Livelihood security

A fair chance to participate

Increasing numbers of people in the Netherlands are struggling to keep up in society. We support initiatives that help them and work on long-term solutions. Our primary focus is on families and young people in vulnerable situations. Our goal is a society in which everyone has a fair chance to participate and develop their potential.

Facts & figures

In the Netherlands, 540,000 people live in poverty (source: Statistics Netherlands)
115,000 children live in poverty in the Netherlands (source: Statistics Netherlands)
1.2 million people in the Netherlands have hardly any financial reserves (source: Statistics Netherlands)

How we see this theme

Everyone deserves a fair chance to participate. Adessium supports initiatives that help families and young people in vulnerable situations to gain more security. This way, we work together to build an just and equitable society.

Poverty brings many other problems with it, such as stress, health problems and limited opportunities for a prosperous future. For children, growing up in poverty often leaves them at a permanent disadvantage as compared to their peers.

Adessium doesn’t just help to relieve the immediate effects of poverty; it also seeks to achieve structural solutions. We want to prevent children already having a disadvantage from an early age due to the situation they grow up in. That’s why we support initiatives that offer them opportunities and ensure that they can participate fully in society.

How we go about this

Immediate support. We help organizations that provide immediate aid to people in need. Such as financial assistance or voluntary debt counselling.
Preventing problems. We support initiatives that identify or prevent problems at an early stage. We particularly focus on better opportunities for young people from vulnerable families.
Innovation. We support innovative approaches within support services to solve persistent problems.
Advocacy. We support organizations that work to achieve policies and rules that address structural inequality.

Stories

Energy use guidance: more than just talk, giving practical help right away too

Published in theme

Livelihood security

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“What do you need to be able to do to become a children’s doctor?”

Published in theme

Livelihood security

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“But surely you can just buy water at the supermarket?”

Published in theme

Livelihood security

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Updates van Adessium

Twenty years of Adessium: the journey

Published on: 15 June 2026
Annual Report 2025

Published on: 19 May 2026
Civil society organizations under pressure in the EU

Published on: 6 May 2026

Organizations that we support

IMC Weekendschool

IMC Weekendschool prepares young people for the most important step after school: making choices about their future based on their own talents and interests.
ONSbank

Stichting ONSbank is a non-profit organization that strives for a more humane approach to people who struggle with debt.
Stichting PILP

PILP serves as the legal ally for a diverse group of stakeholders in the Netherlands, including NGOs, advocacy groups, movements, communities, activists, lawyers and academics.
Schuldhulpmaatje

Schuldhulpmaatje aims to reach people with (imminent) debts at an early stage. The organization offers help via the internet and with trained volunteers, who can help them in an expert and personal way towards a debt-free life. Guidance in behavioral change and financial self-reliance are central to this.