What Verre Naasten does

Verre Naasten is a Dutch mission organization (Vereniging Verre Naasten), headquartered in Zwolle, that connects Dutch Protestant churches with partner churches in more than 30 countries across South America, South and Southeast Asia, East, Central, West and Southern Africa, Eastern and Western Europe. Founded in 1972 as Evangelisatie & Recreatie (E&R), it operates through 11 Regional Cooperation Associations (RSV) — including India Mission, Kenya Mission, Indonesia Mission, Utrecht Mission (Central Africa), West-Africa Mission, South Africa Mission, Groningen Mission, Drenthe Mission, Rijnmond Mission, and Ukraine Mission — that serve as both members of the parent association and the operational delivery vehicles for field programs in church planting, theological education, evangelism, diaconal projects, and emergency aid. Since 2017 the organization has also supported domestic mission projects in the Netherlands.

The portfolio is non-commercial and centers on mission coordination and engagement programs rather than products or technology. Key offerings include the renewed Verre Naasten Magazine, the Saecret youth city game, school programs (IMPACT, Mission Maatjes), the Lume women's movement, the Missieloket service point for local churches (operated with Kerkpunt), the Studiefonds Kerkleiders scholarship fund, and short-term Inspiratieplekken volunteer placements. Digital infrastructure is limited to a content/CMS website, an iDEAL-enabled donation system, and the Droomplatform for project-specific giving.

The business model is donation-based. Verre Naasten holds ANBI status (Belastingdienst) and CBF-Erkenning, making donations tax-deductible; revenue streams are individual one-time and recurring gifts, multi-year schenkingsovereenkomst agreements, and legacy/bequest giving (Nalatenschap). Approximately 1,000 volunteers support roughly 25 paid staff (20.5 FTE as of 2022). Distribution runs through Dutch church networks (RSV), school programs, world church services (wereldkerkdiensten), conferences, webinars, and direct online donation funnels. The organization does not receive government subsidies, has no external investors, and discloses financials only in annual reports.

Name

Verre Naasten

Legal name

Vereniging Verre Naasten

Website

https://verrenaasten.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Verre Naasten is a Dutch Protestant mission association based in Zwolle that connects Dutch churches with partner churches across 30+ countries via 11 regional mission networks. It funds church planting, theological education, and relief work through tax-deductible donations, supported by ~25 staff and ~1,000 volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Mission and Charitable Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Federated Giving Organizations (e.g., United Way-type) (BPAGAKAG), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Mission organization services
• Religious charity fundraising
• Church partnership programs
• Donation-based nonprofit
• Volunteer mission coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Zwolle

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Gifts: Primary revenue stream from individual donors, churches, and organizations who make one-time or recurring donations. Donations are tax-deductible due to ANBI status. Options include iDEAL, bank authorization (machtiging), and donation agreements (schenkingsovereenkomst) for committed giving.
2. Bequests and Legacies: Legacy giving through wills and estates. The organization promotes leaving a bequest to Verre Naasten as part of one's inheritance planning.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Verre Naasten is a Dutch mission association that connects churches in the Netherlands with partner churches across more than 30 countries through Regional Cooperation Associations (RSV). It mobilizes approximately 1,000 volunteers and a paid staff of about 25 to coordinate financial support, training, prayer, and operational projects for worldwide partner churches, while engaging Dutch churches, schools, and individual donors through programs such as regional mission groups, the Verre Naasten Magazine, the Saecret youth city game, Missieloket, the Studiefonds Kerkleiders scholarship fund, the Lume women's movement, school curricula, world church services, and structured donation programs.

Product overview

Verre Naasten is a national mission organization that connects Dutch churches with partner churches worldwide to share faith globally. The organization's product portfolio centers on its core mission coordination and support services, including regional mission groups supporting churches across multiple continents (Africa, Asia, Europe, South America), supplemented by engagement programs like the Verre Naasten Magazine publication, the Saecret youth city game, and donation platforms (Droomplatform). Key support services include the Studiefonds Kerkleiders scholarship program, Missieloket for local church support, Lume women's initiative, and various giving programs (one-time and recurring donations, legacy giving, donation agreements). The organization also provides school programs, volunteer opportunities through Inspiratieplekken, and organizes world church services (Wereldkerkdiensten). The entire ecosystem is supported by an online donation infrastructure and newsletter communications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lume: A global movement for women sharing the same mission: sharing faith worldwide. Website: wijzijnlume.nl
• Saecret
• Missieloket
• Verre Naasten Magazine

