Vlucht Voorwaarts

What Vlucht Voorwaarts does

Vlucht Voorwaarts (legal entity Stichting Vlucht Voorwaarts) is a registered Dutch nonprofit foundation (ANBI status, RSIN 860743810) headquartered at Paganinilaan 15 in Assen, Netherlands. The organization facilitates social integration of newcomers and refugees into Dutch society through two anchor programs: the Maatjesprogramma, a year-long one-to-one buddy matching program pairing newcomers with local Dutch residents, and the Praathuis, a free weekly Wednesday-evening gathering at De Nieuwe Kolk community library. It also runs the Connection women's choir (language practice through singing at Podium Zuidhaege) and the Bartjes Verruimen Bubbels school integration project placing multilingual connectors in primary schools, notably Kindcentrum De Vuurvogel since April 2025. Its participants are newcomers from countries including Syria, Iran, Eritrea, Russia, and Egypt, paired with Dutch volunteers from Assen and the surrounding Drenthe region.

The organization operates with no proprietary technology, no app, and no APIs; service delivery is entirely in-person and human-mediated. It runs on a small core team of part-time paid staff (notably Marjan and Mariëlle Stikvoort-Roberti for communications, and Coach Asia at one day per week) supplemented by a broader volunteer base of coaches (Joop, Rosanne, and others) and an unpaid board chaired by John. Board leadership transitioned from founder Rudolf Setz in or before 2024 to a new chairman, indicating a generational governance handover.

Vlucht Voorwaarts's revenue model is fundamentally grant- and donation-based rather than commercial: the municipality of Assen committed €75,000 in 2022 after a 2021 community mobilization to reverse a defunding decision; supplemental income flows from individual donations (IBAN NL73RABO0351091696), a €500 grant from Soroptimistenclub Assen in March 2024, and commissions from the SponsorKliks affiliate program. All participant-facing services are free of charge. Referral channels run through Gemeente Assen, Vluchtelingenwerk, and partner schools, while marketing relies on organic social (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), a Mailchimp newsletter, the organizational website, and community information meetings at De Nieuwe Kolk. The geographic footprint is explicitly local: Assen and Drenthe, with no global or multi-municipality expansion signaled.

Name

Vlucht Voorwaarts

Legal name

Stichting Vlucht Voorwaarts

Website

https://vluchtvoorwaarts.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Vlucht Voorwaarts is a Dutch nonprofit foundation based in Assen that runs a year-long buddy matching program and weekly community gatherings to help newcomers and refugees integrate into Dutch society through language practice and intercultural connection.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Integration Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Peer Mentorship, Buddy & Host-Family Matching Programs (EDAIAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Engagement & Social Integration Programs (Clubs, Events, Volunteering) (EDAIAKAE), Conversation Clubs & Speaking Practice Groups (EDAMAFAB), Newcomer & Refugee Student Support Programs (EDAJAGAH)

Keywords

• Community integration services
• Refugee buddy programs
• Newcomer language support
• Intercultural community programs
• Social cohesion initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Assen

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. Municipal Funding: Primary funding from municipality of Assen. In 2022, the municipality committed €75,000 in funding after a community campaign to save the organization from closure.
2. Donations: Direct donations from supporters. IBAN: NL73RABO0351091696. Organization has ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling) status, making donations tax-deductible in the Netherlands.
3. Sponsorkliks/Affiliate: Through Sponsorkliks affiliate program, the organization receives commission (75%) when supporters make online purchases through their referral links. No additional cost to the supporter.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Vlucht Voorwaarts delivers free community integration programs in Assen, Netherlands, primarily through the year-long Maatjesprogramma (Buddy Program) that matches newcomers and refugees with Dutch resident volunteers for one-on-one cultural exchange and language practice, and the weekly Praathuis (Talking House) drop-in gathering at De Nieuwe Kolk for informal conversation and community building. Additional offerings include the Connection women's choir and the Bartjes Verruimen Bubbels school connector project, all provided free of charge to participants.

