Serve The City

What Serve The City does

Serve The City is a Belgian non-profit association (ASBL/VZW) founded in 2005 and headquartered in Ixelles, Brussels, that mobilizes volunteers and coordinates community service projects serving people in need. Its core offering is the ServeNow platform — a mobile application (iOS/Android) complemented by a web application — that enables volunteers to discover projects, register for shifts, contact project leaders, and track their activities. The organization operates recurring weekly projects across Brussels neighborhoods targeting the homeless, asylum seekers, elderly, disabled individuals, children in need, and victims of abuse; flagship programs include Street Kindness, Big Volunteer Week, the European Solidarity Corps placements, and the second-hand English book sales.

The business model is a hybrid of philanthropic and fee-based revenue. Individual donations (one-time and monthly) form the philanthropic backbone, enhanced by a 30% Belgian tax reduction for donations of €40 or more. Corporate volunteering programs generate fee-based revenue: companies pay for organized team-building activities with quote-based pricing tied to group size (up to 20 people: 1 month lead time; up to 50: 2 months; larger: 3 months) plus 10–25% cancellation fees. Additional revenue streams include fundraising events (Pub Quizzes at €5/person minimum, book sales at €1/cm), corporate partnerships (40 active partners), limited government subsidies, and grants from institutional funders such as UPS Foundation, Toyota Mobility Foundation, and the National Bank of Belgium. Distribution is mixed: the ServeNow app/web for self-serve individual volunteer acquisition, direct sales for corporate CSR programs, and the Benevity platform integration for corporate partner hours tracking. In 2024 the organization mobilized 3,125 volunteers contributing 32,969 hours of service across Brussels, Leuven, and Wavre, and partnered with Community Kitchen to distribute over 280,000 meals. In October 2025, with Toyota Mobility Foundation support, ServeNow was open-sourced, repositioning the platform as a free global infrastructure layer for cities and organizations.

Name

Serve The City

Legal name

Serve the City ASBL

Website

https://servethecity.brussels

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Serve The City is a Brussels-based non-profit (ASBL) founded in 2005 that mobilizes volunteers to serve vulnerable populations including the homeless, asylum seekers, elderly, and disabled across Belgium, using its ServeNow mobile and web platform to coordinate 3,000+ volunteers and 40 corporate partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Volunteer Mobilization & Community Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Volunteer management platform
• Community service programs
• Corporate volunteering services
• Nonprofit volunteer mobilization
• Charity donation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Ixelles

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Financial donations from individuals, available as one-time or monthly contributions. Donors in Belgium receive 30% tax reduction for donations of 40€ or more (valid until at least 2031).
2. Corporate Volunteering Programs: Companies pay for organized corporate volunteering team-building activities. Revenue covers event organization, supplies, and supports general operations. Cancellations within 15 working days incur 10% fee; within 5 working days incur 25% fee.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with 40 corporate partners who support through employee volunteering programs and financial contributions.
4. Fundraising Events: Revenue from events such as Pub Quizzes (5€ minimum per person) and Second Hand Book Sales where books are sold at 1€ per centimeter.
5. Government Subsidies: Limited governmental subsidies supplement the organization's funding, though the majority of activities are funded through donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Serve The City Brussels is a values-based non-profit that mobilizes individual and corporate volunteers to deliver community service projects supporting people in need (homeless, asylum seekers, elderly, disabled, children, and abuse victims). Its flagship offering is ServeNow — a mobile and web volunteer management platform (open-sourced in 2025) that connects volunteers to weekly projects, the annual Big Volunteer Week, European Solidarity Corps placements, and paid corporate team-building volunteering programs in Brussels, Leuven, and Wavre.

