Support from Dutch government for philanthropy validation system

The Dutch government has proposed a series of measures to encourage charities to opt in to the national philanthropy validation system, in a letter to the House of Representatives by Dutch state secretary of security and justice, Klaas Dijkhoff.

In the letter, the state secretary proposes making validation mandatory for any charities seeking lottery funding. Research is taking place to explore how this system could play a role in the granting of government subsidies. The Dutch tax authorities and the charity sector are also investigating whether validation can be linked to the status of Public Benefit Organisation (PBO).

In addition, the state secretary has said that he will support a campaign next year aimed at building public awareness of the validation system.

Goede Doelen Nederland, the Dutch charity branch association, has welcomed the proposals. Chair Jan van Berkel said:

“At the moment this is the only standard that immediately makes it clear to everyone that a charity meets all quality requirements and is managing its affairs properly, which is essential for public trust and confidence in the philanthropy sector. With this package of measures the state secretary is encouraging charities to apply for validation. We regard these measures as a big helping hand for the new validation system and its further expansion.”

The new self-regulatory system was introduced at the beginning of the year, and there are currently more than 400 organisations registered with the scheme.