. Comparable in organizational form and Dutch healthcare-system positioning to DON.
• KWF Kankerbestrijding: The largest Dutch disease-specific patient-advocacy and research-funding nonprofit. Comparable business model — membership-driven, magazine, peer community, insurer reimbursement — but at much larger scale and focused on oncology rather than SCI.
• Diabetes Fonds: Dutch diabetes research and patient-advocacy foundation with a similar membership, magazine, and research-dissemination operating model. Useful as a peer benchmark for Dutch chronic-disease advocacy nonprofits.

Direct peers

• Wings for Life: Global spinal cord injury research foundation funding cure-oriented research and clinical studies. Comparable to the research-funding and dissemination role DON plays via the DwarslaesieWiki and ALLRISC partnership, though focused on research rather than patient services.
• Spinal Cord Injuries Australia: Australian SCI advocacy and peer-support organization providing information, advocacy, and community programs. Directly comparable peer in mission, membership-style support services, and national advocacy remit.
• Rick Hansen Foundation: Canadian SCI-focused foundation combining accessibility advocacy, research funding, and community programs. Comparable to DON in mission scope (advocacy + research dissemination + community) but operates at a larger national scale.
• Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation: The leading US nonprofit advocating for people with spinal cord injury, funding research and providing peer-support resources. Directly comparable to DON as a national SCI patient-advocacy organization with an information platform, peer community, and research-funding role.
• Spinal Injuries Association (UK): The principal UK patient-advocacy charity for people with spinal cord injury, providing information, peer support, and advocacy. Closely matches DON's membership model, magazine, and rehab-center referral network, although operating at UK scale.

Regional players

• Nederlands-Vlaams Dwarslaesie Genootschap (NVDG): The Dutch-Flemish professional society of SCI treatment professionals, a direct collaboration partner of DON that co-developed the Zorgstandaard and reviews Wiki content. Functions as a sister organization rather than a competitor, but is the closest institutional peer to DON in the SCI ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dwarslaesie-organisatie-nederland

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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