Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin
Stichting Robin is a Belgian non-profit foundation that operates the Robin-pas system and Robins-hood closed-loop digital platform to make school costs affordable for children in poverty, serving 144 secondary schools, 6,822 children, and 15+ structural corporate partners across Flanders.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- Headquarters—
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin does
Stichting Robin (operating as Fondation Robin in French) is a Belgian private foundation founded in 2020 (with activities launching September 2019) that operates a solidarity platform to make school costs affordable for children in financially vulnerable families. Its core products are the Robin-pas (a solidarity pass providing interest-free installment plans and targeted discounts), the Robin-fonds (a dedicated subsidy fund), and Robin-scholen (a network of partner schools committed to a poverty and solidarity policy). The Robins-hood digital platform, launched in 2024, is a proprietary closed-loop system built on blockchain principles that codes donated funds so they can only be redeemed as discounts on school invoices—not disbursed as cash—with unique codes per student pass for tracking and allocation.
The foundation serves three primary segments: secondary schools in Flanders and Brussels Dutch-language education seeking structured tools to support students in poverty without stigmatization; families with children enrolled in secondary education who receive government social supplements and need affordable school invoices; and corporate structural partners (educational publishers Plantyn, Van In, Pelckmans, Die Keure; sector fund Constructiv; beauty suppliers Pivot Point and Districos; hardware partner Signpost) that contribute to the Robin-fonds and want verified impact for their CSR and sustainability reporting. Individual donors are engaged through a separate Steun-actieplatform launched in 2025, alongside Trooper affiliate shopping and Cubzz Impact coffee partnerships.
The revenue model is a non-profit mix of Flemish government operational subsidies (covering ~80% of two staff positions), structural multi-year corporate partner contributions to the Robin-fonds, individual donations (one-time, monthly, and bequests), and minor affiliate revenue (Trooper, Cubzz). The organization is led by co-founders Philip Vermeylen (digital development), Bert Smits, and Wouter Cauwenbergh, with Helga Van den Bossche (40-year KBC veteran) joining as General Coordinator in February 2025 to professionalize operations. By 2025, the platform supported 144 secondary schools, helped 6,822 children, made over €2.6 million in school costs affordable via installment plans, and allocated €84,000+ in direct financial assistance from the Robin-fonds.
Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin
- Legal name
- Stichting Robin
- Website
- https://stichtingrobin.be
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Stichting Robin is a Belgian non-profit foundation that operates the Robin-pas system and Robins-hood closed-loop digital platform to make school costs affordable for children in poverty, serving 144 secondary schools, 6,822 children, and 15+ structural corporate partners across Flanders.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Affordability Non-profit Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Child and Youth Services (62411)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL)
Keywords
Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Structural Partner Contributions: Companies and sector federations make financial contributions to the Robin-fonds through multi-year agreements. Partners choose specific domains (educational materials, hardware, construction tools, etc.) and can link rules to their contributions to direct support where needed.
- Individual Donations: One-time gifts, monthly donations, and bequests from individuals. Suggested amounts for monthly giving: €25 (help with school invoice), €50 (help with essential school materials), €100 (give child full freedom to choose fitting direction).
- Trooper Affiliate Shopping: Through Trooper platform integration, Robin receives commission (percentage) on purchases made at 600+ webshops when users have set Robin as their charity. No additional cost to donor.
- Impact Coffee & Products: Cubzz Impact store sells coffee and products; profits are donated to charitable causes including Stichting Robin.
- Government Subsidy: The Flemish government (Education Cabinet) provides a subsidy that covers most of the operational costs. Two people are employed at 80% from this subsidy. However, the subsidy is insufficient for full operations and growth investments.
- Partner Discounts (In-kind): Partners provide discounts (e.g., up to 25% with max €40 for educational materials, 10% extra from Pivot Point, 20% from Districos) and interest-free payment plans. These are in-kind contributions reducing school costs rather than direct revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | One-time or recurring donations from individuals |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Structural partner contributions to Robin-fonds |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels9 records
Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Stichting Robin operates a solidarity platform that makes school costs affordable for children from families in poverty. Through the Robin-pas system, eligible children receive interest-free installment plans and discounts on educational materials, hardware, and tools at participating schools and partner retailers. The proprietary Robins-hood digital platform ensures donated funds are exclusively redeemable as school invoice discounts via unique coded passes, providing transparency for structural partners and a coordinated ecosystem connecting schools, corporate partners, and individual donors.
