Partnership between FBNR and SERIS
The Rotterdam Special Needs Fund (FBNR) plays an essential role in supporting vulnerable residents of Rotterdam who are facing financial emergencies. It is therefore with great pleasure that SERIS announces its financial support for this valuable initiative over the next two years. This annual donation aligns perfectly with SERIS’s CSR policy, in which we focus, among other things, on creating a positive social impact.
Through its partnership with FBNR, SERIS is helping to reduce poverty in Rotterdam and improve the quality of life for those who need it most. Together, we can make a difference in the fight against poverty and social inequality in Rotterdam. In addition, we are demonstrating that SERIS is committed to supporting the local community.
About the Rotterdam Special Needs Fund
Nearly 55,000 households in Rotterdam live in poverty, affecting 1 in 5 children. That’s 19% of all households in Rotterdam—twice the rate for the Netherlands as a whole! Poverty causes stress and is often accompanied by social isolation and poor health. When major life events or financial setbacks occur, things often go wrong and people find themselves in trouble. That’s when it’s great to have immediate help available!
For 16 years, the Rotterdam Special Needs Fund (FBNR) has been helping Rotterdam residents who find themselves in financial distress. Through a one-time grant, FBNR resolves these individuals’ immediate problems and helps them see a way forward. FBNR ensures that:
- A child can sleep in their own bed, which helps improve their performance in school
- A mother suffering from severe toothache receives relief, allowing her to better care for her children
- an elderly couple lives in a warm home because their utilities are not being cut off
- a young person in a youth facility can complete his or her education
- A family with four children can do laundry again, because their broken washing machine has been replaced.
When evaluating applications, the FBNR applies the following principles.
- Urgent: The Fund focuses on urgent emergencies that require immediate action.
- Basic needs: The Fund focuses on resolving situations where access to basic needs is at risk.
- Not ongoing: The Fund never provides ongoing financial support; it always provides a one-time grant for a specific purpose.
- Residents of Rotterdam: A social worker can only submit an application on behalf of people who live in Rotterdam.
- No other options: all other options for resolving the financial emergency (whether through the individual’s own efforts, legal provisions, or municipal programs) offer no solution or do not provide a timely solution.
- A social worker asks: Residents of Rotterdam cannot apply to the Fund on their own; applications must always be submitted through a social worker.
- Sustainable perspective: The social worker must explain how a grant from the Fund contributes to a sustainable improvement in the situation.
