Adessium Foundation - Annual Report 2022

Annual Report 2022

Our partners

Social Initiatives

• ASKV/Steunpunt Vluchtelingen

• Critical Mass

• Defence for Children

• De Pauluskerk Rotterdam

• De Regenboog Groep

• Doctors of the World

• European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)

• European Programme for Integration and Migration (EPIM)

• Fonds Bijzondere Noden Rotterdam (FBNR)

• House of Hope

• Human Rights Watch

• Justice and Peace Netherlands

• Kansfonds

• Leger des Heils

• Nationale Jeugdraad (NJR)

• Nederlands Debatinstituut

• New Dutch Connections

• ONSbank

• Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM)

• Protestantse Diaconie Amsterdam

• Quiet Nederland

• SchuldHulpMaatje

• Stek - stichting voor stad en kerk

• Stem in de Stad

• Sterk Huis

• Stichting de Vrolijkheid

• Stichting Het Vergeten Kind

• Stichting Move

• Stichting Movement On The Ground

• Vereniging Samenwerkende

Gezondheidsfondsen (SGF)

• Villa Pinedo

• Voedselbanken Nederland

• Welcome App

• Young Impact

People & Nature

• ARK Rewilding Nederland

• CHEM Trust

• ChemSec

• ClientEarth

• Environmental Coalition on Standards (ECOS)

• Enviu

• European Environmental Bureau (EEB)

• Fauna & Flora International

• Global Fishing Watch

• Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL)

• Herenboeren

• Marilles Foundation

• Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)

• MedReAct

• Med Sea Alliance

• Natuur & Milieu

• Oceans 5

• Plastic Soup Foundation

• Recycling Netwerk Benelux

• Rewilding Europe

• Seas At Risk

• Stichting Tegengif

• Transitiecoalitie Voedsel

• Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC)

• Zero Waste Europe

Public Interest

• Arena for Journalism in Europe

• Bureau Burgerberaad

• Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs (BEUC)

• Civitates

• Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO)

• EUobserver

• Bits of Freedom

• Digital Freedom Fund

• Disclose

• Dutch Institute for Vulnerability Disclosure (DIVD)

• European AI & Society Fund

• European Digital Rights (EDRi)

• International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ)

• Investico

• Investigate Europe

• Journalismfund Europe

• Lab Toekomstige Generaties (LabTG)

• Lighthouse Reports

• Media Defence

• mySociety

• Network of European Foundations

• Public Interest Litigation Project (PILP)

• Transparency International EU office and NL office

• University of Oxford

Flexible Funding

• Amnesty International

• De Balie

• Doctors Without Borders

• Earth Journalism Network

• Free Press Unlimited

• Natuur en Milieufederatie Noord-Holland

• Prinses Máxima Centrum

• SpaceBuzz

• Stichting TAAI

• Universiteit Leiden

Smaller and one-time gifts are not included in the overview.

Brian sits on his regular bench, watching a movie on his smartphone. He has access to free Wifi on this bench. This photo was taken for the image database of ‘Beelddepot,’ a site that deals with the image we have of homelessness. Beelddepot forms part of Bouwdepot, a project run by Stichting Zwerfjongeren Nederland. Page 19

Farmer Henk Janknegt from Zeewolde switched to the production of protein-rich field beans. The protein transition is about moving towards more plant-based and less animal-based products Transitiecoalitie Voedsel (Food Transition Coalition) states that this transition is one of the most important interventions to achieve a healthy and sustainable food system. Read more about the Coalition on page 30

A Ukrainian journalist working in a bombed neighborhood. Free Press Unlimited provides emergency support to journalists in Ukraine. FPU also opened so-called ‘media hubs’ in Poland for exiled journalists. Page 54

Students of a pre-vocational school working on their project with Move Your World. They came up with a charity or other initiatives aimed at improving the world. Page 20

Christine Bosker lives near a chemical plant in Dordrecht. She was one of the women whose breastmilk was tested for PFAS (chemicals) through the NGO Stichting Tegengif (Erase all Toxins). “There are traces of this chemical in the purest and healthiest thing you want to give to your child”, she said in the broadcast ‘The PFAS scandal’ of Dutch TV show Zembla. Read more about Stichting Tegengif on page 32

The basis of our activities

Adessium Foundation aspires to help build a society in which people live in harmony with each other and their environment. A society where actions are taken with the public interest in mind, where we treat nature responsibly and take care of each other.

We support initiatives and organizations in the Netherlands and Europe that are committed to an open and just society, healthy ecosystems and equal opportunities for everyone. We do this by helping our grantees to work on positive, lasting change in our society.

“We focus on the bright spots”

The other night, I watched a match in a football stadium. What stuck with me was the moment everyone in the stands simultaneously switched on the lights on their phones, creating bright spots in the darkness – like stars in the sky.

The group effect is particularly special because it is only impressive if enough people participate in a full stadium, much like in real life when you want to bring about change. It gives a strong sense of connection and unity, especially if you go along with it. It was a stunning phenomenon.

Last year was another year full of challenges and uncertainties, mainly due to geopolitical forces. Yet we also saw a lot of resilience and solidarity in our society.

Rogier van Vliet Chairman

At Adessium Foundation, we believe we can change the world we live in by focusing on bright spots and the power of community. In this Annual Report, we want to share some of these bright spots and show how we can work together toward a better future for everyone with everyone. We are proud of our progress and would like to thank our partners for their efforts and dedication.

Let's continue striving for a society where everyone has the opportunity to grow, prosper and contribute to a better world.

“Solidarity and trust in response to a year of crises”

With disbelief and horror, we witnessed Russia invade Ukraine. A war on the European continent: an unimaginable scenario with terrible consequences for the Ukrainian people. “It was a year of pain”, remarked President Zelensky reflecting one year after the Russian invasion, “But it was also a year of resilience, care and hope.” It was heartening to see that many people welcomed millions of refugees or assisted them through different means. It is encouraging that Europe remains united and stands in solidarity during these dark days.

specifically discussed the power of collaboration, innovation and trust in resolving societal issues.

People & Nature

How do you form an alliance with 15 different organizations? What can we learn from the challenges we face? We asked these questions to Anne Rémy, coordinator of the Med Sea Alliance, Aniol Esteban, director of member organization Marilles Foundation, and Karlijn Steinbusch, our People & Nature program manager.

Social Initiatives

Martijn Meijer Director of programs

Economic instability and high inflation, partly caused by the war, have far-reaching repercussions that extend beyond Ukraine’s borders, also affecting places like the Netherlands. Rising costs of living mean that more and more people are struggling in making ends meet. Our partners are increasingly being called upon to respond to this demand for support. As a result of this increasing responsibility, Adessium talked with partner organizations to see where we could help. You can read more about this in the chapter on our Flexible Funding (page 52).

Talks with our partners

For this Annual Report, we approached our partner organizations with whom we collaborate in our programs. We

Tjerk Mulder, business director of Quiet Nederland, Bas Pieck, program leader at Kansfonds, and Job Rijneveld, program manager of our Social Initiatives program, had a good conversation about the concept of trust. How can we, as a society, create more trust when helping people in vulnerable situations? And what can the government learn from civil society?

Public Interest

What is the state of our democracy? And what role does transparency play in our citizens’ trust in public institutions? Lousewies van der Laan, director of Transparency International Nederland, Yves Dejaeghere, director of the Federation for Innovation in Democracy Europe (FIDE), and our

Public Interest program manager

Martijn Roos, discussed this with each other.

Learning organization

You can also read an interview with Lizzy Eilbracht in this Annual Report (page 56). Adessium welcomed Lizzy to the team in February 2022 as the strategic learning manager – a new position that demonstrates our dedication to delving deeper into the topics we support. For example, Lizzy helps the team in developing research questions that guides our work better. In our interview with her, she provides insight into some important lessons she has formulated for our foundation.

Farewell to Saskia van den Dool

This year, we say goodbye to our managing director, Saskia van den Dool. As a passionate director and pioneer she expanded our projects, programs and team. We are immensely grateful to Saskia for her efforts and wish her every success in her future endeavors.

Resilience, care and hope

In line with Zelensky’s words, we express our pride in the resilience in which our partners continue their work, despite the difficult circumstances. We are moved by the care and thoughtfulness they show in their everyday work with those who are currently struggling more than others.

And we are hopeful that our collective efforts with our grantees can make a difference when we join forces.

A medical team in the intensive care unit of the Doctors without Borders medical evacuation train. They monitor and stabilize a seriouslyinjured patient during a long journey from eastern to western Ukraine.

