Stichting van Schulden naar Kansen: fighting poverty under a new name

“Stichting van Schulden naar Kansen” (“From Debt to Opportunities Foundation”) has been the new name for our partner Delta Lloyd Foundation since 1 May 2018. The foundation’s goal is to drive down poverty caused by problematic debts in Amsterdam, Arnhem, Rotterdam and Zwolle within five years. To achieve this, the foundation provides support to local social projects that give participants the financial knowledge and skills to get out of debt and maintain this.

The Poverty Interventions research group at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences is currently conducting a multi-year effect study. The study results for 2017 show that 23% of the respondents who were in debt at the start of a project were debt-free after the project. The average debt of a large number of participants decreased significantly from €13,149 to €7,282. Participants also see a development in their financial skills. They are better able to manage their money or more successful at keeping track of their spending. The results of the study into projects and participants are available in the foundation’s annual report and on its website: www.vanschuldennaarkansen.nl.

Adessium Foundation is supporting the program for a period of several years in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, due to the scale of the problems in these cities and the importance of effective debt prevention. This cooperation makes it possible to provide sustainable support for projects at neighborhood level and carry out studies to measure their impact.