What Stichting Balans does

Stichting Balans is a Dutch non-profit welfare organization (stichting) established around 1998 and registered in the Netherlands with ANBI status. It serves as the primary welfare organization for the municipalities of Soest and Soesterberg, delivering social-cultural programs across youth work, adult support, volunteer coordination, and environmental education. The organization operates approximately 25 paid staff (mostly part-time) across eight physical locations, including the Kinderboerderij De Veenweide children's farm facility which serves 28,500 visitors annually with 2,300 opening hours.

The organization delivers a portfolio of integrated social programs: Join Us (youth loneliness prevention for ages 12-25), Buro Vrijwilligerswerk (volunteer matching and organizational support), MAATjesWERK (mentorship for psychologically vulnerable individuals), NME Soest (nature and environmental education across 18 primary schools), Eco Escape House (educational sustainability program), and Eco-Schools certification guidance. The Kinderboerderij De Veenweide serves as a unique educational anchor combining animal care with nature education. All three schools programs (SBO, SVO, and regular basisscholen) in Soest and Soesterberg participate in the NME program.

Stichting Balans generates revenue primarily through municipal subsidies from Gemeente Soest, supplemented by participant contributions, corporate sponsorships (Albert Heijn, Rabobank, Oranje Fonds), and occasional grants from housing corporation Portaal and Provincie Utrecht. Specific financial figures are not publicly disclosed. The organization is governed by a voluntary supervisory board chaired by Ellen Huberts, with day-to-day operations led by Director Jan Buijze and Operational Coordinator Karin Tukker. No private equity, venture capital, or parent company ownership is indicated; the entity operates independently as a community-based welfare provider.

Name

Stichting Balans

Legal name

Stichting Balans

Website

https://stichtingbalans.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stichting Balans is a Dutch non-profit welfare organization serving the municipalities of Soest and Soesterberg with youth programs, adult support, volunteer coordination, and environmental education through the Kinderboerderij De Veenweide facility and eight locations, primarily funded by municipal subsidies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Welfare and Community Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Social welfare services
• Youth community programs
• Volunteer coordination services
• Nature environmental education
• Community outreach programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Soest

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Municipal Subsidy: Primary funding from Gemeente Soest (municipality of Soest) to support social-cultural activities, facility operations (including opening of facilities like the Kinderboerderij), and community support programs.
2. Participant Contributions: Some activities are paid by participants themselves, where capacity and time permit.
3. Third-party Funding: Occasional activities developed at request of housing corporation Portaal, and use of opportunities provided by province Utrecht or various funds.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Stichting Balans is a community welfare organization (welzijnsorganisatie) for the municipalities of Soest and Soesterberg in the Netherlands. It delivers social-cultural activities, youth work (ages 4-25), adult community support, volunteer matching services through Buro Vrijwilligerswerk, nature and environmental education at the Kinderboerderij De Veenweide facility, and mentorship programs (MAATjesWERK, Join Us) targeting social isolation and community connection. Primary funding is municipal subsidy from Gemeente Soest.

Product overview

Stichting Balans operates as a unified non-profit welfare organization offering a portfolio of social, educational, and community services for residents of Soest and Soesterberg. The core offerings include youth support programs (Join Us for lonely youth, Zomerbus summer activities), volunteer services (Buro Vrijwilligerswerk with MAATjesWERK mentoring), and environmental education (Kinderboerderij De Veenweide serving as a sustainable educational center). The Kinderboerderij De Veenweide facility anchors the educational mission, offering nature and environmental education (NME) with 18 lesson topics and the Eco Escape House experience, while Eco-Schools guidance helps schools achieve sustainability certification. The organization functions as a single integrated non-profit entity rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kinderboerderij De Veenweide: A sustainable educational center and children's farm located in Soest, offering animal care, educational activities, and nature experiences for visitors and school groups.
• Buro Vrijwilligerswerk
• MAATjesWERK
• Join Us
• NME Soest (Natuur- en Milieueducatie)
• Eco Escape House
• Eco-Schools

