Stichting Fonkel

What Stichting Fonkel does

Stichting Fonkel is a Dutch charitable foundation (stichting), established in 2013 under the original name Stichting Onky Donky and rebranded in December 2022, that provides organized day experiences for children aged 3-12 who face limitations due to physical or intellectual disabilities, chronic illness, poverty, difficult family situations, terminal illness of a parent, or residence in family replacement homes. The foundation operates Het Fonkelhuis, a purpose-built accessible facility located within Ouwehands Dierenpark zoo in Rhenen, Netherlands, equipped with a changing room for older children, a snoezelruimte (sensory room), a wheelchair, and a bolderkar. Each Fonkeldag accommodates approximately 4-5 families (~20 guests) for a fully organized carefree day including zoo entry (sponsored by Ouwehands Dierenpark), lunch, activities, a goodie bag, and an animal diploma; the foundation serves roughly 2,000 guests annually with a stated target of over 3,000.

The core product is the Fonkeldag experience delivered from the Fonkelhuis, supported by a referral-based distribution network of approximately 65 partner organizations—including Stichting VOKK, Stichting Down Syndroom, Erasmus MC-Sophia Kinderziekenhuis, Handicap NL, Ronald McDonald Huis, and Prinses Maxima Centrum—that identify and refer eligible children and families. One Fonkeldag per month is reserved for private family registrations not connected to a partner organization. The foundation is operated by a small office team of three part-time staff (including an Operational Coordinator, Roby Beusink) and approximately 50 volunteers, with no proprietary technology platform; the technology footprint is limited to the physical Fonkelhuis infrastructure, the stichtingfonkel.nl website, social media accounts on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and a Kentaa-powered school fundraising platform.

The foundation is funded entirely through donations and sponsorships rather than commercial transactions. Revenue streams include individual donations (one-time, monthly, and legacy), corporate sponsorships structured as Huisvriend memberships at €500/year or full Fonkeldag sponsorships at €2,500, event-based fundraising (benefiet diners, charity pub quizzes, tennis tournaments, marathons, and corporate-organized activities), school action campaigns (Scholenactie), and named funds (Fonds op Naam). The organization holds ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling) status, making donations tax-deductible for Dutch taxpayers, with RSIN 852629564 and KVK 57553289. Marketing relies on a mix of community-led and event-driven GTM motions: a referral/ambassador network that includes celebrity ambassadors (Hans and Sofie Kraay Jr., Fernando Halman, Dani Apeldoorn, Kim-Lian van der Meij), earned media and PR appearances (SBS6 Marble Mania, royal visit from Prinses Margriet), digital channels (website, newsletter, social), and recurring events including the Spijkerbroeken Gala, which raised €172,500 in November 2019.

Name

Stichting Fonkel

Legal name

Stichting Fonkel

Website

https://stichtingfonkel.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stichting Fonkel is a Dutch non-profit foundation operating Het Fonkelhuis inside Ouwehands Dierenpark zoo in Rhenen. It delivers free, fully organized carefree day experiences (Fonkeldagen) to children aged 3-12 facing disabilities, chronic illness, poverty, or difficult family circumstances, funded by donations and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Charity and Disability Support Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Needs & Accessible Travel Services (Local DMC) (THAKAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

F&B Experiences & Group Dining (Restaurant Buyouts, Tastings, Catering Coordination) (THAHADAI), Venue & Special Event Site Sourcing (Unique Venues, Permitting) (THAHADAE)

Keywords

• Children's charity services
• Charitable foundation
• Disability support programs
• Family day experiences
• Donation fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Rhenen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and monthly donations from individuals. Children are always free; a contribution is requested from adults/guardians for privately registered families. Donations can be made via Tikkie payment link.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Businesses can become 'Huisvriend' (House Friend) for €500/year or sponsor a full Fonkeldag for €2,500. Corporate partners provide services in-kind or at reduced rates. Annual partnership and sponsorship tiers are available.
3. Event Fundraising: Fundraising through organized events including benefiet diners, charity pub quizzes, sports tournaments (tennis, walking), and corporate-organized activities. Revenue from ticket sales, auction items, and participant fundraising.
4. Fonds op Naam (Named Fund): Donors can establish a named fund at the foundation, allowing targeted impact on specific social causes aligned with their personal vision and values.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Stichting Fonkel operates Het Fonkelhuis, an accessible facility inside Ouwehands Dierenpark in Rhenen, Netherlands, where it delivers Fonkeldagen — fully organized, free carefree day experiences for children aged 3-12 who are limited in being children due to physical or intellectual disability, chronic illness, poverty, or difficult family circumstances. Each Fonkeldag welcomes approximately 4-5 families (~20 guests) and includes zoo entry, lunch, activities, a goodie bag, and a diploma, with the Fonkelhuis serving as a safe sensory-friendly home base.

Product overview

Stichting Fonkel is a charitable foundation that operates Het Fonkelhuis (The Sparkle House), a specialized facility located within Ouwehands Dierenpark in Rhenen, Netherlands. The organization offers Fonkeldagen (Sparkle Days) - fully organized day trips for children aged 3-12 who are limited in being children due to disability, chronic illness, poverty, or difficult family situations. The core offering combines Het Fonkelhuis (the facility with special amenities) with Fonkeldagen (the day experience), supplemented by donation programs, a school action fundraising platform, and a referral network of 65 partner organizations. The foundation was established in 2013 (originally as Stichting Onky Donky) and rebranded to Stichting Fonkel in 2022.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Het Fonkelhuis (The Sparkle House) An accessible facility located inside Ouwehands Dierenpark featuring a changing room for older children, a quiet snoezelruimte sensory room, wheelchair, and bolderkar. Serves as the safe home base where visiting families can play, eat, relax, and rest during a Fonkeldag.
• Fonkeldag (Sparkle Day)

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 2,000 children and their families receive a carefree Fonkeldag per year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, secondary and core.