Learning, developing and sharing

Adessium Foundation is a philanthropic foundation that contributes to an open and just society, healthy ecosystems and a level playing field for everyone. We do this by enabling our grantees to work on positive and lasting change in our society.

Through our three programs Public Interest, People & Nature, and Social Initiatives, we support civil society organizations and initiatives. This approach allows us to tackle major and complex social issues. There is no quick fix for these problems. Tackling structural causes of problems and achieving systemic change requires a bold approach, perseverance, and long-term commitment.

We actively reach out to potential grantees and, where appropriate, invite them for cooperation. Our support extends to both established organizations and innovative initiatives.

We are always looking to strike a balance between providing direct aid and support to target groups, and aiming for structural improvement.

Openness about obstacles

Adessium is an independent and autonomous organization. This gives us the freedom to pick our own partners and choose our own methods. Our approach enables us to support projects, which do not (yet) receive any financial support from the government or from other foundations.

We are flexible enough to adapt our strategy and methods to rapidly changing or complicated circumstances when necessary. We therefore ask our partners to be open and honest about any obstacles they encounter, so we can work with them to find suitable solutions.

Organizational capacity building

In most cases, we choose to extend our partnership beyond a specific project and lend them broad institutional or programmatic support, thereby enabling organizations to work on the pursuit of their mission. We conduct a thorough evaluation of an organization’s vision, approach and implementation capacity (including governance). And together with our partners we explore if organizational capacity building is needed to attain their mission. If necessary, we provide additional financial means to bring in external expertise, for instance to hire a consultant.

In our view, civil society organizations should be independent and autonomous. In all of our partnerships, we explicitly take a back seat and let our partners remain in control. However, we always strive to offer constructive feedback on how our partners could improve effectiveness in their work and try to facilitate this wherever possible.

From evaluating to learning

For maximum effect, we want to put our resources to use as efficiently as possible. We want to learn from the organizations and interventions we support. That is why we evaluate our strategic premises and our partners’ approach. Together with our partners, we examine the lessons learned in order to enhance their impact.

As a learning organization, our goal is to pursue the continued development

of our approach. As of 2022, we have a new role on our team for this purpose: strategic learning manager. In the coming period, we will work on a number of learning questions to increase our knowledge on the topics in our programs. With this approach, we seek to achieve more effective interventions and further hone our methods. We are also keen to share lessons learned with other philanthropic foundations.

How we work Types of interventions Cooperation with partners

Long-term outlook through multi-year partnerships

Core support if possible and suitable

Research, sense making and debate

Advocacy at local, national and EU level

Working on structural improvements

Belief in the power of co-creation and cooperation

Strategic learning aimed at creating excellent organizations

Driving innovation, both in new and established organizations

Direct support to initiatives at local level

Strategic communication, campaigns and participation

Civic education and training

Creating and enhancing organizational eco-systems

Engaging in support activities with/for target groups

Social Initiatives

The program

Adessium strives to create a society in which people live together with respect and compassion for one another, and in which everyone can participate equally. We are working on a society that is characterized by humanity and solidarity. We support organizations in the Netherlands that offer help and assistance to people who have become vulnerable as a result of the situation they find themselves in, and initiatives that boost young people’s involvement in society.

Residents of the Cranendonck asylum center in North Brabant clean up the area. Movement on the Ground mobilized these volunteers and provided garbage bags, grippers and gloves. Page 21

Theme 1 Help & perspective

Theme 3 Migration & asylum

Theme 2 Youth & society

Theme 1 Help & perspective

Everyone in the Netherlands should have an equal opportunity to participate in society. This requires mutual engagement and support for those who need it. A large group of people cannot get by, either because they do not have a permanent residence, live in poverty or have a minimal social safety net. They run a great risk of living in social isolation and losing control over their lives.

Our goals

• Help people in vulnerable situations by providing direct support.

• Structurally improve the position of people in vulnerable situations by finding sustainable solutions to poverty, homelessness and exclusion in our society.

Our overall approach

• We fund organizations that provide support in the areas of financial aid and debt prevention, shelter and mentoring, overcoming isolation, buddy networks and network building.

• Our partners focus on innovative ways to provide support, for example trust-based interventions and direct cash transfers, which have proven to work better for our target groups.

• We promote a way of working where aid workers become involved in a person's life and where the knowledge of hands-on experts is used to provide effective help.

• We ensure that aid organizations have sufficient capacity to advocate for policy changes, based on experiences on the ground, which structurally improve people’s situations.

This photo is a realistic remake of a commonly used picture in the media of a stereotypical homeless person on a bench in Amsterdam.

Partner in the spotlight

Stichting Zwerfjongeren Nederland: “Peace of mind to find their own place”

Stichting Zwerfjongeren Nederland (The Netherlands Homeless Youths Foundation) is an independent advocate of homeless youth in the Netherlands. Director Marleen van der Kolk: “Young people between the ages of 18 and 21 who, for whatever reason, do not work or study receive 265 Euros of social welfare per month. The idea behind this is that parents are expected to provide further financial support to their children. That is however, an expectation and not an obligation. Those who have a bad relationship with their parents, who no longer have parents or whose parents are financially struggling themselves have to figure it out without additional allowances.”

The promoters of ‘Bouwdepot’, social designer Manon van Hoeckel and Stichting Zwerfjongeren Nederland, want to structurally tackle this systemic exclusion. Bouwdepot is a program in which homeless young adults receive a monthly income of 1.050 Euros for an entire year. They get the peace of mind to find their own place to live, a job or possibly an education. Sixty young people have now taken part in a Bouwdepot year in four cities. In 2023, more than sixty young adults will start in a follow-up pilot in Eindhoven, Amersfoort and other municipalities.

Theme 2 Youth & society

In an engaged society, people take responsibility for each other and their environment. This also applies to young people. Young people are the future and should therefore be involved in its development. They can use their enthusiasm and conviction to affect change in society, which is why it is so important for them to develop their ideas and talents, and make sure their voices are heard.

Our goals

• Young people have the skills, knowledge and attitude they need to become active in society.

• Initiatives by and with young people are supported to ensure that their voices are heard.

Our overall approach

• Our partners implement programs to develop skills, knowledge and attitudes. The focus is on programs that offer action-oriented experiences for young people between the ages of 10 and 25.

• We strengthen umbrella organizations that aim to represent young people better and empower them in issues that are relevant to them.

• We work with umbrella organizations and/or with fellow foundations to fund bottom-up youth initiatives.

Students learn about the challenges of modern society during Move Your World.

Partner in the spotlight

The Move Foundation: “Students want to do something for other people”

The Move Foundation offers programs to children and young people between the ages of 10 and 16 who have fewer opportunities than their peers. During the Move Your World project, students invent a charity or another initiative to improve the world. For example, students combat loneliness among the elderly, hand out healthy snacks in their neighborhood or place trash cans in parks where they have noticed litter. Director Jony Ferket: “We researched how the students felt after their project. They all said that they want to do something for other people more often. Throughout the project, students can also identify which talents

Theme 3 Migration & asylum

and skills they used: their creativity, cooperation with others, coming up with ideas, organizing, devising and implementing a plan, and making contact with other people. More than 80 percent of them end up feeling proud and appreciated.”

Society is for everyone and should offer equal opportunities and prospects to all. Successful integration gives newcomers the possibility to build a dignified life and enhances support for receiving refugees in Dutch society. The language barrier, restricted access to employment and education, and a limited network often prevent newcomers from developing their full potential. We also see a large group of undocumented people who do not always have access to basic services, limiting their opportunities to work on a dignified future for themselves in the Netherlands or abroad.

Young people brainstorming about possible charity campaigns with Move Your World.

Our goals

• Promote the integration of newcomers into a welcoming society.

• Ensure access to basic services for undocumented people.

Our overall approach

• Our partners provide support in asylum seekers’ centers in addition to the scarce public assistance offered.

• With our support, we aim to strengthen social acceptance by stimulating citizens' involvement in the integration of newcomers.

• Our partners are committed to providing access to basic services, such as medical care, shelter and personal development.

• The organizations supported represent newcomers' interests based on the insights of people with lived experience.

Partner in the spotlight Movement on the Ground: “We always assess the greatest needs first”

In line with the philosophy of Movement on the Ground (MOTG), people living in refugee camps in Greece and other European countries instigate change themselves. Refugees work together on sustainable, safe and humane environments, in collaboration with the local community: ‘From Camp to CampUs.’ Co-founder Adil Izemrane: “In 2022, we started working in the Netherlands in Cranendonck – an asylum center next to a village called Budel. Since there is a so-called ‘over-flow’ of asylum applications in Ter Apel, Cranendonck serves as a center where asylum seekers can also register. We want to make

sure that the people who have come from Ter Apel are received in a humane environment. We talked to the residents of the asylum center, and held meetings to hear about their urgent needs and concerns. This is how we always work, we first note the greatest needs. After just a couple of weeks, more than 50 refugees volunteered for MOTG. Together, these volunteers ensure that the communal kitchens are well managed, they help as translators and organize activities.”