Products and services

• Join Us Youth loneliness prevention program for residents of Soest and Soesterberg aged 12-25. Join Us brings young people into contact with peers through biweekly group meetings (two groups ages 12-18 and one group ages 18-25) and helps them develop social skills to address chronic loneliness, which affects 8% of Dutch youth in this age bracket.
• Kinderboerderij De Veenweide
• Natuur- en Milieueducatie (NME) Soest Nature and environmental education program offering 18 lesson topics for primary school groups 1-8, covering energy, climate, recycling, animals, nature, ecology, senses, and nutrition. Delivered to 18 schools plus 1 SBO and 1 SVO in Soest and Soesterberg, totaling 500 hours of school programming annually.
• Eco Escape House Educational escape room experience developed with Escape Gifts that teaches children about sustainable energy through puzzles and challenges in a miniature house model. Part of the NME program offering didactic concept teaching children about sustainable choices in their own living environment.
• Eco-Schools Begeleiding Certified process guidance service helping primary schools achieve the international Eco-Schools sustainability certification (Eco-Schools keurmerk). Delivered by Balans staff certified in the Eco-Schools methodology.
• Buro Vrijwilligerswerk Volunteer matching and support service for the Soest and Soesterberg community. Connects volunteers with local associations, foundations, and clubs; assists with volunteer vacancies, organizational insurance, contracts, and societal internships (maatschappelijke stages).
• MAATjesWERK One-on-one mentorship project pairing volunteer 'maatjes' (buddies) with people who have psychiatric backgrounds or psychological vulnerabilities in Soest and Soesterberg. Promotes well-being through companionship and social connection for socially isolated adults.
• Zomerbus Overhees Summer youth activity program part of the Jongerenwerk summer agenda, providing scheduled youth programming during the school summer holiday period in the Overhees area of Soest.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 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 minor, moderate and core.

• Albert HeijnminorOthersSupporter/sponsor of Vrienden van Balans (Friends of Balans), contributing to the organization's funding base.
• RabobankminorOthersSupporter/sponsor of Vrienden van Balans (Friends of Balans), providing financial support.
• Nationaal Militair MuseumminorOthersSupporter/sponsor and location partner for volunteer cafes in Soest.
• Oranje FondsminorOthersSupporter/sponsor of Vrienden van Balans.
• Portaal (Woningcorporatie)moderateOthersHousing corporation that sometimes requests Balans to develop activities. A key stakeholder in the community.
• Gemeente SoestcoreOthersPrimary municipal funder and main client. Provides subsidy for Balans to support (social-cultural) activities and operate facilities like the Kinderboerderij.
• Escape GiftsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed the Eco Escape House educational program with Stichting Balans. Created a didactic concept teaching children about sustainable choices in their own living environment.
• Provincie UtrechtminorOthersProvincial government that sometimes provides funding opportunities used by Balans for specific activities.
• Basisscholen Soest en SoesterbergmoderateOthersAll primary schools in Soest and Soesterberg participate annually in the NME (Nature and Environmental Education) program coordinated by Balans.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Stichting Present: National Dutch nonprofit matching volunteers with people in vulnerable situations, including mentorship and companionship. Directly comparable to Buro Vrijwilligerswerk and MAATjesWERK functions within Balans.
• Kinderboerderij de Goffert: Children's farm and educational facility in Nijmegen with animal care, school programs, and volunteer-driven operations. Closely comparable to Kinderboerderij De Veenweide in function, scale, and educational mission.
• Stichting Welzijn Apeldoorn: Dutch municipal welfare foundation delivering social support, youth work, and community programs in Apeldoorn. Highly comparable in mission, funding model (gemeente subsidy), and integrated youth/adult/volunteer portfolio.
• Stichting Buurtwerk: Dutch neighborhood-focused welfare organization running social work, youth programs, and community support in multiple municipalities. Comparable in social-broker ('sociaal makelaar') roles and community-anchored service delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Oranje Fonds: Major Dutch social-purpose foundation funding volunteering, neighborhood initiatives, and welfare projects. Comparable as a funder/ecosystem participant and as a broader incumbent in the social welfare and volunteering space.
• Natuurmonumenten: Netherlands' largest nature conservation organization, operating visitor centers and educational programming including school NME activities. Comparable in nature-education delivery, with a national conservation rather than welfare orientation.
• IVN Natuureducatie: National Dutch nature and environmental education nonprofit offering school programs, Eco-Schools guidance, and NME delivery. Directly comparable to Balans's NME Soest program, with broader geographic reach.
• Scouting Nederland: Large Dutch youth organization with local groups delivering social-skill development and volunteer-led programming. Comparable to Balans's Jongerenwerk and Jeugdwerk offerings, though at significantly greater national scale.

Others

• Het Groene Brein: Dutch network of sustainability professionals supporting education initiatives including Eco-Schools-style programs. Adjacent/ecosystem participant relevant to Balans's Eco-Schools and Eco Escape House offerings.

Emerging players

• JINC: Dutch nonprofit running youth-development and career-orientation programs for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Comparable to Balans's ATJ (Alternatieve Trajecten Jeugd) and youth social-skill development work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/stichtingbalans
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stichtingbalans

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Stichting Balans