What Leergeld Nederland does

Leergeld Nederland (formally Stichting Leergeld) is a Dutch charitable foundation founded on 28 May 1996 in Tilburg and headquartered in 's-Hertogenbosch. It operates a federated network of 114 local Leergeld foundations covering 78% of Dutch municipalities as of March 2026, with 1,500-1,750 volunteers delivering services. The organization assists children aged 0-18 from families experiencing financial difficulties by enabling their participation in education, sports, culture, and welfare activities. Core assistance categories include school supplies, laptops, bicycles, swimming lessons, sports memberships, music lessons, and birthday packages; in 2025 it also provided 22,000 laptops/digital learning devices and helps over 37,000 children with bicycles annually through the ANWB Kinderfietsenplan.

The underlying operating model is the Leergeldformule, a six-step methodology comprising home visits, facilities assessment, financial safety-net provision, referral, follow-up, and signaling of structural barriers to local authorities. Rather than disbursing cash to families, Leergeld pays suppliers directly, which preserves dignity and reduces fraud risk. The organization does not operate a technology product platform; its primary digital surface is a postal-code-routed web directory on leergeld.nl that connects families to their local foundation. Revenue is raised entirely through donations: individual giving (with ANBI tax advantages for periodic gifts), corporate donations, a €300,000/year anchor from the Nationale Postcode Loterij under a five-year partnership running 2023-2028, municipal subsidies, and testamentary bequests. The network disbursed over €49 million supporting children in 2023, helped a record 185,817 unique children in 2024 (with 523,254 approved applications), and served nearly 200,000 children in 2025, reflecting the demand-driven nature of growth tied to Dutch child-poverty levels.

Name

Leergeld Nederland

Legal name

Stichting Leergeld

Website

https://leergeld.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Leergeld Nederland is a Dutch charitable foundation operating 114 local foundations across 78% of Dutch municipalities, providing financial assistance so children from low-income families can participate in education, sports, culture, and welfare activities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

's-hertogenbosch

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations from Individuals: Private individuals donate to support children from families with financial worries. Tax advantages available through periodic gift agreements (ANBI status).
2. Corporate Donations: Companies make donations; corporate gift options available on website.
3. Nationale Postcode Loterij: Fixed annual contribution of €300,000 from the Dutch Postcode Lottery (5-year partnership 2023-2028), providing financial stability for operations.
4. Government Subsidies: Ministry of Social Affairs and municipalities provide subsidies and grants to local foundations. Example: €50,000 subsidy from Municipality of De Ronde Venen.
5. Testamentary Gifts: Individuals can include Leergeld in their will.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Leergeld Nederland operates a national network of 114 local Leergeldstichtingen that provide financial assistance and in-kind support to children (aged 0-18) from families experiencing financial hardship in the Netherlands. The organization directly pays suppliers for items including school supplies, laptops, bicycles, swimming lessons, sports memberships, music lessons, and birthday packages, enabling children to participate in education, sports, culture, and welfare activities. Service delivery follows the proprietary Leergeldformule, a six-step methodology centered on home visits and personalized assessment.

Product overview

Leergeld Nederland operates a network of 114 local charitable foundations that provide financial assistance and support to children from families experiencing financial hardship. The core offering consists of direct assistance with educational materials (laptops, school supplies), mobility (bicycles), activities (sports memberships, swimming lessons, music lessons), and welfare needs (birthday packages). The Leergeldformule methodology guides the service delivery through home visits and comprehensive needs assessment. Additionally, the MBO Studentenfonds supports vocational students, and cultural initiatives like the Grumor in Groep 8 musical raise awareness about childhood poverty. The organization does not operate a technology product platform but facilitates assistance through local stichtingen (foundations).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Leergeld Foundation Services (network of 114 local Leergeldstichtingen) A national network of 114 local Leergeldstichtingen that provide free financial assistance and in-kind support to children aged 0-18 from families with financial worries in the Netherlands. The local foundations directly pay suppliers for school supplies, laptops, bicycles, swimming lessons, sports memberships, music lessons, and birthday packages, enabling children to participate in education, sports, culture, and welfare activities.
• MBO Studentenfonds (MBO Student Fund)

Quantifiable outcome

• 185,817 children helped in 2024 with €49 million in support
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• EftelingflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 December 2023Efteling donates 80,000 entrance tickets annually for 5 years to Leergeld families, allowing children to experience the theme park. Partnership started December 2023, with 83,000 tickets already distributed by late 2025.
• Sam& voor alle kinderencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition including Leergeld, Jeugdfonds Sport & Cultuur, Stichting Jarige Job, and Nationaal Fonds Kinderhulp. Coordinates efforts to support children from families with financial worries across education, sports, culture, and welfare.
• ANWB KinderfietsenplancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerANWB collects, refurbishes, and donates children's bicycles through Leergeld foundations. Partnership enables provision of bicycles to children who otherwise couldn't afford them. Over 70,000 bikes distributed since program inception.
• Onderwijs Communicatie GroepminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublisher of educational materials (VO Gids, MBO Kompas) partnering with Leergeld to improve reach to families with school-age children needing support.
• City Deal Fietsen voor IedereenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition including municipalities, ministries, ANWB, BOVAG, and Leergeld working to ensure cycling accessibility for all. Four-year cooperation with nearly €3 million budget for cycling projects.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stichting Kinderpostzegels: Long-established Dutch children's charity funding projects for vulnerable children domestically and abroad. Comparable as a national-scale Dutch child-welfare nonprofit with corporate/lottery funding and a similar volunteer-and-donor mobilization model.
• Stichting Het Vergeten Kind: Dutch foundation focused on improving the lives of vulnerable children in the Netherlands through recreation, advocacy and direct support. Comparable beneficiary population and program mix to Leergeld, with lottery/corporate funding.
• Stichting Jarige Job: Dutch charity providing birthday packages and gift vouchers to children in families with financial worries. Sam& coalition peer of Leergeld with the same target population and a complementary (welfare/recreation) mandate.
• Jeugdfonds Sport & Cultuur: Dutch charitable fund that helps children from low-income families pay for sports and cultural activities. Co-member of the Sam& voor alle kinderen coalition with Leergeld, serving an overlapping beneficiary population through local intermediates.
• Armoedefonds: Dutch foundation mobilizing against poverty with local initiatives that directly support families in financial distress. Comparable in anti-poverty mission, local-network operating model, and reliance on donations and lottery funding.
• Jantje Beton: Dutch charitable fund supporting playgrounds, sports and play opportunities for children, including in low-income communities. Comparable in mission of ensuring children's social participation and in lottery/corporate funding model.
• Sam& voor alle kinderen: Coalition umbrella of Leergeld, Jeugdfonds Sport & Cultuur, Jarige Job and Nationaal Fonds Kinderhulp that coordinates Dutch efforts against child poverty. Comparable because Leergeld operates jointly under this coalition for advocacy, research and funding.
• Nationaal Fonds Kinderhulp: National Dutch fund supporting children in poverty with clothing, school items, leisure activities and holidays. Sam& coalition peer with overlapping mission, beneficiary definition, and corporate/lottery funding profile.

Broad incumbents

• UNICEF Nederland: Dutch national committee of UNICEF, supporting children's rights and welfare both domestically and internationally. Comparable as a high-profile Dutch children's charity with lottery and corporate partnerships, though operating with a broader (global) mission.
• Voedselbanken Nederland: Federation of Dutch food banks serving households in financial hardship. Comparable as a national-scale Dutch anti-poverty nonprofit distributing material assistance, though focused on food rather than education/sports/cultural participation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leergeld-nederland

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Leergeld Nederland