A bicycle shop in an asylum center, set up by volunteers from Movement on the Ground.

“We showed what a welcoming society could look like”

Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine, partners of our Social Initiatives program had to navigate turbulent water. Program managers Ria de Jong and Job Rijneveld look back on 2022 and tell us about the most important developments in the program.

What is your impression of 2022?

In 2022, society reopened after a long coronavirus period and everyone could meet each other again. Children and young people went back to school, and people in vulnerable situations could be reached again with help and guidance. In March, many people from Ukraine sought help and protection, and the Netherlands showed what a welcoming society could look like. We hope that we can treat all refugees in this way, now and in the future.

What are essential developments in your program?

Instead of perpetuating the distrust that many people already experience when seeking support from the government, our theme ‘help and perspective’ wants to expand on a trust-based approach when helping people (see also the article on page 24). Additionally, we are exploring the role that people with lived experience, such as young people, refugees and people in poverty can play in developing effective forms of help for this target group. For example, increased participation of young people is high

on our agenda. This is why we support partners who actively work on including young people in issues that affect their lives and their future. We believe it is crucial for them to develop their own ideas and talents, and make sure that their voices are heard. We will also discuss this topic with other foundations. Finally, we are trying to apply the lessons we learned from supporting Ukrainian refugees to our overall approach to all refugees arriving in our country.

Can you give us an indication of what we can expect from the program in 2023?

Almost too many to mention! Just a few examples include that our partners will introduce more art and culture in refugee shelters, they will expand the number of emergency services for people in poverty, and they will enable young people to develop their own new ideas that make a positive contribution to society. Furthermore, partner organizations will cooperate even more closely to improve the situation of undocumented migrants in the Netherlands.

Ria de Jong Program manager

Job Rijneveld Program manager

Left: Martin told his story to Kansfonds. He was in spiraling debt: “Eventually I lived in one room of my house with a gas burner, because everything had been cut off. I showered at work.”

“We have to accept that mistakes can happen”

How can our society learn to place more trust in its citizens? And what can we learn from civil society?

Tjerk Mulder is the business director of Quiet Nederland, a social movement based on trust. Bas Pieck is a program leader at Kansfonds and contributes to a more positive view of people with the program ‘Just give money’. They had a good conversation with our Social Initiatives program manager, Job Rijneveld.

To what extent would you say that our government trusts its citizens?

Tjerk: “The system is not built on trust, and it is easy to respond from a position of control and numbers. The initiators of Quiet have said: yes, fraud happens and in about 5% of the cases the system is not used as it should be. But we shouldn’t let the other 95% suffer because of it. We don’t ask for a ‘proof of poverty’ when people register with us for our free products and services. It is important to accept that mistakes can happen and if that is the case we have a conversation about it with that person. I feel that the government often falls short in truly engaging with its target group.”

Job: “If I understand you correctly, policy-makers should put more effort into looking for solutions by approaching people with lived experience, for example people who actually live in poverty?”

Tjerk: “That's right. I always find it easy to give an example of a situation in which I was involved. A big producer offered us LED lights. The first thing that came to my mind was: do our members really need this, a 10-cent cut in energy costs by using energy-efficient lamps? Then I discussed it – very naively – with a Quiet member. She said: ‘Tjerk, we are not only concerned about our energy bills, we simply cannot buy a new lamp if one breaks.’ It probably works the same way for policy-makers who think: well, ten cents won’t make a difference, so let’s not do that.”

Bas: “That's a great example and definitely recognizable. The gap between policy-makers and the rest of society must be closed. I recently read a quote that summarizes it well: in the Hague, it is a seven-minute bike ride from Binnenhof* to Schilderswijk.** Why do policy-makers not make that trip more often? The fact that people in poverty are suspicious of the system is something we take very much into account in our project. In Zaanstad, 150 families receive an extra 150 Euros per month for two years. We’re building trust by providing non-earmarked money. They can save the money or they can spend it based on their current needs. A similar experiment in Stockton, California, has yielded positive findings. Not only are the results promising in economic terms, they also have a positive result for the physical and mental health of the participants.”

What about the huge amount of paperwork that these people have to deal with?

Tjerk: “People have to fill out a form 24 times a year, so every other week at least one, to receive financial aid. It is completely unclear to me why the various authorities request this information from this vulnerable target group so often and in such different ways. When did we make things so complicated? There are good intentions, but it has all become so unworkable. As a result, only a few are able to get all

Left: High energy prices put the squeeze on Quiet members. Volunteers distribute soup at Quiet’s location in Nijmegen. It saves cooking a hot meal at home.

the help they are eligible for. We have made it all very complicated, especially for those living in poverty, as stress can have an impact on the brain. The presence of stress can cause individuals to focus on making decisions based on the short term, which may result in adverse outcomes in the long run.”

Job: “What about the trust of the target group in civil society organizations and foundations? Do they trust you?”

Bas: “Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences is looking for participants for our research in various ways. We work with local community organizers and organizations that have earned the trust of this target group. We connect with these key players, such as people from local churches and self-help groups. Additionally, we organize freely of charge walk-in meetings to keep the threshold of obtaining information as low as possible.”

Tjerk: “We find it particularly important to help people cross that initial threshold. Trust will follow later. So even though we want to be approachable, sometimes during a walk-in morning, volunteers see people walk past the front door two or three times. We have to step outside and

physically invite someone in. Sometimes the hesitation is a result of feeling ashamed or embarrassment about their lack of money.”

Job: “Quiet Nederland meets a need that is often overlooked: being seen locally and being able to participate locally. But what about the trust of your sponsors?”

Tjerk: “The local sponsors offer our members happy moments, from a visit to the hairdresser to a night out. I often hear that both parties, meaning our members and sponsors, are pleasantly surprised. For example, a catering entrepreneur wanted to participate but had doubts. One of the questions asked was ‘if I donate a table, won’t they drink the entire keg?’ Long story short: the people who came to the restaurant were exemplary guests and had a lovely evening. The entrepreneur was so enthusiastic that he called us right away and said he wanted to repeat it every week. The Quiet member who had gone to the restaurant said: ‘I couldn’t believe it. I was treated like a regular guest and they were interested

What can the government learn from your insights?

Bas: “Our research gives local authorities answers to questions about trust-based support. What happens with people if you do? We’re also doing a social cost-benefit analysis, where the focus is on numbers and data: what happens with labor force participation. Does it increase? What about healthcare costs? Do they increase or decrease? How does it affect children’s results at school? This analysis provides important data for municipalities. It took a long time to get this research set up because of bureaucratic reasons, but the advantage is that two additional municipalities have joined the research in the meantime.”

Job: “Already in the preliminary phase of setting of the pilot, Kansfonds gained insight into how the system functions. Other foundations and civil society organizations can learn from this: what do you encounter when you want to change the system? Which local and national regulations make it impossible for people to receive ‘free’ money? That is also one of the reasons for us to support ‘Just give money’ – because developing these pilots exposes the root causes we want to tackle.”

in me as a person, not because I needed something’.”

“Our research gives local authorities answers to questions about trust-based support”

Do you notice more attention towards poverty as a result of the rising energy prices and inflation?

Tjerk: “Poverty is strangely ‘hot’ now. Publicist Tim ’S Jongers writing for De Correspondent, a Dutch journalism platform, recently wrote wrote that people pay more attention to poverty now because it has started to affect the middle class as well. That is really disheartening. Although we have been fortunate with a relatively mild winter, I believe we are currently delaying the inevitable, namely not addressing the root causes. Certainly not in the group most affected by the rise in prices. Something really needs to be done and for that we need to innovate.”

Bas: “I completely agree. Perhaps I’m overly optimistic but I do see that a counter-movement has developed in society that is

saying: Maybe people just need money so let’s arrange that. The fact that local authorities want to participate in our research as implementors of our plans is a good sign. I also hear more politicians using the word ‘trust’. Minister Schouten, who is responsible for poverty policy, said it the other day, but I also heard a councilor in Almere sharing that the municipality wants to operate more from a position of trust. The plan to implement that trust has yet to be worked out but the fact that the word is openly being used in political circles is progress in my view.”

