Stichting Wool for Warmth

What Stichting Wool for Warmth does

Stichting Wool for Warmth is a Dutch nonprofit foundation (Stichting) founded in 2017 in The Hague following the death of Linda Huijsen, whose wool stash inspired her husband Richard and friend Cathy Delhanty to rally volunteers to knit for the homeless. The organization mobilizes a community of over 1,000 knitters and crocheters organized across 70+ knitting clubs, contributing approximately 10,000 volunteer hours per month (per a Maex.nl calculation). Its core products are hand-knitted hats, scarves, and blankets, donated free of charge to homeless individuals in the Netherlands, with a 2022-2023 target under Project 6000 of providing a hat and scarf set for each of 6,000 homeless women. Finished goods are distributed through an established network of 13+ homeless shelters and support organizations across The Hague, Delft, and Leiden.

The organization operates without subsidies. Its financial model is built on three legs: (1) in-kind donations of wool, knitting supplies, and second-hand clothing; (2) a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign that funds approximately €500/month of operational costs; and (3) revenue-generating retail activities, including a Vinted online vintage shop and a physical Treasure Trove (Schatkamer) second-hand store in The Hague. Project 6000 secured grant funding from Oranjefonds and Fonds Sluyterman van Loo. The organization runs two physical locations (headquarters at Anna van Hannoverstraat 6 in The Hague and a satellite in Delft) and engages in community events including Warmetruiendag, International Women's Day, and the Stadmakers Festival. Recognition includes the Heavy Metal Knitting World Championship 2021 win, Dutchbuzz Radio Pearl of The Hague, and Eshete Fantaye's The Hague Volunteer of the Year 2020 award.

The organization has no proprietary technology platform; its 'technology' is fundamentally human craftsmanship augmented by basic digital tools (ZOOM, social media, Vinted storefront). Strategic growth has been driven by opportunistic large donations — particularly the 2019 acquisition of the De Breikorf wool shop inventory and the 2020 donation of 13,000 balls of unused wool — rather than capital-raising, with no venture funding, debt, or institutional investment disclosed.

Name

Stichting Wool for Warmth

Legal name

Stichting Wool for Warmth

Website

https://woolforwarmth.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stichting Wool for Warmth is a Dutch nonprofit foundation founded in 2017 that mobilizes over 1,000 volunteer knitters across 70+ clubs to produce hand-knitted hats, scarves, and blankets donated to homeless individuals in the Netherlands through partner shelters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Homeless Support Services

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSAFABAI

Donation, Resale & Textile Recycling Coordination

Home & Personal Services/Home Organization & Decluttering/Closet & Wardrobe Organization

Keywords

• Charitable knitting initiatives
• Homeless outreach services
• Volunteer community programs
• Second-hand clothing retail
• Donated wool distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Den Haag (The Hague)

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations (Wool and Materials): Wool for Warmth accepts donations of yarn, knitting and crochet supplies, and second-hand clothing. These donated materials form the core input for producing hand-knitted items. The organization does not purchase materials — it relies entirely on donated inputs.
2. GoFundMe Crowdfunding: Monthly operational costs of approximately €500 are raised through GoFundMe campaigns. The organization explicitly states it works without subsidies and relies on donations and crowdfunding to cover running costs.
3. Vinted Vintage Shop Sales: A Vinted shop sells curated second-hand clothing, accessories, and shoes. Unsuitable clothing donations are sold online to raise funds for the charity. All proceeds support Stichting Wool for Warmth.
4. Treasure Trove Second-Hand Store: The Treasure Trove (Schatkamer) is a physical second-hand store located in The Hague that sells donated goods, including clothing and vintage items. Proceeds support the charity's operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Stichting Wool for Warmth is a Dutch nonprofit foundation that organizes a volunteer network of more than 1,000 knitters and crocheters across 70+ clubs to produce hand-knitted hats, scarves, and blankets from donated wool. These items are donated free of charge to homeless individuals and distributed through partnerships with shelters and support organizations across the Netherlands. The organization also operates the Treasure Trove (Schatkamer) physical second-hand store in The Hague and an online Vinted vintage shop to raise operational funds.

Product overview

Stichting Wool for Warmth operates as a charitable organization rather than a commercial product company. Its core offering consists of hand-knitted hats, scarves, and blankets produced through a network of volunteer knitting clubs. The organization also operates a physical second-hand store (Treasure Trove) and an online vintage shop on Vinted to raise funds. Community activities include the Brei Borrel social knitting events held every other Friday. The organization's mission centers on providing warmth to homeless individuals while combating loneliness through collective crafting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Treasure Trove / Schatkamer: Vintage clothing shop operated on Vinted platform selling donated clothing unsuitable for homeless shelters

Products and services

• Hand-Knitted Hats and Scarves Hand-knitted hats and scarf sets produced by 1,000+ volunteer knitters across 70+ clubs, donated free of charge to homeless individuals in the Netherlands via partnerships with shelters and support organizations.
• Hand-Knitted Blankets Handcrafted blankets assembled from granny squares sewn together by volunteers, distributed to homeless individuals in need of warmth.
• Treasure Trove / Schatkamer Second-Hand Store Physical second-hand retail store located in the SoZa building in The Hague that accepts and sells donated wool, clothing, furniture, and household items; open Monday to Friday with all proceeds supporting the charity.
• Vinted Vintage Shop Curated online vintage shop on the Vinted platform selling donated second-hand clothing, accessories, and shoes; reaches shoppers beyond the Netherlands and all proceeds support Stichting Wool for Warmth.