Product overview
Stichting Robin operates a solidarity platform for schools consisting of interconnected products: the Robin-pas (a solidarity pass providing interest-free installments and discounts), the Robins-hood digital platform (a closed-loop system for managing passes and solidarity funds), the Robin-fonds (the funding mechanism for targeted subsidies), and Robin-scholen (the network of participating schools). Additional offerings include the Robin's-hood Steun-actieplatform for crowdfunding campaigns and the Schoolkostenmonitor for school cost analysis.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Robin-pas: A solidarity pass that provides financial support for school costs to children from families in poverty. Offers interest-free installment plans and discounts on educational materials.
- Robin-school
- Robin-fonds
- Robin's-hood
- Hart voor Robin
Products and services
- Robin-pas A solidarity pass issued to children from families in poverty, providing interest-free installment plans (10 months) and discounts on school costs. The pass is linked to a unique code redeemable at participating schools and partner retailers (educational publishers, distributors, hardware providers, beauty/hairdressing suppliers) for discounts on educational materials (up to 25% with max €40), hardware, construction tools, and specialty supplies.
- Robins-hood Digital Platform A proprietary closed-loop digital solidarity platform (app.robins-hood.be) that connects schools, families, and structural partners. Schools manage Robin-pas profiles, school solidarity funds, and student support applications through the platform. Built on blockchain principles, the system ensures donated funds are exclusively used as discounts on school invoices for eligible families, never disbursed as cash. Provides structural donors transparent tracking of social impact.
- Robin-fonds A dedicated fund providing targeted financial subsidies for school expenses of families in need. Funds are exclusively redeemable on school invoices as discounts for vulnerable families (via Robin-pas). The fund is supported by structural corporate partners and individual donors, with €84,000+ in financial assistance allocated in 2025.
- Robin-scholen (Partner School Network) A network of secondary schools in Flanders and Dutch-language Brussels that participate in the solidarity platform. Member schools commit to thoughtful poverty and solidarity policies, follow communication guidelines, operate a local solidarity project, and offer interest-free payment plans using the Robin-pas system to support students in financial need. 144 schools participated in 2025.
- Robin's-hood Steun-actieplatform (Support-Action Platform) A digital support and action platform (iksteun.stichtingrobin.be) enabling individuals, companies, and schools to create fundraising campaigns tied to personal achievements (sports, celebrations), target specific school costs, and donate to existing campaigns. The platform processed €40,000+ in its first ~5 months for the 2025-2026 school year campaign.
- Schoolkostenmonitor A monitoring tool within the Robins-hood platform that provides schools with structural tools to thoroughly evaluate their school costs. Per study direction, schools can compare and evaluate their estimated school costs with averages from other schools to work toward affordable education. Currently under development.
Quantifiable outcome
- 144 schools using platform in 2025
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SignpostcoreNew structural partner as of 2026, providing financial assistance for hardware purchases (laptops, tablets) for Robin-pas holders. One of the new structural partners following educational publishers.
- Pivot PointcoreFamily business in beauty/hairdressing education supplies, providing 10% extra discount for Robin-pas holders on top of already reduced educational prices. Also runs 'Robin & Friends' action donating portion of annual revenue to Robin-fonds.
- DistricoscoreTotal supplier for beauty specialists, podologists, and students, providing 20% discount (max €60.50) and interest-free installment payments for Robin-pas holders in hairdressing/beauty study directions.
- Constructiv (Sector Fund)coreSector federation for construction, the first structural donor to the Robin-fonds specifically targeting tools and equipment costs for students in construction study directions. Supports with tools and safety equipment purchases.
- Pelckmans (Educational Publisher)coreOne of the major educational publishers in Flanders, Pelckmans signed the first commitment declaration in 2018 and is a structural partner contributing to the Robin-fonds for educational materials discounts.
- Van In (Educational Publisher)coreMajor educational publisher in Flanders, Van In signed the first commitment declaration in 2018 and is a structural partner for educational materials discounts.
- Plantyn (Educational Publisher)coreLeading educational publisher in Flanders, Plantyn signed the first commitment declaration in 2018 and is a structural partner for educational materials discounts.
- Die Keure (Educational Publisher)coreEducational publisher contributing as structural partner for educational materials discounts in the Robin-fonds.
- LichtviscoreEducational distributor processing Robin-pas and providing interest-free credit for installment payments on school materials. Integral to the technical processing of the Robin-pas system.
- Standaard BoekhandelcoreMajor book retailer and educational distributor allowing Robin-pas discounts to be applied when parents order books directly through schools.
- Scolarest (Compass Group)minorSchool restaurant/catering partner offering discreet meal discounts for Robin-pas holders in pilot program at select Robin-scholen. Looking for additional partners to fund extra discounts or full meals.