* Binnenhof: the location of the parliament buildings in The Hague.

** Schilderswijk: a neighborhood in The Hague with socio-economic challenges.

About these partners

Quiet Nederland alleviates poverty in the Netherlands. Together with entrepreneurs, both at local and national level, the movement gives away free products and services. A ‘simple’ gesture can have a big impact for someone in poverty in terms of confidence, self-fulfillment and getting out of isolation. Quiet not only alleviates poverty but also empowers people.

In the ‘Just give money’ program, Kansfonds gives families who live in poverty what they lack: money. The families decide what to spend the money on because they know their own needs the best. It is an innovative solution based on assuming the best in people. Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences researches what this approach may yield.

Top left: Edwig lives in poverty due to difficult circumstances. “I stay at home as much as possible. If you don’t go anywhere, you don’t spend any money.” Left: Quiet volunteers sort out scarves to give to members for free.

People & Nature

The program

Adessium aims to create a society that takes a responsible approach to nature and the environment. Part of our work involves the conservation of valuable nature in the Netherlands and Europe. We are committed to healthy ecosystems where nature has room to regenerate. Simultaneously, we aspire to achieve a clean environment, free from visible and invisible pollution, also in the interest of our health.

Bottom trawling vessel in protected areas near Greece.

Theme 1 Protecting valuable nature

Theme 2 Healthy living environment

Theme 1

Protecting valuable nature

Europe has a lot of valuable nature. Healthy ecosystems are crucial for our society. Ecosystems provide clean (drinking) water and clean air, pollinate crops, produce wood and provide important space for recreation. However, the diversity of plant and animal species is under severe pressure due to human activity. This means that the value that nature can provide is increasingly limited.

Our goal

Contribute to protecting and restoring vulnerable ecosystems in the Mediterranean and the Netherlands.

Our overall approach

• We aim to restore the Mediterranean Sea to a rich and resilient ecosystem. Our partner organizations are working to strengthen the network of marine protected areas and reduce fishing pressure through better compliance. In addition, we facilitate and support alliances between NGOs and foundations in the region to increase their impact.

• In the Netherlands, we contribute to initiatives that accelerate biodiversity recovery. For example, by reducing significant pressure factors such as those from agriculture or by

strengthening the network of robust nature reserves.

• In the polarized context of agriculture and food, we support science-based initiatives that build bridges between different groups and visions.

Partner in the spotlight

Transitiecoalitie Voedsel: “We were invited to the discussion tables”

Transitiecoalitie Voedsel (Food Transition Coalition) is working on structural solutions to systemic problems in the agricultural and food sector. Structured as a multistakeholder coalition, the Food Transition Coalition, brings together farmers, companies, scientists, NGOs and policy makers around the complex issues of a system’s transition. The coalition brings in ideas for policy change at the

ARK Rewilding Netherlands is involved in reintroducing the European bison into Dutch nature reserves.

national and provincial levels, helping farmers transition to new business models and nature-inclusive agriculture.

Willem Lageweg, sustainable agriculture coordinator at Transitiecoalitie Voedsel: “In the turmoil of the nitrogen discussion, Transitiecoalitie Voedsel was regularly invited to the main discussion tables. We spoke with the cabinet’s negotiator Remkes, various ministers, civil servants and the industry. Collectively, we sought solutions to address significant challenges in agriculture and nature.”

Theme 2

Healthy living environment

For our well-being, we depend on a healthy environment. However, our present patterns of production and consumption are resulting in significant pollution. Although certain forms of pollution, such as plastic waste, are visible, others, such as those arising from harmful chemicals, microplastics, and particulate matter, remain invisible. This leads to significant environmental risks and can have detrimental effects on our health.

Our goal

Contribute to a living environment free from visible and invisible pollution.

Our overall approach

• We are committed to regulating the use of harmful chemicals. We enable partner organizations to advocate ambitious EU laws and regulations that restrict the use of harmful chemicals.

• We encourage nature-inclusive agricultural pilot programs, in which pesticides and chemicals are avoided as much as possible.

• We support organizations that create consumer awareness about harmful chemicals.

• In addition, we encourage research and experimentation with safe toxin-free packaging materials and reuse systems.

Chemical plants discharge harmful substances (PFAS) into the environment.

Partner in the spotlight

Stichting Tegengif: “Everybody in the Netherlands has elevated levels of PFAS in their body”

Stichting Tegengif (Erase all Toxins) makes the general public aware of the daily exposure to harmful chemicals. The organization also advocates for better laws and regulations. Stichting Tegengif initiated the so-called ‘BAN PFAS’ manifesto, written with five European partners. More than 100 civil society organizations co-signed it. PFAS is a collective name for chemicals that occur in non-stick coatings and waterrepellent materials, among other products. The manifesto contains ten demands for authorities, businesses and citizens to stop PFAS pollution. Annelies den Boer, chairperson of Stichting Tegengif: “PFAS pollution is widespread, it’s in everyone

right now. We observe that companies that produce PFAS are making their voices heard, as they are not in favor of a ban. That is why, as a civil society organization, we consider it crucial to reiterate the risks and prevalence of this type of pollution and to demonstrate that there is backing for a ban.”

Partner in the spotlight

ECOS: “Consumers learn more about environmental impacts”

The Environmental Coalition on Standards (ECOS) is an international network of members and experts who advocate for environmentally-friendly technical standards, policies, and laws. A major milestone for ECOS in 2022 was the legislative proposal Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). This EU legislation will enter into force in 2024 and revolves around

new requirements for product groups such as textiles, furniture, electronics and ICT products. These products must be made more sustainable, reusable, repairable, and easier to maintain and recycle. Director Justin Wilkes: “This ‘ecodesign’ is an important sustainability and circularity instrument, because it determines for up to 80% a product’s environmental impact during its life-cycle. All regulated products will also have a digital product passport with product-specific information. This will help consumers learn more about the environmental impact of their purchase.”

Harmful substances (PFAS) also enter the Netherlands via water and air from other countries.

A discarded fishing net on the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. The Med Sea Alliance wants to end illegal trawling in protected areas.

“We focus on restoring nature in the Netherlands”

In our People & Nature program, we saw that the war in Ukraine also had an impact on the sustainability ambitions in Europe and the Netherlands. Program managers Nina Koopman and Karlijn Steinbusch look back on 2022 and tell us about the most important developments in the program.

What is your impression of 2022?

It was a rocky year! In the Netherlands, the farmers’ protests dominated the news. While we understand the uncertainty among farmers, it was above all a sign that exceeding environmental boundaries is finally gaining the necessary political attention. The state of nature in the Netherlands is poor and biodiversity in our natural areas is rapidly declining. This trend must be reversed and politicians finally realize this.

At the European level, 2022 was a complicated year. Unfortunately, our high expectations of EU legislation were not fulfilled. Understandably, the focus was on the war in Ukraine. The improvement of REACH, the most crucial part of EU legislation on the regulation of harmful chemicals, was delayed as a result. In the interests of our health and our environment, we hope that – partly under pressure from our partners – these reforms will be successful in 2023.

What are essential developments in your program?

For a long time, we have been promoting better protection of the Mediterranean Sea. With our funding, local organizations have been able to join forces in the Med Sea Alliance, thus ensuring a greater impact. For example, our partners have created an online atlas that charts illegal bottom trawling in protected areas in the Mediterranean. In addition, this young alliance has also launched various ambitious projects (see page 36).

Can you give us an idea of the program activities for 2023?

Globally, our partners pay close attention to the commitments to protect and preserve at least 30 percent of the world’s land and oceans by 2030, also known as the 30x30 initiative. Also here in the Netherlands, we need to figure out how we use our scarce space. How do we combine the need for more housing and economic activity with more space for nature? Our partners, such as Ark Rewilding Nederland, show that a more robust nature can also improve water quality and solve the nitrogen problem. We want to ensure that their voices are heard more prominently.

Karlijn Steinbusch Program manager

Nina Koopman Program manager

Left: ARK Rewilding Netherlands aims to bring back natural variation in landscapes, such as in the floodplains in Gelderland, by reintroducing native, large herbivores such as Konik horses.

“The Mediterranean Sea area lacked a strong coalition”

The Med Sea Alliance gained momentum in 2022. One of the achievements of this young coalition is the successful launch of an online atlas that charts the level of illegal bottom trawling in protected areas in the Mediterranean Sea. But how do you form an alliance with 15 different organizations? What can we learn from their results and challenges? Anne Rémy is the alliance's coordinator and Aniol Esteban is the director of member organization Marilles Foundation and member of the steering group. They had a conversation with Karlijn Steinbusch, our People & Nature program manager.

