What Surfrider Foundation Netherlands does

Surfrider Foundation Netherlands (legal entity: Stichting SFE the Netherlands) is a Dutch non-profit foundation established on 1 January 2009, originally as Surfrider Holland Coast, and operating as one of approximately 50 active chapters of Surfrider Foundation Europe, a Biarritz-headquartered network of 18,000+ members across 12 European countries. The organization focuses on three expertise areas: marine litter, water quality and public health, and coastal management/climate. Its core programmatic offerings are Ocean Initiatives (volunteer beach clean-ups), Ocean Friendly Restaurants (a certification program for sustainable hospitality), Water Quality & Health (monthly e-coli testing plus a PFAS testing program launching June 2025), the Kids Education Program, the Butts off the Beach anti-cigarette-butt campaign, and the Surfers Gezondheidscheck (Surfer Health Check) structured reporting platform that lets surfers, kiteboarders, and swimmers file pollution and health observations.

The foundation operates with one freelance coordinator and a volunteer workforce, including an unpaid local board that covers only expenses. It holds ANBI (Dutch public benefit organization) status, is a member of 1% for the Planet, and is registered with KVK Amsterdam (34353005). Its go-to-market is community-led: volunteer recruitment, grassroots events, social media (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn), earned media, blog/news content, and email newsletters drive donations, event attendance, and membership sign-ups. Revenue streams include one-time and recurring individual donations (€5–€100 or €11/month), corporate sponsorship of multi-year campaigns, the Surf Creative affiliate-style program (creators donating a percentage of revenue), and event ticket sales (€15 online / €17 door). The organization does not sell products; its primary 'distribution' is program delivery, community engagement, and regulatory advocacy along the Dutch coastline, including recent coordination with the municipality of Velsen on the September 2025 IJmuiden beach pollution incident.

Name

Surfrider Foundation Netherlands

Legal name

Stichting SFE the Netherlands

Website

https://surfriderfoundation.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Surfrider Foundation Netherlands is a Dutch non-profit chapter of Surfrider Foundation Europe that protects the Dutch coast through beach clean-ups, water quality testing (e-coli and PFAS), ocean-friendly restaurant certification, and education, serving surfers, volunteers, and corporate sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Advocacy Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI), Pollution Prevention & Toxics Reduction (BPAGAGAJ), Environmental Conservation & Sustainability Volunteering (EDAIAGAB)

Keywords

• Ocean conservation advocacy
• Beach cleanup programs
• Water quality monitoring
• Marine pollution prevention
• Sustainable restaurant certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Den Haag

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. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters, ranging from €5 to €100+ per transaction. Monthly membership option available from €11 per month.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Structural corporate sponsorship of campaigns and multi-year programs. Companies can support the foundation as sponsors, with custom sponsorship arrangements and the option to organize clean-up events for employees.
3. Surf Creative Program: Artists, illustrators, designers, and creators who draw inspiration from the sea donate a small percentage of their revenues to Surfrider.
4. Event Revenue: Film nights and community events generate ticket revenue (e.g., €15 online / €17 at the door for movie night events).
5. Surf Creative Revenue Share: Creative professionals donate a percentage of their revenue to the organization in exchange for promotion via Surfrider's channels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Surfrider Foundation Netherlands is a non-profit foundation operating as the Dutch chapter of Surfrider Foundation Europe, delivering six interconnected ocean and water protection programs: Ocean Initiatives (volunteer-led beach cleanups), Water Quality & Health (monthly e-coli testing and upcoming PFAS monitoring), Ocean Friendly Restaurants (sustainability certification for food service businesses), Kids Education Program, the Butts off the Beach anti-cigarette-litter campaign, and Surfers Gezondheidscheck (a citizen-science reporting tool for health incidents and water anomalies). The foundation is funded by individual donations, monthly memberships, corporate sponsorships, and event revenue, and operates with a small paid staff supported by an unpaid volunteer base.