Product overview

Serve the City Brussels is a values-based volunteering nonprofit that operates primarily through its ServeNow platform — a volunteer management system comprising a mobile app (iOS/Android) and web application. The platform connects volunteers with community projects including weekly initiatives (street kindness, food distribution, elderly care, education support), an annual Big Volunteer Week, and corporate volunteering programs. Additional offerings include the European Solidarity Corps youth program, financial donation processing, and the Serving Stories podcast. The organization served 3,125 volunteers contributing 32,969 hours in 2024 across Brussels, Leuven, and Wavre.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ServeNow: Mobile and web application for volunteers to discover projects, register for shifts, contact project leaders, and cancel registrations. The app went open source in 2025.

Products and services

• ServeNow Volunteer Platform Mobile (iOS/Android) and web application that allows volunteers to discover projects, register for shifts, contact project leaders, and manage their volunteering activities. Available as a freely usable platform that went open source in October 2025.
• Big Volunteer Week Annual week-long series of volunteering opportunities held around Brussels, featuring practical projects, social activities, food outreach, and sustainable projects attracting hundreds of volunteers from around the world, typically held end of June/beginning of July.
• Corporate Volunteering Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,125 volunteers contributing 32,969 hours of service in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Toyota Mobility FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Supported ServeNow going open source in October 2025, improving accessibility, adding multilingual features, and creating a browser-based version. Toyota Motor Europe has partnered with Serve the City since 2005, providing employee volunteering, logistics, and practical help including a fully electric Proace van in 2023.
• IntyscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPro bono consulting collaboration helping Serve the City restructure organizational models, define roles and responsibilities using tools like RACI matrix, and build more robust systems. Consultants sit with team members to understand challenges and provide strategic guidance.
• Community KitchencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCritical partnership enabling distribution of over 280,000 meals in 2024, supporting Serve the City's food security mission.
• 40 Corporate PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partners supporting through employee volunteering programs in 2024, providing crucial on-the-ground assistance across various projects.
• Move2ImpactminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for 20km Brussels running event where teams can register and support Serve the City.
• Vineyard BrusselsminorOthersHost venue for Second Hand English Book Sale events, providing indoor location for the charity book sale.
• Hub HumanitaireminorOthersReferral partner for clothing donations not accepted by Serve the City.
• USquareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOffice complex housing Serve the City's new headquarters, part of a vibrant community of NGOs fostering collaboration and shared purpose.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Food Banks Belgium / Fédération Belge des Banques Alimentaires: Belgian food bank federation addressing food insecurity; comparable in meal distribution outcomes and volunteer-driven operations in the same geography.
• Volunteer Ireland: Ireland's national volunteer matching organization; comparable mission and platform-based volunteer mobilization, though focused on the Irish market.
• GoVolunteer (by Volunteering Australia): Regional volunteer matching platform in Australia; comparable model of online volunteer discovery and project registration, though serving a different geography.

Direct peers

• Idealist (Action Without Borders): Global nonprofit matching platform for volunteering and jobs in the social sector; competes in the same volunteer-discovery and engagement category as ServeNow.
• VolunteerMatch: US-based online platform connecting volunteers with nonprofits; directly comparable as a technology-enabled volunteer mobilization and matching service.
• Catchafire: Skills-based volunteering platform connecting professionals with nonprofits; directly comparable in matching individual volunteers (especially with pro bono skills) to community projects.

Broad incumbents

• Points of Light: Large US-based nonprofit focused on volunteer service and civic engagement; comparable mission and corporate volunteering programs, though at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Habitat for Humanity International: Global nonprofit mobilizing volunteers for community service and housing-related work; comparable volunteer-driven service model and global chapter structure.
• Benevity: Enterprise CSR and employee volunteering platform already integrated with Serve the City; comparable in enabling corporate volunteer hour tracking and nonprofit discovery.

Emerging players

• iVolunteer: Volunteer matching platform in India with corporate volunteering programs; comparable in combining individual and corporate volunteer mobilization, though operating in an emerging market context.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/STCLimerick
• GitHubgithub.com/servethecity
• Facebookfacebook.com/stcbrussels
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stcbelgium

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Serve The City