Product overview

Vlucht Voorwaarts offers a suite of community integration programs centered around cultural connection and language learning. The core offerings include the Maatjesprogramma (Buddy Program), which pairs newcomers with local Dutch residents for year-long mentorship relationships, and the Praathuis (Talking House), a weekly drop-in gathering for informal conversation and community building. Additional programs include Connection, a women's choir for language practice, and the Bartjes Verruimen Bubbels school integration project that places multilingual connectors in schools to bridge communication between immigrant parents and educational staff. The organization operates primarily in Assen, Netherlands, and functions as a nonprofit foundation (Stichting Vlucht Voorwaarts) with ANBI status.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Maatjesprogramma (Buddy Program)

Quantifiable outcome

• Newcomers find employment and build independent lives in the Netherlands
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gemeente Assen (Municipality of Assen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funder and strategic partner. The municipality provides annual funding (€75,000 in 2022) and refers newcomers to the program. The organization has worked closely with the municipality to demonstrate its value to the community.
• De Nieuwe KolkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity library and cultural center that serves as the venue for Praathuis weekly gatherings and information meetings. Located at Weiersstraat 1, Assen.
• Vaart WelzijnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal welfare organization in Assen that provides support services. Listed as a partner on the website.
• WerkpleinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployment services organization in Drenthe that assists job seekers. Listed as a partner.
• Wijkcentrum De ComponistminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeighborhood community center that offers language support groups on Monday mornings (9:30-11:30).
• Podium ZuidhaegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue for the Connection women's choir, a language learning activity through singing. Monday evenings 19:00-20:00.
• Biblionet DrentheminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLibrary network in Drenthe that hosts Taalhuis (language house) activities and Taalcafé sessions.
• Kindcentrum De VuurvogelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool where Vlucht Voorwaarts coach Asia works as a connector between parents from different cultures and the school. Supports parent-teacher meetings, Taalhuis activities, and extracurricular participation.
• Soroptimistenclub AssenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen's service organization that supports women and girls through education and empowerment. Visited by Vlucht Voorwaarts in March 2024 and donated €500.
• Humanitas AssenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides language support groups for status holders (recognized refugees). Group meets Monday 9:30-11:15 at Brunelstraat 77.
• Stichting Present AssenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizes activities for people at the AZC (asylum seekers center) including conversation activities and Klets & Koek women's group.
• MindstoneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization on the Vlucht Voorwaarts website.
• Inclusief AssenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative promoting inclusion in Assen, listed as a partner.
• DrenthecollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution offering various training programs for newcomers. Contact: Yvonne Wink for enrollment.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Pharos: Dutch centre of expertise on health disparities serving refugees and migrants with research-driven programs. Comparable refugee-serving mission across the Netherlands at a national scale.
• Humanitas: Large Dutch welfare organization delivering a portfolio of community services including integration support; Vlucht Voorwaarts data confirms collaboration with local Humanitas Assen chapter for language support groups. Comparable as a regional welfare provider for newcomers.
• Stichting Present: National Dutch volunteer-matching nonprofit active in Assen (confirmed partner) connecting volunteers to people in need, including asylum seekers. Comparable volunteer-led, community-based support model.

Direct peers

• Vluchtelingenwerk Nederland: Largest Dutch refugee support organization providing legal aid, advocacy, and integration support for asylum seekers and refugees. Directly comparable mission and beneficiary population, but operating at national scale rather than Assen-specific community delivery.
• Buddy to Buddy: Belgium-based program that matches newcomers with local citizens for buddy relationships to support integration. Closely comparable operating model and core product to Vlucht Voorwaarts' Maatjesprogramma.
• Taal Doet Meer: Utrecht-based Dutch organization running language partner matching (taalmaatjes) and conversation groups for newcomers. Direct operational analog to Vlucht Voorwaarts' Praathuis and Maatjesprogramma in a different Dutch city.
• New Dutch Connections: Dutch nonprofit using arts and culture to support newcomer integration, including programs for young refugees. Comparable newcomer integration mission with creative engagement pathways.
• Mentor4You: Dutch mentoring organization for young newcomers and children, explicitly listed in Vlucht Voorwaarts' data as a former affiliation of coach Joop. Runs volunteer mentor matching for integration outcomes.
• UAF (Stichting voor Vluchteling-Studenten): Foundation supporting refugee students in higher education in the Netherlands through mentoring, funding, and programs. Comparable as a Dutch nonprofit running mentor-matching programs for newcomer integration.

Others

• Gemeente Assen (Social Domain): The municipal government of Assen, which is Vlucht Voorwaarts' primary funder and referral source, operating its own newcomer integration, welfare, and participation programs alongside funded partners.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VluchtVoorwaarts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vlucht-voorwaarts
• Instagraminstagram.com/vluchtvoorwaarts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Vlucht Voorwaarts