Join For Joy

What Join For Joy does

Join For Joy (Stichting Join For Joy) is a Dutch-registered charitable foundation headquartered in Amsterdam that trains primary school teachers to deliver sports- and play-based learning in rural East African schools. Founded in 2010/2011 by five friends and now led operationally by co-founders Minke van Geen-Meijboom (Head of Program) and Hannah Kooren (Head of Operations) under General Director Charlotte Petty, the organization delivers programming across four countries — Kenya (since 2012, with Macheo Children's Centre in Thika), Uganda (since 2016, with Caritas Uganda in Kabale and Rubanda), Zambia (since 2017, opened as a wholly-owned office in Lusaka in 2022, active in Chongwe), and Malawi (since 2019, with Zikomo Foundation in Mchinji, and a wholly-owned office in Lilongwe). It holds ANBI-status from the Dutch Tax Authorities, is CBF-erkend, and is GDPR-compliant.

The core product is the Sport and Play Program, a teacher training methodology that equips primary school educators with a proprietary library of games — My Space Game, Stop Right Now, Bad Habit Run, Frustration Game, Relay Race — designed to develop life skills and address sensitive topics (child protection, gender equality, menstrual hygiene, substance abuse, disability inclusion). Adjacent products include the Menstrual Health Clubs (game-based menstrual hygiene education) and the Menstrual Cups Program (donor-funded cups at €10 each, lasting up to 10 years). Cumulative impact metrics disclosed by the organization include 1,234 trained teachers, 289 schools, 856,690 children reached, a 14% average increase in school enrollment, and a 24% average decrease in dropout rates at participating schools.

Join For Joy operates as a non-profit foundation funded through diversified channels: individual donations at €5/€15/€30/€50 subscription tiers, corporate partnerships (Always/Procter & Gamble, HEMA, Albert Heijn), Dutch foundation grants (Contribute, Wees een Kans, Michiel Löwenberg Foundation, Wilde Ganzen), community-organized fundraising campaigns via downloadable toolkits, sales of menstrual cups, and an endowment vehicle (Give for Good) that invests donations and releases returns annually. Celebrity ambassadors — Dutch national footballer Wout Weghorst, Paralympic table tennis champion Kelly van Zon, singer Rachèl Louise, and former hockey international Rob Reckers — amplify donor acquisition. Annual revenue is not publicly disclosed; the organization runs on a small headquarters staff plus country-level teams in Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, and Malawi.

Name

Join For Joy

Legal name

Stichting Join for Joy

Website

https://joinforjoy.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Join For Joy is a Dutch non-profit foundation that trains primary school teachers in rural Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, and Malawi to deliver sports- and play-based learning, reaching 1,234 teachers, 289 schools, and 856,690 children with proprietary games focused on inclusion, gender equality, and child protection.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit Education Programs

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Development & Sports Outreach Programs (EDAIAGAG)

Keywords

• Teacher training programs
• Playful education
• Inclusive primary education
• Menstrual health education
• Rural school development

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals, facilitated through the website with options for weekly, monthly, annual giving. Donation tiers of €5, €15, €30, €50.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Support from institutional and business partners including Always, HEMA, Albert Heijn, and other companies through donations and strategic partnerships.
3. Fundraising Campaigns: Community members, schools, and organizations can start fundraising campaigns to raise money for Join for Joy programs.
4. Menstrual Cup Sales: Sale of menstrual cups at €10 each, with €5 for the cup and €5 for education/training on menstrual health.
5. Give for Good Endowment: Endowment program where donations are invested and returns are donated annually, creating perpetual impact.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Join For Joy is a Dutch non-profit foundation that trains primary school teachers in rural Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, and Malawi to integrate sports and play into their daily classroom activities, creating safe, joyful, and inclusive learning environments with special focus on girls and children with disabilities. The organization also runs Menstrual Health Clubs and a Menstrual Cups donation program, supported by a proprietary library of specially designed games (Stop Right Now, My Space Game, Relay Race, Bad Habit Run, Frustration Game) that teach life skills and address sensitive social topics.

Product overview

Join for Joy is a charitable organization offering a unified Sport and Play Program focused on playful education in rural East Africa. The core offering consists of teacher training in sports and play-based learning methodologies, supplemented by Menstrual Health Clubs addressing menstrual hygiene, and a Menstrual Cups donation program. The organization provides structured games and educational materials (including the Join for Joy Game Box, Stop Right Now, My Space Game, Relay Race Games, Bad Habit Run, and Frustration Game) as practical tools for teachers. All offerings are delivered through a single integrated charitable program model rather than a modular software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sport and Play Program A teacher training program that trains primary school teachers in rural Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, and Malawi to integrate sports and play into classrooms, creating safe, joyful, and inclusive learning environments with a focus on including girls and children with disabilities.
• Menstrual Health Clubs

Quantifiable outcome

• 14% average increase in school enrollment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Macheo Children's CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner in Kenya, Thika district, responsible for coordinating and implementing the Sport and Play Program. Selected for their affinity with sports and play for children's development and involvement in local communities.
• Caritas UgandacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner in Uganda (Kabale and Rubanda districts) coordinating the Sport and Play Program. Part of the Caritas network with extensive experience in community development.
• Zikomo FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner in Malawi (Lilongwe area) implementing the Sport and Play Program with focus on rural communities.
• Always (Procter & Gamble)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting Join for Joy, with focus on menstrual health and girls' education initiatives.
• HEMAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDutch retailer supporting Join for Joy through donations and potentially cause marketing.
• Albert HeijnminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDutch supermarket chain supporting Join for Joy through employee engagement and donations.
• EightynineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCreative agency providing photography, videography, and marketing services to Join for Joy.
• QRFYminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCompany providing photography, videography, and marketing support for Join for Joy.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Generation On: International nonprofit youth service organization. Compares on the practice-of embedding service-learning and play into youth programs and the broader NGO/donor ecosystem overlap.
• Ubuntu Education Fund: Works on holistic youth development through education, health, and sport in Southern Africa. Comparable geographic footprint (Zambia-adjacent) and overlap in serving vulnerable rural primary-school children.
• Sport for Development Foundation: Focused on advancing sport as a tool for social change and youth development. Shares the play-based methodology and donor constituency (Dutch/international foundations) with Join for Joy.

Direct peers

• Kick4Life: Lesotho-based NGO using sport for youth education and health outcomes. Directly comparable sport-for-development approach targeting rural African schools and children.
• Grassroot Soccer: Leverages the power of soccer to educate, inspire, and mobilize youth in Africa and beyond. Comparable sport-based learning methodology targeting primary-school-age children, with international NGO donor model.
• Right to Play: International NGO using sport and play to educate and empower children in disadvantaged communities. Nearly identical mission and methodology to Join for Joy, operating at global scale across multiple African and Asian countries.

Broad incumbents

• Alive & Kicking: Uses sport (footballs, netballs) as a tool for health education and youth development across Africa. Operates in several of the same East/Southern African countries as Join for Joy with an overlapping sport-and-development mission.
• Beyond Sport: Global organization that supports and convenes sport-for-development initiatives. Overlaps with Join for Joy's methodology and funders, but operates as a sport-for-development ecosystem aggregator rather than a direct program operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@joinforjoy
• Facebookfacebook.com/joinforjoy.net
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/join-for-joy
• Instagraminstagram.com/joinforjoy

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Join For Joy