What Buddy to Buddy Deventer does

Buddy to Buddy Deventer is a local chapter of Stichting Buddy to Buddy Nederland, a Dutch non-profit foundation founded in 2015 that operates across 25+ cities in the Netherlands. The organization runs a community integration program that matches newcomers (refugees who have had to leave their country of origin) with local Dutch residents based on shared interests and equality rather than needs or deficits. Its core offering is the Matchingstraject, a 4-month program in which matched pairs meet weekly and participate in group activities, supplemented by Buddy to Buddy Young — a 5-month youth program for participants under 30 linked to the Dutch national civic service framework (MDT/Maatschappelijke Diensttijd), which confers an internationally recognized certificate. Recurring community programming includes Buddycafé monthly meetups, Wereldhuiskamer weekly gatherings, and Wereldcafé evening events.

The technology stack is intentionally lightweight: prospective buddies register through an Airtable form, and a proprietary mobile app supports buddy profile management (hobbies, languages, preferences) and ongoing communication between matches. There is no public API, SDK, or developer-facing documentation. Marketing and volunteer recruitment are grassroots and community-led, relying on Instagram and Facebook chapter accounts, information evenings, local media coverage, and word-of-mouth referrals.

The organization operates as a donation-funded charity. Participation is free for both buddies and newcomers; revenue comes from public donations, donor memberships, webshop sales, and (in some chapters) municipal support. Individual chapters are progressively being formalized as independent stichtingen with their own supervisory boards (Raad van Toezicht) and paid coordinators hired at social rates, while the national foundation provides the brand, methodology, and shared infrastructure. Several chapters, including Lochem and Nieuwegein, have applied for ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling) status to enable tax-deductible giving.

Name

Buddy to Buddy Deventer

Legal name

Stichting Buddy to Buddy Nederland

Website

https://buddytobuddy.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Buddy to Buddy Deventer is a Dutch non-profit local chapter that connects newcomers and refugees with Dutch residents in Deventer through interest-based matching, supported by a mobile app and funded entirely by donations and volunteer contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Integration Community Programs

akta.pro primary industry

Peer Mentorship, Buddy & Host-Family Matching Programs (EDAIAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Peer Support, Buddy Programs & Cooperative Learning Facilitation (EDAKABAI)

Keywords

• Social integration services
• Refugee support programs
• Community matching programs
• Volunteer buddy matching
• Nonprofit community building

Headquarters

HQ city

Deventer

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 Donateur Membership: Buddy to Buddy operates as a charitable foundation relying on donations from the public. The organization invites people to become 'donateur' (donor members) to support the organization's work connecting newcomers and Dutch residents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Buddy to Buddy Deventer is a local chapter of Stichting Buddy to Buddy Nederland that connects newcomers (refugees who had to leave their country of origin) with local Dutch residents in Deventer on the basis of equality and shared interests. The core offering is the Matchingstraject, a 4-month structured matching program with weekly meetups and group activities, supported by a youth program (Buddy to Buddy Young) integrated with the Dutch MDT civic service, recurring community meetups (Buddycafé), and a mobile matching application.

Product overview

Buddy to Buddy is a social integration organization operating across 20+ Dutch cities. The portfolio consists of the Matchingstraject (core 4-month program pairing newcomers with local residents based on shared interests), supplemented by Buddy to Buddy Young (a 5-month youth program for under-30s earning an MDT certificate), and community spaces including Wereldhuiskamer (weekly afternoon gatherings) and Wereldcafé (monthly evening events). The organization uses a proprietary matching app to facilitate buddy pairings and ongoing coordination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Buddy to Buddy Young: Youth program of Buddy to Buddy that links refugees and curious young people. Part of MDT (Maatschappelijke Diensttijd) program, participants aged up to 30 years receive an internationally recognized MDT certificate.

Products and services

• Matchingstraject A 4-month structured matching program that pairs newcomers (refugees who had to leave their country of origin) with local Dutch residents based on shared interests and equality. Matched buddies meet weekly and participate in group activities, creating both one-on-one friendships and a broader community.
• Buddy to Buddy Young A 5-month youth social integration program for participants up to 30 years old, integrated with the Dutch MDT (Maatschappelijke Diensttijd) civic service program. Participants commit approximately 4 hours per week and receive an internationally recognized MDT certificate upon completion.
• Buddycafé A monthly casual community meetup held on the first Wednesday of each month, open to all community members regardless of buddy status, featuring free coffee, tea, and games to foster informal cross-cultural connection.
• Buddy to Buddy App A mobile application used to facilitate the matching process and ongoing communication between matched buddies, with buddy profiles that capture information about hobbies, interests, languages, and preferences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Buddy to Buddy Lochem has 146 buddies matched
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Local MunicipalitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuddy to Buddy operates in partnership with local municipalities who support the organization's work in facilitating integration. The organization is referenced in municipal news channels and receives backing from local government officials. In Lochem, the municipality supported the establishment of the local chapter.
• MDT (Maatschappelijke Diensttijd)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuddy to Buddy Young is integrated with MDT (Maatschappelijke Diensttijd), the Dutch national civic service program for young people. Participants can earn an internationally recognized MDT certificate through their buddy activities.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• VluchtelingenWerk Nederland: The Dutch Council for Refugees is the Netherlands' largest dedicated refugee-support organization, providing guidance, advocacy, and integration support — directly comparable to Buddy to Buddy's mission of aiding newcomers in the same market.
• HOST UK: UK charity that matches international students with UK hosts for cultural exchange — the closest direct international analog to Buddy to Buddy's interest-based pairing of newcomers with local residents.
• Stichting Welkom in Wageningen: Local Dutch integration initiative that even hosts a 'Buddy to Buddy' chapter in Wageningen — operating the same matching concept for international newcomers in a single municipality.
• Stichting de Vluchteling: Dutch foundation focused on supporting refugees in the Netherlands, including community-based integration programs that overlap with Buddy to Buddy's newcomer-to-resident matching approach.
• UAF (Utrechtse Asielzoekers Fonds): Dutch foundation supporting refugee students with education and integration; provides matching-style mentorship to newcomers in the Netherlands, comparable in service concept to Buddy to Buddy.

Broad incumbents

• Welcoming America: US-based nonprofit that supports a network of 'Welcoming' cities and immigrant-inclusion programs — comparable as a network/community-led integration model supporting local chapters that pair newcomers with residents.
• CIMON (Centrum voor Migratie en Internationale Samenwerking): Dutch organization supporting refugees and newcomers through education, training, and social integration programs — broader in scope but materially overlapping with Buddy to Buddy's integration mission.
• European Network for Integration and Migration (ENIM): European-level coalition advancing integration policy and programs for newcomers — a broader incumbent whose member organizations deliver comparable community matching and integration services across Europe.

Emerging players

• Stichting Mentornetwerk Nederland: Dutch formal mentorship network for newcomers and job-seekers; comparable as a volunteer-driven peer matching organization addressing Dutch integration outcomes.
• Sidekick Foundation: Runs mentoring programs that pair newly arrived young migrants with volunteer mentors across European cities — overlapping with Buddy to Buddy's one-to-one mentorship model for newcomers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Buddy_to_Buddy
• Facebookfacebook.com/buddytobuddydeventer
• Instagraminstagram.com/buddyto.buddy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/buddytobuddy

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Buddy to Buddy Deventer