• Rotaryclub Oosterbeek-KabeljauwminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Annual fundraising tour selecting a different good cause each year; chose Stichting Fonkel as beneficiary for 2024.
• Prinses Maxima Centrum voor KinderoncologiesecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaboration to host Fonkeldagen for Ukrainian children with cancer being treated at Prinses Maxima Centrum.
• Ketting van BallonnenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Youth cycling challenge (350 km) for childhood cancer survivors. The Fonkelhuis served as the first stop for the cycling tour, hosting survivors who gave Kanjerketting beads to children at the Fonkeldag.
• Stichting DroomdagsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaboration between Stichting Droomdag, Fonkel, and Drive for Life to create an unforgettable day for children with a seriously ill parent. Fonkel provides the venue and organizes the day at Ouwehands Dierenpark.
• Drive for LifesecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Joint organizer of special family days for children with a seriously ill parent. Drive for Life provides spectacular car transport for families, while Fonkel hosts at the Fonkelhuis.
• Level Consultancy (Veenendaal)secondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Level Consultancy, a local government consulting firm, became Partner and Huisvriend of Stichting Fonkel. They support through various actions and represent the foundation in their professional network.
• KeepersactionminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Goalkeeper school that donates a portion of each enrollment to Stichting Fonkel. At their annual event, a €750 cheque was presented to the foundation.
• Ouwehands DierenparkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Fonkelhuis is located inside Ouwehands Dierenpark in Rhenen, with its own entrance and parking. The zoo sponsors free entry for all Fonkeldag guests, provides venue infrastructure, and hosts the foundation's benefiet events in the Jungle restaurant.
• Stichting VOKK (Kinderen met kanker)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner organization that identifies and refers children with cancer and their families for Fonkeldagen.
• Stichting Down SyndroomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for children with Down syndrome.
• Stichting VKS (Stofwisselingsziekten)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for children with metabolic diseases.
• Erasmus MC-Sophia KinderziekenhuiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for children undergoing long-term hospital treatment.
• Handicap NLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for children with physical or multiple disabilities.
• Ronald McDonald Huis KinderencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for families of chronically ill children staying at Ronald McDonald houses.
• Vereniging Kinder Kanker NederlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for children with cancer, including Ukrainian children referred through Prinses Maxima Centrum.
• Stichting De Blauwe HutsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for families in long-term care-intensive situations, based in Rhenen. Families staying at De Blauwe Hut receive a Fonkeldag as part of their respite package.
• Kim-Lian van der MeijsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerAuthor of the Dierendorpje children's book series and Good Friend (Goede Vriend) of Stichting Fonkel. Reads to children at Fonkeldagen, sings songs, and donates proceeds from book sales to the foundation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stichting KIKA (Kinderen Kanker Vrij): Broader incumbent: large Dutch foundation funding childhood cancer research; overlaps with Fonkel's referral base (cancer-affected children). Comparable ANBI fundraising infrastructure and Dutch donor base, though focused on research rather than direct experiences.
• Stichting Het Vergeten Kind: Broader incumbent: large Dutch charity focused on children growing up in unsafe or broken family situations — a population Fonkel also serves. Comparable fundraising scale and ANBI structure, but with a much wider program portfolio.

Direct peers

• Stichting CliniClowns: Direct peer: well-known Dutch charity delivering in-person experiences to hospitalized and chronically ill children. Comparable donor base, ANBI status, and child-illness mission; differs in delivery modality (hospital visits vs. venue-based day).
• Stichting Make-A-Wish Nederland: Direct peer: Dutch charity granting wishes and special experiences to children with serious medical conditions. Comparable beneficiary population (chronically ill children), referral-driven model, and event/corporate fundraising approach.
• Villa Pardoes: Direct peer: Dutch vacation village providing free short-stay experiences for seriously ill children and their families. Similar target population and full-service experience delivery, though operated as multi-day stays rather than single-day outings.
• Stichting Opkikker: Direct peer: organizes special 'Opkikkerdagen' for families with a chronically ill child in the Netherlands. Closely comparable program model (organized VIP day experiences), donor structure, and target beneficiary.
• Stichting Droomdag: Direct peer: Dutch foundation organizing dream-day experiences for children with a seriously ill parent. Explicitly named as a Fonkel collaboration partner (2022) and shares the model of organized special-day experiences with corporate/charity coordination.

Emerging players

• Drive for Life: Emerging peer: Dutch charity providing spectacular transport experiences for children with serious illness; named Fonkel partner (2022). Partial overlap in experience-day delivery for vulnerable children, complementary rather than directly competitive.

Regional players

• Stichting Hartekind: Regional/Dutch peer: foundation focused on children with congenital heart disease. Shares the Dutch ANBI fundraising model and target group of chronically ill children, though specialized to a single condition versus Fonkel's broader beneficiary pool.

Others

• Ronald McDonald Huis Kinderen: Adjacent ecosystem participant: provides accommodation for families of hospitalized children; explicit Fonkel referral partner. Comparable ANBI status and donor recognition structure, but operates accommodation rather than day-experiences.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/stichtingfonkel
• TikToktiktok.com/@stichtingfonkel
• Facebookfacebook.com/StichtingFonkel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stichtingfonkel

Compliance1 record

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 Stichting Fonkel