Quantifiable outcome

• 112,000 hours of volunteer knitting in winter 2023/2024 season, producing 2,240 hat and scarf sets plus 45 bags of second-hand clothing
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, notable and core.

• Stadmakers Festival (The Hague)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Wool for Warmth was granted the opportunity to participate in the first-ever Stadmakers Festival in The Hague, where it spread awareness of its organization and offered knitting lessons to festival participants.
• Niels WeerheimnotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2021Niels Weerheim, an abstract artist in The Hague, collaborated with Wool for Warmth to create the 'Resurrection of the Knitting Witch' video for the Heavy Metal Knitting World Championship 2021. He served as the creative force behind the winning video.
• Wille Vaskimo (VaskimoArts)notableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2021Wille Vaskimo, a geometric artist and videographer, co-created the award-winning 'Resurrection of the Knitting Witch' video with Wool for Warmth and Niels Weerheim for the Heavy Metal Knitting World Championship 2021.
• VintedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 March 2021Wool for Warmth operates a Vinted shop to sell curated second-hand clothing, with proceeds supporting the charity. Vinted provides the platform infrastructure for the online vintage store.
• Lizette Wol Handwerken en Hobbyartikelen (Voorburg)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2020Lea from Lizette Wol Handwerken en Hobbyartikelen connected Wool for Warmth with Nathalie, leading to the donation of an attic full of wool (13,000 balls) that became the largest single wool donation in the organization's history.
• Dutchbuzz RadiominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2020Dutchbuzz Radio selected Wool for Warmth as a 'Pearl of The Hague' and conducted an interview, providing media coverage and recognition within the Dutch expatriate community in The Hague.
• The Kessler Stichting / Masha WightminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Masha Wight at The Kessler Stichting suggested to Eric that he donate his mother's wool shop to Wool for Warmth, which was the pivotal donation that transformed Wool for Warmth from a hobby to a formal charity.
• Anna & Co (at SOZA Building)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2019Anna & Co, managed by Melissa George, provided a 20 sqm storage room in the SOZA building in The Hague for the Treasure Trove. This partnership enabled Wool for Warmth to receive and store its large wool donation and establish its headquarters. Melissa George took a leap of faith by offering the space with a short notice deadline.
• Sunday Library ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Sunday Library Club donated significant hours to sort the large wool donation of 13,000 balls. This volunteer group was among several knitting clubs credited for helping process the donation.
• Florence ActiefminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of several knitting clubs that took carloads of wool from the large donation and used boxes of wool to knit items for the homeless.
• Stichting EykenburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA knitting club that took carloads of wool from the large donation to knit items for the homeless.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Warmetruiendag (Warm Sweater Day): Dutch national campaign promoting energy-saving through warmer clothing rather than heating. Wool for Warmth participates in Warmetruiendag events; both share a mission of using knitwear for warmth and energy-consciousness in the Netherlands.

Broad incumbents

• Leger des Heils Nederland (Salvation Army Netherlands): Large established Dutch charity providing homeless services, including clothing and shelter. Both serve homeless beneficiaries in the Netherlands with donated goods, though Leger des Heils operates at much greater scale and breadth as a broad incumbent.
• Stichting Humanitas: Major Dutch welfare organization supporting vulnerable groups including homeless individuals. Comparable in serving homeless beneficiaries in the Netherlands, though Humanitas operates much broader social services including housing, integration, and youth support.
• Stichting Armoedefonds: Dutch national fund fighting poverty in the Netherlands, supporting local initiatives. Comparable in targeting Dutch low-income and homeless populations, though operates more as a grant-making fund than direct service provider.

Direct peers

• Stichting De Regenboog: Amsterdam-based foundation supporting homeless and vulnerable people in the Netherlands, providing clothing, food, and other essentials. Direct peer in the Dutch homeless-services charity space with comparable donation-redistribution activities.
• Project Linus: International volunteer-driven charity providing handmade blankets to children in need. Comparable volunteer-network model producing handcrafted textile items for vulnerable beneficiaries, though focused on children rather than homeless adults.
• Knitted Knockers: International volunteer-based charity where knitters/crocheters create handmade items (prosthetic breast forms) for people in need. Direct peer in the volunteer-knitting-for-charity model, demonstrating the broader category of skilled-volunteer handmade textile production.
• Stichting Kledingbank (Clothing Bank Netherlands): Dutch nonprofit that collects and redistributes second-hand clothing to people in need, including homeless populations. Comparable to Wool for Warmth's donation/redistribution model and target beneficiary base, though focused more on clothing generally than hand-knitted items.
• Stichting Clothing the Homeless (Kleding voor Daklozen): Dutch initiative specifically focused on collecting and distributing clothing to homeless individuals in the Netherlands. Direct peer overlapping with Wool for Warmth's core mission of clothing-based support for the homeless.

Regional players

• Stichting Barka: Dutch foundation supporting homeless individuals, including those from Eastern Europe, with pathways to employment. Wool for Warmth donates to Stichting Barka as a partner, indicating overlapping beneficiary focus in the Dutch homeless-services space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCafArkze-Q0rEVKiqBXEOrg
• Facebookfacebook.com/woolforwarmth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wool-for-warmth-challenge
• Instagraminstagram.com/woolforwarmth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Stichting Wool for Warmth