What Stichting Vso Nederland does

Stichting VSO Nederland (DBA: VSO) is a Dutch charitable foundation (stichting) headquartered in Utrecht that addresses marginalization and poverty in remote areas of Africa and Asia through programs in healthcare, education, work and income, and humanitarian aid. Its operating model centers on training and deploying local volunteers ("changemakers") from within beneficiary communities, supplemented by partnerships with established local organizations (HODI, CDCB, RSPN, ICDI, Taka Taka Solutions, Shecluded) to deliver culturally appropriate interventions on themes including sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence prevention, education access for refugees, youth employment, and peacebuilding in fragile border regions.

The foundation operates an eight-program portfolio that includes Education Cannot Wait in Pakistan (289,947 children reached, 55% girls, co-delivered with UNICEF), From Waste to Work in Kenya (658 sustainable jobs, IKEA Foundation-funded), Make Way across five East African countries (35,000+ youth in SRHR services), the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE, a seven-year program across 11 African and Middle Eastern countries co-financed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Speak It Loud in Zimbabwe, a Nepal gender-equality project, IPDHE cross-border peacebuilding on the Kenya-Ethiopia frontier, and the EU-funded G-PACT women's rights project in the Philippines. Technology is not a core competency; the product is human-capital deployment, training, and grant-funded program management rather than software or platforms.

Revenue is generated from three streams: individual donations (one-time and recurring gifts at €5–€75 levels, plus bequests and periodic giving), corporate partnerships, and institutional grants from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and foundations such as the IKEA Foundation. Distribution is dual-sided: donor acquisition runs through the vso.nl website, email newsletters, petitions, and corporate outreach, while program delivery runs through the field network of local changemakers and partner organizations. The organization holds Dutch ANBI status, complies with AVG/GDPR, and is accredited by CBF.

Name

Stichting Vso Nederland

Legal name

Stichting VSO Nederland

Website

https://vso.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stichting VSO Nederland is a Dutch charitable foundation that fights poverty in Africa and Asia by training and deploying local volunteer "changemakers" to deliver programs in healthcare, education, youth employment, gender equality, and humanitarian aid, funded through individual donations and institutional grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Access & Quality (International Development) (BPAGABAE), Cash & Voucher Assistance (CVA) and Emergency Livelihood Support (BPAGAAAJ), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH)

Keywords

• International development
• Humanitarian assistance
• Nonprofit foundation
• Donor fundraising
• Community development

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

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. Individual Donations: VSO generates revenue primarily through donations from individual supporters. Donors can give one-time or recurring (monthly) donations at various levels (€5, €10, €25, €50, €75). The organization also accepts periodic giving arrangements and bequests.
2. Corporate Partnerships: VSO partners with businesses for support, including donations and strategic partnerships. The organization offers companies opportunities to support their programs.
3. Institutional Funding: VSO receives funding from institutional donors including the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (for CFYE program), European Union (G-PACT project), and foundations such as the IKEA Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Stichting VSO Nederland is a Dutch non-profit foundation that funds and operates international development and humanitarian aid programs in remote areas of Africa and Asia through networks of trained local volunteers (changemakers). The organization delivers eight named programs across four thematic areas: humanitarian aid, healthcare, education, and work/income, with active initiatives in Pakistan (Education Cannot Wait), Kenya (From Waste to Work), East Africa (Make Way sexual/reproductive health), 11 countries across Africa and the Middle East (Challenge Fund for Youth Employment), Zimbabwe (Speak It Loud), Nepal (gender equality), the Kenya-Ethiopia border (IPDHE peacebuilding), and the Philippines (G-PACT women's rights).