Why was this alliance necessary?

Anne: “It was clear that the Mediterranean Sea area lacked a strong and coordinated NGO coalition, an alliance that could campaign and influence policy.”

Aniol: “The Mediterranean Sea is a hotspot for biodiversity, but also an area where that diversity has become seriously compromised. It is the most overfished sea in the world. It was high time we joined forces. With support from Adessium Foundation and Oceans 5, 15 NGOs covened in Brussels in the Fall of 2019 to discuss what could be done to reverse these detoriarating trends. This meeting turned out to be the beginning of the Med Sea Alliance.”

Karlijn: “It had been a long time since Mediterranean-based and Brusselsbased organizations last discussed how they could work together to restore biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea. For us as funders, it was important to notice the enthusiasm in the group during that meeting in Brussels to join forces.”

How do you reach a consensus in a large group?

Anne: “Our members have a variety of backgrounds: from small, locally operating organizations to larger international players. What struck me immediately about the alliance – and what appealed to me greatly – was the sharp focus on three main priorities: reducing the impacts of bottom trawling, ensuring proper law enforcement at sea, and protecting and

expanding marine protected areas and fisheries restricted areas. It was incredibly important to select these three priorities in order to establish a clear focus.”

Karlijn: ““Forging real collaboration takes time and that is not possible in a two-day workshop. It's important that there is an open and safe environment in which people share their experiences, knowledge and ideas. Therefore, we opted for an open-ended process, professionally facilitated. The facilitator created the safe space,

Left: A whale in the Mediterranean Sea entangled in fishing nets. Right: Bottom trawling involves dragging fishing nets across the sea floor, disturbing the top layer of the seabed.

helped define common goals and processes on how to collaborate.”

What did you learn from working with such a diverse group of organizations?

Anne: “In the Med Sea Alliance you have to deal with so many different cultures, standpoints and working methods. Fortunately, this complexity is counterbalanced by what it brings us: when faced with a problem, I realize how fantastic it is that we have 15 experts who are going to consider the issue. It means you’re 15 times more likely to solve the problem.”

Aniol: “In my opinion, it is most important that the members recognize the benefits of the alliance. Fortunately, the first four project proposals we drafted reflect these benefits. I'm not afraid to say that the quality and ambition of these proposals is infinitely better than a proposal written by just one of the members.”

Do all members see the benefits?

Anne: “They most certainly do. Thanks to their membership they have access

to useful information and can gain all kinds of new insights. The members have such a wide variety of expertise. For example, one member is an authority on technical fisheries legislation while the other is an expert on legal issues. Moreover, they share their network and I regularly hear conversations such as: ‘Do you know such and such politician? Can you help me get in touch with them?’ And they've managed to reach funders who they couldn’t have approached alone. They can see the value of being part of a movement.”

Aniol: “The big players in the alliance do not doubt the usefulness of our alliance at this time. But we should be vigilant to ensure that they continue to see the benefits. An alliance also has a lot of ‘transaction costs’: the many conversations, people you have to convince, the discussions we have together. The benefits must continue to outweigh the transaction costs.”

Anne: “That is true. But I do think that the strength of our alliance lies

in the collective knowledge of the Mediterranean. Larger organizations are also eagerly looking for more local expertise and information to better understand this region. And they can now work in countries they weren’t able to work in before, especially in the southern and eastern coastal countries.”

What are you proud of?

Anne: “I am proud of our atlas that charts illegal bottom trawling, one of the results of our very first project. The atlas was presented at the United Nations Oceans Conference in Lisbon in June 2022, which was also attended by renowned marine biologist Sylvia Earle. This was also the perfect opportunity for the alliance to present itself to governments, scientists and NGOs working in the field of ocean protection. This media launch and our first study of bottom trawling in Italy resulted in more than 70 media reports. It was a great result. It was also the first time that the Med Sea Alliance communicated with the public.”

Karlijn: “A huge milestone indeed, because the members had to agree for the first time on external communication. And that's exciting because as an organization, you are officially presenting yourself as a member of this alliance for the first time. Making clear agreements is vital to ensure that member organizations rest assured that everything the alliance communicates is in line with the shared mission and the strategy.”

“In this alliance you have so many different cultures, standpoints and working methods”

Anne: “Another challenge is the internal alignment with our member organizations. The people who participate in the alliance meetings, may not be the same as those who implement the projects in the end. We have to ensure that these documents are easier to understand. As a campaign movement, you want to be able to move smoothly and quickly.”

Aniol: “The creation of the alliance is very important. It is good to remember that the alliance is still in its infancy. We will face challenges and different views. But I'm convinced we'll all come out stronger.”

What is your dream for this alliance?

Anne: “My main dream is that we can involve even more coastal countries. We now

have a good representation in the EU countries, but we still lack muscle in the other countries.”

Aniol: “I agree, a larger alliance, with more diverse members.”

Karlijn: “I hope more funders will see the strength and potential of the Med Sea Alliance and want to contribute to restoring biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea.”

The Med Sea Alliance in action

A brief summary of four projects:

1. Terminating illegal bottom trawling in protected areas of the Mediterranean. The alliance investigates the extent of illegal bottom trawling in protected waters and exposes these practices.

2. Improving the transparency and governance of the fishing industry in the Mediterranean. The alliance wants to stop illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Mediterranean.

3. Protecting coral habitats from bottom trawling: this project is under development, and the alliance is looking for funders.

4. Promoting the UN’s biodiversity objectives in the Mediterranean. One of the project’s objectives is to ensure that 30% of the Mediterranean is protected by 2030.

Karlijn Steinbusch decided to follow her passion for the protection of the Mediterranean Sea and has taken on the role of director of the Med Sea Alliance at the time this annual report was printed.

Top left: A ‘coralligenous habitat’ full of underwater life, found at 40 to 250 meters depth. One of the best-kept secrets of the Mediterranean. Left: A sea turtle in a protected zone.

Public Interest

The program

Adessium is committed to an open, democratic and just society. We strive to create a society where every citizen can participate and stay informed based on independent and reliable reporting. We believe it is vital that freedom, security and privacy are guaranteed in a digitizing society. A society where government and public bodies function effectively, and act with integrity in the interest of citizens and the community.

Reporters Without Borders gives journalists in Ukraine bullet-proof vests, helmets and emergency kits with first-aid materials. Page 54

Theme 1 Availability of quality information

Theme 2 Responsible digitization

Theme 3 Good public governance

Theme 1

Availability of quality information

A well-informed citizen is an engaged citizen. The availability and interpretation of reliable and independent information are prerequisites for an open, democratic and just society. Quality information enables citizens to gain insight into societal issues and to engage about these topics with each other, leaders and policy-makers. However, trust in production and dissemination of information in society is under pressure.

Our goals

• Promote the production and distribution of quality information.

• Safeguard and foster the role of journalism in society.

Our overall approach

• We support independent public interest journalism organizations that carry out cross-border investigations in Europe.

• We support organizations that enable collaborative journalism across national borders.

• In the Netherlands, our partners strengthen local investigative journalism.

• In order to reach a wider audience, we fund innovative storytelling, such as documentaries and podcasts.

• We work with organizations that protect journalists and ensure that they can publish freely, for example by providing legal support.

Partner in the spotlight

Media Defence: “A judicial response to government spyware usage”

Media Defence provides legal support to journalists, citizen journalists and independent media. In 2022, it came to light that the Azerbaijani government used Pegasus spyware to spy on journalists. Once a mobile device is infected, the spyware allows the controller almost complete access to that device. Media Defence brought related cases before the European Court of Human Rights. Director Alinda Vermeer: “This is a relatively newand unfortunately very effective - way of

Protests for press freedom in Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani government infected the mobile phones of journalists with spyware.

spying on journalists. This year, we came up with a judicial response to this issue. These cases are the first of many. Right now, we are preparing Pegasus cases all around the world.”

Theme 2 Responsible digitization

Society is digitalizing at a rapid pace and this development affects nearly every aspect of our lives. Although a sense of optimism dominates in terms of the opportunities this offers, caution is also needed when monitoring the potentially negative social consequences of digitalization. The centralization of power among a few large tech platforms has dramatic effects on the freedom of citizens, security and privacy, which requires a vigilant and constructive countervailing power. Integrity in the use of personal data by government bodies and businesses must be guaranteed permanently.

Our goals

• Protect citizens and societies by mitigating the adverse effects of the dominant market power of big tech companies.

• The general public has access to innovative and responsible alternatives to the services provided by large online platforms.