Product overview

Surfrider Foundation Netherlands operates as a non-profit chapter of Surfrider Foundation Europe, offering a portfolio of environmental protection programs focused on clean water and beaches. The core offering consists of six interconnected programs: Ocean Initiatives (volunteer clean-up events), Ocean Friendly Restaurants (sustainable restaurant certification), Water Quality & Health monitoring (E-coli and PFAS testing), Kids Education Program, Butts off the Beach (cigarette pollution campaign), and Surfers Gezondheidscheck (citizen science health reporting tool). These programs work together to protect Dutch coastlines through community engagement, water testing, and advocacy. The organization also provides donation and volunteer recruitment mechanisms to support ongoing operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ocean Initiatives Volunteer-led beach and waterway clean-up events where community members organize and participate in removing marine debris and litter from Dutch coastlines and surf spots. Open to individuals, school groups, and corporate teams who want to contribute hands-on to reducing coastal pollution.
• Ocean Friendly Restaurants A certification program that recognizes restaurants and beach establishments committing to sustainable, ocean-friendly practices such as reducing single-use plastics. Restaurants apply, are visited by the foundation, and are awarded the Ocean Friendly Restaurant label upon meeting sustainability criteria. Active along the Dutch coast.
• Water Quality & Health Monitoring Monthly scientific water quality testing program at Dutch surf spots, measuring e-coli and other contaminants. From June 2025, PFAS ('forever chemicals') testing was added. Findings are used for public awareness and policy advocacy aimed at improving Dutch coastal water safety for surfers, swimmers, and other water users.
• Butts off the Beach Anti-cigarette-butt pollution campaign that distributes pocket ashtrays and raises public awareness about proper disposal of cigarette litter. Addresses cigarette butts as the number-one beach pollutant identified in Ocean Initiatives clean-up data.
• Kids Education Program Educational program for children covering ocean protection, marine ecosystems, and environmental stewardship, delivered through workshops and activities. Targeted at Dutch schools and youth groups to build long-term ocean stewardship.
• Surfers Gezondheidscheck (Surfers Health Check) A structured online reporting form used by surfers, kiteboarders, and swimmers to report health problems experienced after entering Dutch seawater and to flag water anomalies such as unusual foam, oil layers, chemical smells, or discolouration. Functions as a community-sourced pollution detection layer feeding Surfrider's advocacy work.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,500 billion cigarette butts discarded globally per year, each capable of polluting up to 500 litres of water — cigarette butts are the #1 beach pollutant in Ocean Initiatives clean-up data
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• I Love the SeasidecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 September 2025I Love the Seaside co-organized the Surfrider x Seaside Amsterdam film event on September 25, 2025. They handled ticket sales for the event and provided event promotion support.
• Gemeente VelsencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2025The municipality of Velsen (permit issuer) worked with Surfrider Netherlands and the Multigroove festival organization to coordinate the clean-up response to the IJmuiden beach pollution incident. The municipality deployed enforcement and bulldozers within two days of community pressure.
• Surfrider Foundation EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSurfrider Foundation Netherlands is one of the active chapters within Surfrider Foundation Europe, which is based in Biarritz, France. The European organization has 18,000+ members across 50 chapters in 12 countries. The Dutch chapter operates with a local board, own bank account, and one freelance coordinator. Membership administration, merchandising, and pan-European campaigns are coordinated through the Biarritz headquarters.
• BonTonToysminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBonTonToys is listed as an 'ocean friend' partner on the Surfrider Netherlands homepage, supporting the foundation as part of its corporate social responsibility.
• OyesterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOyester is listed as an 'ocean friend' partner supporting Surfrider Netherlands.
• PatagoniaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPatagonia is listed as an 'ocean friend' partner on the homepage, supporting the foundation's mission.
• LowlandercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLowlander Botanical Bar & Restaurant (Amsterdam) co-organized the 'The Big Sea' film night event with Surfrider Netherlands on September 25, 2025, providing the venue and helping promote the event.
• John AltmanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJohn Altman is listed as an 'ocean friend' partner supporting Surfrider Netherlands.
• 1% for the PlanetmoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerSurfrider Foundation Netherlands is a member of 1% for the Planet, an organization where members commit to donating 1% of revenue or sales to environmental causes. Listed in the 1% for the Planet directory.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Natuurmonumenten: Major Dutch nature conservation society with membership-based funding and coastal/nature stewardship work. Comparable Dutch non-profit membership model but broader biodiversity focus.

Direct peers

• Ocean Conservancy: US-based non-profit running the International Coastal Cleanup and policy advocacy on ocean pollution. Closely comparable in beach-cleanup program structure and water-quality advocacy.
• Stichting De Noordzee: Dutch foundation dedicated to protection and sustainable use of the North Sea. Comparable Dutch-coastal, water-quality, and marine-conservation focus with policy advocacy as a core activity.
• Plastic Soup Foundation: Dutch non-profit focused on plastic pollution in oceans, campaigning against microplastics and lobbying for EU regulation. Directly comparable mission, geography, and advocacy style to Surfrider NL.
• Surfrider Foundation Europe: Parent organization based in Biarritz, France, operating the same ocean-protection, water-quality, and beach-cleanup mission across 50 chapters in 12 countries. Surfrider NL is a direct chapter within this network.
• Surfrider Foundation (USA): Original US-based Surfrider Foundation that spawned the European and Dutch chapters. Operates the same portfolio of beach cleanups, water-quality testing, and ocean-protection advocacy at larger scale.

Emerging players

• 5 Gyres: US-based non-profit focused on plastic pollution research, citizen science, and policy advocacy. Comparable grassroots science-and-advocacy approach to ocean pollution.
• Sea Shepherd Netherlands: International marine conservation non-profit with a Dutch chapter, focused on ocean ecosystem protection through direct-action campaigns. Overlapping marine advocacy and donation-funded model.

Broad incumbents

• WWF Netherlands (WNF): Dutch branch of World Wildlife Fund, a much larger global conservation NGO with marine programs and individual-donor funding model overlapping with Surfrider NL.
• Greenpeace Netherlands: Large Dutch arm of a global environmental NGO with broader scope but overlapping ocean and water-pollution advocacy. Comparable donation-driven non-profit model in the Netherlands.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/surfriderfoundationnetherlands
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/surfrider-foundation-netherlands-europe
• Instagraminstagram.com/surfrider_netherlands

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Surfrider Foundation Netherlands