- CegekaminorTechnology company supporting Stichting Robin with donations and/or operational support services.
- SmartschoolminorDigital education platform partner providing support/integration with Robin platform and visibility as partner.
- Vlaamse Overheid (Flemish Government)coreFlemish government provides operational subsidy covering most costs and two staff at 80%. Also helps with brand awareness and challenges the organization to improve cost efficiency and impact.
- TrooperminorFlemish affiliate shopping platform with 600+ webshops; Robin receives commission on purchases when users set Robin as their charity. Chrome extension 'Botje' automates the process.
- Cubzz (Impact Store)minorCoffee and product company; profits from all Cubzz products donated to good causes including Stichting Robin. Also launched Impact coffee with Robin as designated charity.
- Iddink, Scolaris, CloudwisecoreEducational distributors enabling Robin-pas discounts for schools and families ordering through their systems.
- Dynapps, Twee Peer en Boom, Van Helden, Java Coffee Company, Impact BrandminorVarious operational partners providing free or heavily discounted services (marketing, development, coffee donations) to support Robin's operations.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- King Baudouin Foundation: Belgium's largest independent foundation, supporting education access and poverty alleviation across multiple programs. Operates a much broader portfolio but addresses overlapping school-cost and youth-equity themes via grant-making, making it the closest incumbent peer to Robin's mission.
- Caritas Belgium: Belgian arm of Caritas International, providing poverty relief and family support across the country. Comparable donor-driven funding model and focus on vulnerable families with school-aged children.
- CAP48: Belgian charity with a strong education-access component (including support for children with disabilities and school inclusion projects). Comparable fundraising model (corporate partnerships, media-driven donation campaigns) and Belgian footprint.
- Plan International Belgium: Belgian branch of Plan International focused on children's rights, including education access for girls and disadvantaged youth. Comparable donor engagement model and child-equity mission.
- UNICEF Belgium: National committee of UNICEF raising funds in Belgium for children's welfare globally, including education access. Comparable corporate-partnership and individual-donor fundraising model, though at much larger scale.
- OCMW / PCSW (Public Centers for Social Welfare): Belgian municipal social services that administer school-cost allowances and welfare supplements for low-income families. Competes for the same beneficiary pool and operates with similar eligibility criteria, but through a public-sector delivery model.
Direct peers
- Child Aid: Belgian nonprofit focused on supporting disadvantaged children, with school cost and educational support as a core program area. Comparable mission, fundraising approach, and Belgian operating base.
- CAW - Centrum Algemeen Welzijnswerk: Flemish network of welfare centers providing social assistance to families in poverty, including guidance on school costs and family support. Directly comparable target population and Flemish operating geography.
Emerging players
- Edukans: Dutch nonprofit with Belgian activity, focused on education access and school-cost support for vulnerable children. Closest cross-border peer in terms of operating model (donor-funded school-cost relief) and beneficiary profile.
Others
- De Warmste Week: Major annual Flemish charity initiative by VRT and Stand Up Against Cancer, raising funds for a rotating slate of Belgian nonprofits including education and poverty causes. Not a direct peer but a key competitive fundraising channel and ecosystem participant for individual donations.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin social profiles
Digital presenceStichting Robin / Fondation Robin financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin
What does Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin do?
Stichting Robin operates a solidarity platform that makes school costs affordable for children from families in poverty. Through the Robin-pas system, eligible children receive interest-free installment plans and discounts on educational materials, hardware, and tools at participating schools and partner retailers. The proprietary Robins-hood digital platform ensures donated funds are exclusively redeemable as school invoice discounts via unique coded passes, providing transparency for structural partners and a coordinated ecosystem connecting schools, corporate partners, and individual donors.
Is Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin a public or private company?
Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin founded?
Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
How does Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Structural Partner Contributions are the primary driver. The others are individual Donations, trooper Affiliate Shopping, impact Coffee & Products, government Subsidy and partner Discounts (In-kind).
Who are Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are King Baudouin Foundation, Caritas Belgium, CAP48, Plan International Belgium, UNICEF Belgium and OCMW / PCSW (Public Centers for Social Welfare). Direct peers are Child Aid and CAW - Centrum Algemeen Welzijnswerk. Edukans is listed as an emerging player. De Warmste Week is listed as an others.
Does Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin have an API?
No public API is recorded for Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin.
What industry is Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin in?
Stichting Robin / Fondation Robin's product category is Education Affordability Non-profit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAB, K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits, with a secondary code of EDAJALAL, Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.