Our overall approach

• We support civil society that advocates for ambitious EU legislation on privacy, fundamental freedoms and other human rights in the digital field. This is supported by strategic litigation where appropriate.

• We collaborate with other foundations to enhance our support for partners who tackle large tech companies.

A package with the well-known logo of tech company Amazon.

• We contribute to social awareness about the negative aspects of the market dominance of large tech companies.

• We identify where responsible alternatives to large tech companies’ services lack, for example for public institutions.

Partner in the spotlight

SOMO: “Amazon sellers feel they have no choice”

SOMO investigates multinationals. Their goal is a fair and sustainable world in which public interest take precedence over the interests of companies. We support SOMO’s investigation into the influence of Big tech companies. Investigator Margarida Silva: “In the past year, we have investigated the impact of Amazon’s power on people’s lives. We spoke with

Theme 3 Good public governance

sellers on the online platform who told us about challenges they face and the steep fees they pay. They feel they have no choice. We linked their testimony with the growing evidence of abuse across Europe and tracked billions of Euros in Amazon revenues. This investigation enabled us to cooperate with civil society and trade unions, and together we raised the problems caused by Amazon's conduct at EU level. We are sure that many stories of the impact of Big tech companies are still to be told. This work will be fundamental to loosen Big Tech’s grip.”

Good public governance and effective regulatory bodies are of paramount importance. Our society is in perpetual motion, which requires skilled public administrators who act with integrity and well-equipped official bodies. Society demands the continuous consideration of a vast array of social interests. For this, we need public bodies that function well, instill confidence and also serve the welfare of citizens, at the local, national and European level.

SOMO has investigated the impact of Amazon on people’s lives.

Our goals

• Public administration is effectively monitored on the core values of good public administration, namely integrity, legitimacy, accountability and justice.

• There is room for innovative initiatives, also from citizens, that reduce the distance between public administration and citizens.

Our overall approach

• We support civil society organizations that monitor the government, for example in integrity and transparency.

• Our partners in investigative journalism monitor government actions, with specific attention at local level.

• We support and connect (citizen) initiatives that aim to innovate public administration, such as citizen assemblies in the context of deliberative democracy.

• We exchange knowledge with other funders in European networks, thus creating a platform where knowledge can be exchanged for potential new funders.

Partner in the spotlight ATI Coalition (coordinated by mySociety): “We can achieve more together”

MySociety aims to make public information more accessible for journalists, NGOs, citizens and others. Access to public information is regulated in the Netherlands by the Freedom of Information Act (WOO). The organization works in the Access to Information (ATI) coalition alongside Access Info Europe and the Open Knowledge Foundation Germany (FragDenStaat). Such access to information requests in European countries are channeled through national ATI websites, which are run by local organizations, where tips and instructions are shared, requests can be viewed and disclosed information is made available in a user-friendly database. In addition to supporting these local groups, the coalition works closely with those who use the national ATI websites, such as journalists – who use the sites to uncover vital information in their investigations –and organizations campaigning for better transparency legislation. Asha Pond, fundraising manager at mySociety:

“Seventeen European countries currently have an ATI website. This project focuses on increasing the capacity and impact of these sites. We do this by developing smarter tools, jointly conducting journalistic research, and learning from each other. Each organization in the coalition and the wider ATI community brings in its particular expertise, which means we can achieve more together.”

Parents affected by the childcare subsidy scandal during a debate in the House of Representatives.

Program managers

“Our partners have done important work in Ukraine”

In our Public Interest program, we saw promising developments in the field of European legislation. Moreover, our partners did important work in and for Ukraine. Program managers Ebru Akgün and Martijn Roos tell us about the most important developments in the program.

What is your impression of 2022? Our program focuses on an open, democratic and just society – a topic that was dominated by the war in Ukraine throughout 2022. Through our extensive network, we were able to support a number of NGOs doing important work in and for Ukraine. For example, our journalism partners investigated war crimes and sanctions. Among other things, they exposed how European companies were still trading with Russia.

What are essential developments in your program?

The European Union has taken important steps to curb the power of Big Tech. The Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) were approved, which will have a significant impact on digital platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Furthermore, the Netherlands witnessed breakthroughs in the area of governance with integrity, such as the lobby ban, which means that former ministers may only return to their departments after a period of two years. There are also indications that a national citizens’

assembly on climate will soon be set up in the Netherlands. Lastly, important steps have been taken to protect journalists in Europe. Together with other foundations, we fund advocacy on the anti-SLAPP Directive and other initiatives that counter SLAPPs. SLAPP stands for Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation: arbitrary lawsuits that aim to silence journalists. Negotiations on the Directive are currently taking place in Brussels. If this legislation is adopted, journalists and whistleblowers will be protected better.

Can you give us an indication of what we can expect from the program in 2023?

Our partners will follow up on last year’s major developments, for example by ensuring that the aforementioned DSA and DMA will be implemented and enforced effectively. We also have plans to activate the Democracy Network for European for funders, aiming to make more resources available for initiatives seeking to protect our democracy and rule of law.

In the Netherlands and in Europe, we see that journalism is under increasing pressure. Because we want journalists to be able to continue to produce relevant stories, we will continue to invest in organizations that safeguard and foster the role of journalists.

Martijn Roos Program manager

Ebru Akgün Program manager

Left: Ukrainian refugees live on a cruise ship. Journalist platform Investico investigated the Dutch municipalities struggling with the reception of asylum seekers.

“The democratic constitutional state is very fragile”

Lousewies van der Laan , director of Transparency International Nederland (TI-NL), is committed to more transparency and integrity in our government, politics and the business world. Yves Dejaeghere, director of the Federation for Innovation in Democracy Europe (FIDE), aims to promote a democracy in which citizens can express their opinions effectively. Together with our Public Interest program manager Martijn Roos, they discuss democracy – a key topic in our Public Interest program. What can we learn from them?

How do you view the state of our democracy?

Yves: “Citizens have higher expectations from democracy, which is a positive development. The big challenge is meeting this increased expectation. The challenge revolves around the legitimacy of certain forms of influence on policy and around ruling power between elections. There are hardly any doubts about the relevance of elections in itself. What we need to talk about is the four years in between them. How do you organize participation during those years? When can you, as a citizen, share your opinion outside elections? I could talk about this for hours. I'm a recovering academic; I've taught at universities for many years.”

Lousewies: “And I'm a recovering politician, so we have that in common. As for democracy, it is like a garden. Similar to a garden, the rule of law is never complete. You have to keep planting, weeding, watering, watching which flowers bloom… As Transparency International (TI), we look at the state of democracy at a global level, and that perspective is extremely worrying. In some countries, such as Somalia, Turkmenistan and Nicaragua, most of the vegetation in the garden is already completely withered. Overall, the trust that people had in politics and government systems has suffered an incredible number of blows, also in the Netherlands. Here, there are concerns about the way the childcare subsidy scandal is being handled, how the

victims of the gas extraction in the province of Groningen are being treated and the extremely non-transparent way in which the coronavirus – and in particular the so-called ‘face mask affair’ – was handled.”

Yves: “And on top of that, there is the issue of the fragility of democracy. Look at Rotterdam. The voter turnout during the local elections was below 40% in that region. A coalition with the support of around 20% of the electorate governs the city. In other words: 80% of the inhabitants of Rotterdam did not vote for the parties in the

Left: A speaker - carrying a child on her back - shares her opinion during the citizens’ assembly on abortion in Ireland. Right: A protest against the government's response to the earthquakes in the province of Groningen.

coalition. What if next time only 20% votes? This fragility is significant if you do not organize another form of citizen participation. You need a second parachute, or you'll come crashing down.” Martijn: “To elaborate on Lousewies’ metaphor, there is also a persistent weed in that garden: social media. How do you handle that in a democracy?”

Yves: “Social media is volatile. Twitter has a character limit, but that hasn't stopped politicians from seeing it as some sort of political forum for discussion. That says something - the fact that sound bites, one-liners and the small number of citizens who respond to them have become a kind of frame of reference.”

Lousewies: “Although social media also gives citizens a voice, I have noticed that politicians often revert to their old ways and don’t really listen. The most worrying figure I saw recently was in our Global Corruption Barometer: 42% of Dutch citizens feel that the political elite is predominantly concerned with themselves. An elite that puts self-interest before the public interest and is closely linked to corporations.”

Which role can NGOs play?