Products and services

• Verre Naasten Magazine A subscription magazine publication from Verre Naasten that shares stories from the worldwide church to encourage Dutch Christians to participate in mission work.
• Saecret (Youth City Game) An interactive city game designed to engage youth groups (ages 12 and up) with missionary themes. Played at multiple locations across the Netherlands.
• Missieloket A support service point operated jointly with Kerkpunt that helps Dutch local churches fulfill their missionary calling by sharing God's liberating message through words and deeds.
• Studiefonds Kerkleiders (Church Leader Scholarship Fund) A scholarship program that sponsors theological students to become church leaders, providing financial support for theological education to strengthen churches worldwide.
• Droomplatform (Dreams Platform) An online donation platform at droom.verrenaasten.nl where supporters can donate to specific dreams and projects of worldwide partners, making donations targeted and visible.
• Lume A movement of light for women worldwide, initiated (aanjager) by Verre Naasten, with the shared mission of sharing faith globally.
• School Programs (Scholen) Educational programs for primary and secondary Dutch schools that include IMPACT lesson materials, Mission Maatjes, and student action opportunities to engage with mission work.
• World Church Services (Wereldkerkdiensten) Organized world church services that bring together international church communities, with services scheduled for 2026.
• Nalatenschap Program (Legacy Giving) A giving program that enables supporters to leave a bequest to Verre Naasten in their will, with information and personal guidance from staff.
• Schenkingsovereenkomst (Multi-Year Donation Agreement) A structured donation program where donors commit to regular donations for a minimum of five years, with tax benefits available through ANBI status.
• Inspiratieplekken (Inspiration Places) Short-term volunteer experiences through which enthusiastic Christians visit international partners to participate in their activities and share experiences upon return.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Micah NetworkcoreOthersVerre Naasten is a member of Micah Network, an international community of Christian organizations committed to integral mission.
• Micha NederlandcoreOthersMember of Micha Nederland, a network of Christian organizations focused on justice and mission.
• Vereniging PrismacoreOthersMember of Vereniging Prisma, a network of Protestant Christian organizations for communication and mission.
• Nederlandse ZendingsraadcoreOthersMember of the Dutch Missionary Council, coordinating missionary work among Dutch organizations.
• Kerkpunt (Missieloket)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration through Missieloket to support local churches in their missionary calling, helping them share God's liberating message in word and deed.
• LumeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLume is a movement of light for women worldwide. Verre Naasten is the initiator (aanjager) of this movement, sharing the same mission: sharing faith worldwide.
• ING BankminorOthersPrimary banking partner for regular transactions, direct debits, and international payments.
• Triodos BankminorOthersSustainable banking partner where part of the organization's savings are deposited, given Triodos' focus on sustainable investments.
• Regional Church Networks (multiple RSV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional cooperation frameworks including India Mission, Indonesia Mission, Kenya Mission, Utrecht Mission, West-Africa Mission, South Africa Mission, Groningen Mission, Drenthe Mission, Rijnmond Mission, and Ukraine Mission. All RSV organizations are members of the Verre Naasten association.
• SOEGGminorOthersA reformed foundation that collects and distributes medical supplies in Eastern Europe, providing hospital beds for the Recovery+ project in Ukraine.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ZOA: Dutch Christian relief and refugee aid organization with field operations in conflict zones (Ukraine, DRC, Syria, Ethiopia). Operates with a similar Dutch-donor funding model via ANBI/CBF and engages churches as a key distribution channel, overlapping substantially with Verre Naasten's footprint.
• Red een Kind: Dutch Christian child sponsorship and community development NGO, working in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Comparable scale and donor model: ANBI-registered, individual and church fundraising, child-and-family framing of missionary impact.
• Compassion Nederland: Dutch arm of Compassion International, running child sponsorship programs funded by Dutch donors through churches and individuals. Comparable in mission framing (church-driven, ANBI-registered, individual giving model) though focused on child sponsorship rather than church partnership.
• Tear Netherlands: Dutch member of the Tearfund alliance, mobilizing Dutch Christians against poverty through church-based fundraising and global project partnerships. Directly comparable operating model and donor demographic to Verre Naasten.
• YWAM (Youth With A Mission) Netherlands: Global evangelical mission movement with Dutch operations focusing on discipleship training, mobilization of young people, and short-term mission trips. Similar youth-engagement and volunteer-mobilization model to Verre Naasten's Saecret and Inspiratieplekken programs.
• Dorcas: Dutch faith-based NGO providing emergency aid, recovery, and structural development across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Sourced from individual Dutch donors, churches, and businesses. Broader in scope than Verre Naasten but operates on the same ANBI/CBF fundraising model and Dutch donor base.

Direct peers

• Woord en Daad: Dutch Reformed (Gereformeerd) Christian development organization funding education, economic development, and healthcare projects internationally. Comparable as a Dutch ANBI-registered faith-based NGO that mobilizes Dutch Reformed donors and supports partner organizations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• Kerk in Actie: Dutch Protestant mission and aid arm of the Protestantse Kerk in Nederland (PKN). Operates the same connecting-churches model as Verre Naasten: linking Dutch congregations with overseas partner churches and coordinating donations through ANBI-recognized programs. The most direct Dutch comparator.
• SIM Nederland: Dutch branch of the international Serving In Mission network. Directly comparable as a Dutch-rooted evangelical sending agency placing missionaries and partnering with churches worldwide, with similar ANBI fundraising and multi-country field operations.

Others

• Mercy Ships Nederland: Dutch Christian charity providing hospital ships serving West Africa. Indirect peer: similar Dutch evangelical donor base, ANBI funding infrastructure, and African field presence, but specialized in medical missions rather than church partnership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/deverrenaasten
• Facebookfacebook.com/verrenaasten
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/verre-naasten
• Instagraminstagram.com/verre.naasten

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries12 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 Verre Naasten