Product overview

VSO Nederland is a charitable organization (Stichting) that operates multiple development and humanitarian aid programs focused on healthcare, education, work and income, and emergency relief. The organization works with local volunteers in Africa and Asia to address marginalization and poverty. Key programs include Education Cannot Wait (education for vulnerable children in Pakistan), From Waste to Work (jobs for youth in Kenya's waste sector), Make Way (sexual and reproductive health in East Africa), Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE - youth employment across Africa and Middle East), Speak It Loud (gender-based violence prevention in Zimbabwe), the Nepal gender equality project, IPDHE peacebuilding in Kenya/Ethiopia, and G-PACT women's rights in the Philippines. Funding comes primarily from donations and institutional donors including the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and EU.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VSO: International development organization working on education, healthcare, employment, and humanitarian aid in Africa and Asia
• Make Way
• Speak It Loud
• From Waste to Work
• G-PACT
• Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE)
• IPDHE
• Education Cannot Wait

Products and services

• Education Cannot Wait

Quantifiable outcome

• 37,440 vulnerable children reached through learning centers
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Taka Taka Solutions (TTS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTaka Taka Solutions partners with VSO on the From Waste to Work project in Kenya, helping to improve working conditions and income for waste pickers through waste collection and recycling support.
• Stichting International Child Development Initiatives (ICDI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICDI collaborates with VSO on the From Waste to Work project, contributing to child development initiatives and supporting vulnerable youth in Kenya's waste sector.
• Horn of Africa Development Initiative (HODI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHODI is a local peace organization in Kenya working with VSO on the IPDHE project to build peace in the border region between Kenya and Ethiopia.
• The Center for Development and Capacity Building (CDCB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDCB partners with VSO in Ethiopia to implement the IPDHE peacebuilding program in the border region between Ethiopia and Kenya.
• PalladiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPalladium is a partner in the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE), a seven-year program supporting local initiatives to create decent jobs for youth in Africa and the Middle East.
• RandstadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRandstad partners with VSO on the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE), helping create employment opportunities for vulnerable youth.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNICEF partners with VSO on the Education Cannot Wait project in Pakistan, providing education access for 32,400 vulnerable children including refugees and children with disabilities.
• Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRSPN collaborates with VSO on the Education Cannot Wait project in Pakistan, supporting education access for vulnerable children.
• ShecludedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShecluded is a partner under CFYE in Nigeria, helping young women access employment, skills, and economic independence through financial inclusion.

Scale indicators33 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Plan International Netherlands: Dutch affiliate of Plan International focused on girls' rights, education, and child protection. Closely comparable on gender equality, SRHR, and education programming across Africa and Asia.
• Hivos: Dutch international development NGO focused on equality, climate, and civic rights. Direct peer sharing the Dutch funding ecosystem, multi-country operating model, and rights-based programming.
• Save the Children Netherlands: Dutch affiliate of a major global child-rights NGO. Direct peer given VSO's significant education and child-protection portfolio (Education Cannot Wait, child marriage campaigns).
• CARE Nederland: Dutch arm of CARE International with comparable focus on women's economic empowerment, humanitarian response, and gender programming in similar operating geographies.
• Oxfam Novib: Largest Dutch international development and humanitarian NGO. Direct peer with overlapping programmatic themes (women's rights, food security, education) and the same Dutch individual-donor and institutional-funder ecosystem.
• War Child Holland: Dutch NGO supporting children affected by armed conflict. Direct peer on child protection, education-in-emergencies, and operating in conflict-affected geographies.
• World Vision Netherlands: Dutch affiliate of World Vision, a child-focused development and humanitarian NGO. Direct peer given shared focus on education access for vulnerable children and sponsorship-based fundraising.
• ICCO Cooperation: Dutch cooperative for development working on food security, climate resilience, and economic empowerment. Direct peer sharing Dutch institutional funders and similar grassroots volunteer-driven delivery models.
• Cordaid: Dutch Catholic development organization with comparable programming in fragile states, healthcare, and economic empowerment. Highly comparable scale, donor mix (Dutch MoFA), and operational geographies (Africa).

Broad incumbents

• UNICEF Netherlands: Dutch national committee for UNICEF. Broader incumbent that is both a current VSO partner (Education Cannot Wait) and a larger, more diversified institutional actor competing for the same donor funds.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vso-nederland

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stichting Vso Nederland