Fonds 1818 financially supports community and not for profit projects in nineteen municipalities in South Holland. In 2023 in The Hague, 485 projects were funded, adding up to a total amount of 5,776,730 euros.
Whether it is a large social organisation applying for a donation of 100,000 euros or a group of neighbours who want to do something for the street with 250 euros: Fonds 1818 is there to review plans of all shapes and sizes.
The fund works with a number of clear conditions that a project must meet to be eligible for a donation. Bringing people together who do not naturally meet each other and helping vulnerable groups get ahead are two of the main focus points. A list of the successfully funded projects for 2023 is available on the website.
“Indispensable in all the projects we support is the role of the volunteer,” emphasises Fonds 1818 director Sanne ten Bokkel Huinink. “We greatly value people who get selflessly involved; who extend helping hands and ignite others with their enthusiasm. In 2023, that happened in abundance. We can see from the number of donation requests that after those bleak corona years, society is back to full strength. That’s great to see. The city is bursting with energy and great ideas.”
Refurbished neighbourhood meeting places
A few examples of projects supported in 2023 include activities at neighbourhood meeting places. Fonds 1818 made it possible for a large number of neighbourhood and community organisations to refurbish their buildings and make them more sustainable. From upholstering worn out sofas in Vadercentrum Adam in district Laak to the installation of double insulation glass at the Wijkvereniging Scheveningen.
HouseMartin and WIJS Zomerschool
Of course, there are many other special projects from The Hague that received money from Fund 1818 in 2023. The fund is pleased to put the spotlight on two examples. First, RespijtHuis HouseMartin, whose Fonds 1818 project advisor Carien Janssen van Raay handled the donation application. Carien: “This is a new shelter where sick, homeless people can recover. For four weeks a person may stay here, where he or she finds a safe place among many enthusiastic volunteers who together keep the house running day and night.”
Michel Nivard, Head of Donations at Fonds 1818, handled the donation request from RECHT Foundation, which has set up the WIJS Summer School in the Leidschenveen-Ypenburg district for children aged six to ten who do not speak Dutch at home. Michel: “Elders from the district help the children with the Dutch language for a week during the summer vacations. The summer school ends with a fun reading activity, in cooperation with the library and the Voorleesexpress.”
What will 2024 bring in terms of great projects?
Many of the projects that Fonds 1818 has supported since its inception revolve around providing equal opportunities and strengthening financial self-sufficiency. Sanne ten Bokkel Huinink: “This will continue to be a strong focus of Fonds 1818 in 2024. We hope that all organizations from The Hague that are committed to this know how to find us. And of course we also look forward to all the other plans that make the nineteen municipalities of our working area more social, active, inclusive and green.”
All information about Fonds 1818 and submitting a donation request can be found at www.fonds1818.nl
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