Lousewies: “The reality is that MPs get very little support. When you receive 500 e-mails a week, how many can you possibly answer with one employee at your disposal? I believe that we, civil society, play a very important role. I noticed this in the case of the Dutch Whistleblowers Act. We told MPs over and over: there are certain areas where this Act falls short, and these are the amendments you can propose. We also told them to talk to trade unions and listen to the Dutch Whistleblower Authority. As a result of the collaboration within civil society, we were able to create a much better Act than the House of Representatives would have produced without our input.”

Yves: “Coincidentally, one of the last papers I wrote as an academic was about how ‘politicians process information’. It is true that politicians receive more information in 24 hours than they can process. It’s challenging even if you mean well. What’s more, you have to deal with the underreported topic you just mentioned, Lousewies: how fragile

democracy is because it’s based on a group appointed by a small group. FIDE tells politicians that we rely too much on the responsibility of that elite to uphold ethical standards or to sound the alarm if they think something is wrong.”

How can trust in politics and institutions be restored?

Lousewies: “Especially in a world where everything changes all the time, you see that the greater the fear and uncertainty, the more important it is that people feel they can actually do something. I’ve also seen this among TI members. People have said: ‘I’m so happy we can finally do something! We’ll join a TI working group and then our voices will be heard by the House of Representatives.’ It makes a difference if you can be part of the solution.”

Yves: “But you have to keep in mind what most citizens think about politics. What does someone who has the closing shift at the supermarket five days a week at 11:00 p.m. think about politics? That person will say: ‘I am tired, I have three children and I still have to get those benefits back from a few years ago. That is what I’m worried about’. You cannot expect citizens to keep up with all political developments. But for that specific person, it is important that a supermarket employee, someone like him or her, was involved in developing

“42% of Dutch citizens feel that the political elite is predominantly concerned with themselves and has close ties with corporations”

policy. Look at what happened in Ireland with the famous citizens’ assembly on abortion. Catholics didn’t leave the assembly as atheists. It is nice to hear people say: ‘I am still the person who I always was, but I have heard all the arguments and I think we need to make changes anyway’. Such a statement means a lot to others who identify with the stance of that person. That is why representation in citizen panels matters.” Martijn: “It’s very striking that we’ve been through major crises recently and the solution seems to be relatively simple: just get people talking and listening to each other. Even if you are in a position of power, don’t be afraid to take a step back and also partially distance yourself from that power. To quote the famous professional football player Johan Cruyff: football is a simple game, but playing simple soccer is the hardest thing. This also

applies to democracy in a way. It might not be all that difficult, but doing it right is very complicated.”

About these partners

Transparency International Nederland focuses on a world in which government, politics, business, civil society and the daily lives of people are free of corruption. They aim to improve integrity, transparency and accountability in Dutch society.

The Federation for Innovation in Democracy Europe (FIDE) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the participation of everyday citizens in policy-making. The organization advises governments on the use of deliberative democratic methods, such as citizen assemblies. A citizen assembly is a group of people that meet and examine a specific policy challenge. They deliberate on possible measures and formulate policy recommendations for the government.

Top left: Minister Hugo de Jonge talks to the press about the so-called ‘face mask deal’ with Sywert van Lienden. Left: French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne delivers a speech at the opening of the citizens’ debate on euthanasia.

Flexible Funding

The program

In addition to its three programs, Adessium Foundation also created flexibility in its budget. This flexibility allows us to respond to special opportunities, urgent needs in society or current events, such as the war in Ukraine.

Support in times of war

The war in Ukraine has significantly influenced the work of many of our partner organizations. Soon after the invasion, we asked our partners how the war impacted them. Part of our budget is reserved to respond to such exceptional circumstances. In this piece, we highlight seven organizations that we supported in 2022: what are their activities in Ukraine, the neighboring countries and the Netherlands?

Basic needs, medication and training

Doctors without Borders is active in Ukraine and its neighboring countries. The organization evacuates seriously injured and sick people by train to safer places, and supplies hospitals with medication. There is also a great need for care in the areas liberated by the Ukrainian army. Here, Doctors without Borders’ mobile medical clinics help the elderly, people with disabilities, pregnant women and people with mental health problems. The organization also provides trainings in one of the largest hospitals in Kyiv, where only 200 employees remain of the 2,000 who used to work there. “This hospital has no experienced trauma surgeons who can treat bullet and grenade injuries”, says emergency support coordinator Anja Wolz. “Our surgical team has provided training and consultation to staff in order to prepare the hospital for a potential increase in casualties.”

Stoves to Ukraine

Many Ukrainians currently have no power or heating because Russian air strikes target power plants across the country. Meanwhile, temperatures can drop to -20 degrees Celsius during the winter. The organization Kachels voor Oekraïne (Heaters for Ukraine) has delivered around 10,000 gas heaters, 9,000 gas cylinders and 300 diesel stoves to people in need. Additionally, eight

hospitals run on the generators provided by the organization, allowing life-saving operations to continue. Initiator Sander de Kramer: “We drove past checkpoints where everyone was stopped, but we were allowed to continue. The Russians were only a few hundred meters away. These stoves have reached the people who needed our help the most.”

Left: A journalist puts on a bullet-proof vest in the Center for Press Freedom in Lviv.

Right: Doctors without Borders transports a seriously-injured patient in a medical evacuation train from eastern Ukraine to western Ukraine.

Hubs for exiled journalists

We started a new partnership with Free Press Unlimited (FPU). This organization provides emergency support to journalists in Ukraine, and has also opened so-called ‘media hubs’ in Poland for journalists who fled Ukraine. These hubs provide journalists equipment and a safe space to continue their work. The journalists also receive practical help, such as finding accommodation or childcare. A group of exiled Ukrainian journalists received training and support to establish an independent editorial board in Poland. Journalist Nataliya Ryab: “We work with media operating in Ukraine. We suggest topics for stories we can create here in Poland, such as stories about refugees. We also support them in creating their stories when they don’t have the time, energy or resources to do so.” In late 2022, the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv experienced regular power outages. In response, FPU installed electricity generators in the city, so-called ‘energy hubs,’ so journalists can continue their work.

Protection of journalists Reporters

Without Borders (RSF) and the local Institute for Mass Information have set up a Press Freedom Center in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine. Journalists receive financial and psychological support, training, and bulletproof vests and helmets. The Center also provides a secure internet connection and shelter, so journalists can always continue their work. In May, RSF opened a second center in Kyiv. “By opening this new center, RSF is on the front line in protecting Ukrainian and international journalists”, said Alexander Query, spokesperson for the Center, “It is a new chapter in our mission to protect and defend press freedom in Ukraine.”

Documentation of war crimes

Human Rights Watch (HRW) documents war crimes, such as attacks on civilians. This documentation is necessary for

cases to be brought before the International Criminal Court and other mechanisms to seek accountability. “Russian troops have turned the occupied territories of southern Ukraine into an abyss of fear and wild lawlessness”, said Yulia Gorbunova, senior researcher on Ukraine at HRW, who focusses on violations in the occupied territories. "Torture, inhumane treatment, as well as arbitrary detention and unlawful detention of civilians, are among the apparent war crimes we have documented, and Russian authorities need to end such violations immediately and understand that they can, and will, be held accountable.”

Emergency relief in the Netherlands

Doctors of the World has been providing emergency medical support to Ukrainians since the first refugees arrived in the Netherlands. The teams provide medical care in the form of primary health care – care that does not require a referral, such as the treatment provided by a general practitioner or dentist - and psychological support. Medical volunteer Joanne Bakker: “It was heartbreaking to see the Ukrainians in our care bus. I saw a lot of stress symptoms, for example a six-year-old girl had developed tics as a result of the trauma she endured. She blinked a lot and had minor panic attacks.

“We work with media operating in Ukraine. We suggest topics for stories we can create here in Poland. And we support them when they don’t have the energy or resources”

Her mother was distressed and on top of that they were in a new country where everything was foreign to them.”

Chats with a language buddy

Our partner Het Begint Met Taal (It Starts With Language) matches Dutch volunteers with Ukrainian refugees who want to learn Dutch. People in the 'Language buddies for Ukrainians' pilot program talk online via Teams, Zoom or FaceTime on a weekly basis. A coordinator matches the language buddies with those who want to learn Dutch. Through this one-on-one contact, the participants expand their vocabulary, conversational skills and gain confidence to speak Dutch. “I feel more confident speaking Dutch, for example with customers at work”, says a Ukrainian participant.

Additionally

one of the volunteers explains: “It may seem very simple, recognizing or speaking a few words of Dutch, but it is a huge step, especially if you've fled a war-torn country. I have a lot of respect for our participants.”

Responding to changing societal priorities

In a rapidly changing society, a philanthropic foundation needs to be flexible enough to adapt to rapidly changing societal priorities. To that end, in addition to its three programs, Adessium has reserved part of its budget for flexible funding. Through this budget, Adessium was able to provide approximately 1 million Euros for emergency support for Ukrainian refugees. Moreover, we believe that producing quality information during a war is crucial, especially when disinformation is used as a war tactic. That is why we also supported partners who ensure journalists can continue to do their work in Ukraine and abroad.

Top left: Doctors of the World provides emergency medical care to Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands.

Left: Exiled journalists at work in FPU’s so-called ‘media hub’ in Poland.

Staying relevant in a fast-changing world

To remain relevant as a foundation and continue working innovatively, we have to keep asking ourselves critical questions. Do our good intentions yield the desired results? Our strategic learning manager Lizzy Eilbracht tells us how we tried to answer these questions with our team, fellow foundations and partner organizations in 2022.

The questions we ask ourselves

We ask ourselves questions that help us use our resources more effectively. One question is on the involvement of people with lived experiences in our Social Initiatives program. For example, civil society organizations that strive for a humane treatment of refugees or undocumented people increasingly base their approach on suggestions provided by the target group itself.

Adessium offers ‘institutional funding’ where possible, with the aim of endorsing an organization’s mission and minimizing restrictions on the precise allocation of funds. We asked our partners whether this freedom to deploy resources at their own discretion is perceived in the same that we intend it to be. It turns out that our partners do not necessarily always feel that they have this freedom. This is an important lesson for us, showing that we need to communicate more clearly about the nature, intention and flexibility of our funding.

The questions we ask our partners

How do we monitor our partners’ objectives?

Lizzy Eilbracht Manager strategic learning

We asked ourselves: can we help access best practices in utilizing this expertise? How can we use the experiences of such front-runners to inspire others? We also looked at important safeguards to apply this method carefully, as we do not want to cause harm to these vulnerable target groups.

We also continue to reflect critically on our approach. Does our method contribute to effective actions? What can we improve? That is why in 2022, we tested several elements of our approach and practices through our partners (see text box). For instance, we asked how partners deal with the conditions attached to our funding.

We have discovered that having strategic conversations with our partners is becoming increasingly important when assessing the progress of a project or program. Partners shared that they appreciate that we listen and engage in a deeper understanding of the evolving context in which they operate and the continuous adjustments this requires in their work.

For instance, instead of making agreements based on, say, ‘reaching 3,000 people with a news article,’ we prefer to talk about what the impact of an article was on a specific government policy. This allows more constructive discussions on the long-term perspective, making objectives a shared task rather than a ‘tick the box’ exercise for us as funders. The key question in such conversations is often: what are the big dilemmas that our partners deal with, which problems

do they run into when trying to achieve their goals? A qualitative conversation is as important as a quantitative analysis. We hope these conversations help our partners, as some of the insights we share are based on similar experiences with other organizations, which may provide additional insight. We already had such discussions in place, but our monitoring processes and forms have now also been adapted accordingly.

The questions we ask fellow foundations

We do not work on societal challenges in isolation because we realize that we can achieve more together. A good example of a social development that requires a collective approach is toxic polarization. Polarization is toxic when the

conversation between groups stops because society becomes more and more opposed. When this is the case, solutions to polarized topics seem to disappear. We noticed that our partners are increasingly affected by this phenomenon. So we asked our fellow foundations: what is your take on toxic polarization? Is it a subject we can tackle together? To answer this question, we invited an expert on polarization from the Hannah Arendt Institute for a gathering with 15 other foundations in the Netherlands. Often times, such a day leaves us with more questions than answers, but it made different perspectives visible. If foundations would collaborate more closely on such topics, we would have greater influence in contributing to improvements in our society.

Survey of partners

We wanted to test some of our assumptions about our approach with our partners. An external consultant made a selection from our portfolio and conducted in-depth interviews with 12 of our partners. We did not know which partners were interviewed. It was an anonymous process to ensure that partners could provide feedback without any hesitations. It was good to hear what our partners value in our approach and to hear that our emphasis on organizational development can actually make a difference. The survey also provided valuable insights on what we can improve, for example sharing our strategic choices better. A comment that was frequently expressed in the interviews was that our partners generally value our partnership. In addition to the funding we provide, our flexible attitude and critical thinking appear to be valuable for them. One quote from the survey stood out: “It wasn’t just money. They helped us think outside-the-box.” Do you have questions or feedback or want to learn more about the survey? Send an e-mail to feedback@adessium.org.

Left: Protest against the coronavirus measures in Amsterdam. Proponents and opponents clash in a polarized debate.

Movement on the Ground volunteers have opened a hair salon in an asylum center. The organization uses the talents and ambitions of asylum seekers to improve their environment. Page 21

Background Adessium Foundation

Adessium Foundation was established in 2005 by the Van Vliet family, which has a background in asset management. The Foundation is recognized as a ‘public benefit organization’ (ANBI) by the Dutch tax authorities.

As stipulated in multi-year agreements, Adessium Foundation periodically receives donations from an affiliated foundation which oversees capital set aside by the Van Vliet family. The allocation of donations by Adessium Foundation meant for public benefit is strictly separated from its asset management. Adessium Foundation does not receive any other resources than what is gifted by the family.

Adessium Foundation is a member of the Association Foundation in the Netherlands (FIN) and the Philanthropy Europe Association (Philea). Adessium Foundation subscribes to the Philea code of conduct and meets the FIN criteria for good governance.

Rogier van Vliet Chairman

Martijn Roos Program manager Public Interest

Ebru Akgün Program manager Public Interest

Lizzy Eilbracht Manager strategic learning

Nina Koopman Program manager People & Nature

Tamara van Doesburg Communications manager

Karin Bezemer Office manager

Job Rijneveld Program manager Social Initiatives

Adessium

Martijn Meijer Director of programs

Jan Meijerman Board member

Hendrik-Jan Laseur Board member (resigned 31-12-2022)

Loïs Schotanus Program manager People & Nature

Amounts

thousands of

Overall grantmaking 1

Grants 2

Project-related costs + exchange results of grants

Operational expenses 3

Total Distribution across programs Public Interest People & Nature Social Initiatives

Flexible funding

Total Distribution by type of support

Programmatic-institutional 4 Project-related

Total Distribution by region / intended results The Netherlands

Rest of the European Union Rest of the world

Total

61 Finances

A resident of asylum center Cranendonck in North Brabant at an activity location set up by Movement on the Ground volunteers. Page 21

Media Defence brought a case before the European Court of Human Rights regarding the Azerbaijani government installing spyware on the mobile phones of journalists. Pictured: Protests for press freedom in Azerbaijan at the border of eastern Europe and western Asia. Page 42

Corals in the Mediterranean Sea. The Med Sea Alliance wants to ensure that the coral habitats are protected from bottom trawling. Page 36

Quiet volunteers distributing soup to their members. The Quiet Communities offer accessible consultation hours. More information on page 24

Credits

Content

Adessium Foundation

Design deWereldvanIM.nl

Printer

Puntgaaf drukwerk

Credits photography

Page 7, 16, 19, 20, 21, 24, 27, 58, 60, 62, 65: Goedele Monnens. 4: Robin Alysha Clemens. 6: Shutterstock. 13, 53: Andrii Ovod. 18: Dingena Mol. 30: Lars Soer. 33: Joan Costa García. 34 (horses): Twan Teunissen. 34 (landscape): Peter Veldt. 36 (whale): Pedro Riera Llompart. 43: Graeme Robertson. 45: Robin Utrecht.

46: Sem van der Wal. 48: Marcel van den Bergh. 49: Anjo de Haan. 50: Bart Maat. 51: Alain Jocard. 52: Alberto Buzzola. 57: Guus Schoonewille. 64: Nuria Bufort Costa.

Contact

Stichting Adessium / Adessium Foundation

PO Box 76 • 2810 AB Reeuwijk • The Netherlands

+31 182 646100 • info@adessium.org • www.adessium.org

Chamber of Commerce no. 24.38.02.61

Date of publication

April 2023

Content

© Adessium Foundation 2023. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer

This Annual Report provides information about Adessium Foundation’s activities. Adessium Foundation cannot guarantee that the information provided is entirely accurate, complete, and current. Adessium Foundation accepts no liability whatsoever for damages of any kind that may result from the use of or reliance on the information provided. No rights may be derived from the information provided. The content and design of this annual report are subject to intellectual property rights belonging to Adessium Foundation and third parties. Prior written permission from Adessium Foundation is required to reproduce, copy, change, or publish all or part of this annual report electronically or by any other means.

Caring for each other and our environment