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Welcome at our Woord en Daad website!

Mission

Woord en Daad wants to fight poverty in Africa, Asia and Central-America from a Christian perspective. We operate in the following countries: Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Liberia, Nicaragua, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Chad, Zambia, South Africa. Through local organizations we want to provide a decent existence for the poor. To do this, we make an appeal to everyone’s responsibility, both here and over there. Woord en Daad would like to be a strong and reliable link between you and the poor in our working area. Woord en Daad structurally cooperates with Christian partner organizations in the Education program, the Job & Income program (vocational traning, job mediation and starting small business), and the Basic Needs program (health care, water and agriculture). 

Numbers

Revenues 2004 19.3 million €
Countries 20
Partner organizations 34
Financed projects 200
Children in financial adoption program 29,346
Donors 55,000
Youth members  18,000  
Business Platform members  72
Personnel  30
Volunteers at the office 6
Committee members 750 

Poverty in a biblical perspective

Woord en Daad is an organization motivated by the biblical task to take care of our poor neighbor. Woord en Daad is aware that the fight against poverty takes place in a sinful world. Woord en Daad’s work is deeply connected to the anticipated advent of the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness (Matthew 6:33a). Woord en Daad sees its activities as signs of this Kingdom.

Irrespective of persons

Woord en Daad chooses for the very poorest, irrespective of their ethnical background, religion, sex, or political orientation.
The whole person: In Woord en Daad ’s view, poverty transcends the material aspects. It also has a structural, psychological and spiritual dimension. Relief work has to pay attention to these diverse aspects.  

Aid organization

Woord en Daad is an aid organization, not a missionary organization. As our mission statement makes clear, we do our work from a Christian perspective. This means that Christian education is given at the schools we support, and that our partners shape their activities according to a framework of biblical norms and values.

Responsibilities back and forth

Woord en Daad wants to encourage people to assume responsibility. Those in the rich North, for the poor people far away. Those in the poor South, for themselves and, in doing so, for others. People who are vulnerable, and are unable carry responsibility, like women and children, are entitled to aid. Woord en Daad will represent those who are unable to make themselves heard. Woord en Daad wants to help those who are able to carry responsibility but lack the means to do so, so that they can support themselves.

Strategy, Woord en Daad ’s work entails these three aspects:

  • Fighting poverty in developing countries: based on an chained approach -from boarder to breadwinner- we focus on education (kindergarten to secondary and higher education), job & income (professional training, employment-finding, setting up small businesses, micro credit), basic needs (water, food, health, agriculture), and exchange of knowledge.
  • Enhancing awareness among our supporters: we want to make our supporters aware of the causes and the consequences of poverty.
  • Maintaining the interests of the very poorest. If necessary, we turn to the political establishment, the press and the business community to claim attention for the position of the very poorest.

High quality and low cost

Woord en Daad wants to be accountable for the way it operates and the way it spends its funds. Therefore, we are always searching for an optimal balance between high quality and low cost. This means we attach great importance to working with highly qualified and motivated personnel. We also want to meet quality standards like ISO. We aim to provide clear insight in our activities and the results we achieve. In addition, Woord en Daad aims at low costs, and therefore we want to ensure that at least 90% of every donated euro will be spent on projects for poverty reduction (see chapter 8). In part because of the dedication of many volunteers (including 750 committee members), we have been succeeding in this for years. Reconciling the aims of low cost and high quality is not always easy to achieve. It forces us to look for efficient and creative solutions.

Codes of conduct Woord en Daad

Woord en Daad subscribes to the Code of Conduct of the International Red Cross, an international code of conduct for aid organizations;
Follows the Sphere Standards for emergency aid and reconstruction;
Uses the Code of Conduct of the Association of Fundraising Organizations (Vereniging Fondsenwervende Instellingen) with regard to fund raising.

Woord en Daad closely watches its expenses with regard to overhead costs in the Netherlands. It is a policy principle that no more than 10% of our income is spent on fundraising and project implementation costs in the Netherlands. This means that, out of every euro you donate, 90% is spent directly on projects for poverty reduction. Woord en Daad directs its expenses in such a way that they keep in line with this policy principle and Woord en Daad continually checks on this.

Fundraising costs
Half of the 10 percent mentioned is spent on fundraising. According to the guidelines of the Central Bureau for Fundraising, the fundraising costs should stay under 25%. Woord en Daad remains comfortably below this norm. In 2004, the percentage of the costs for own fundraising (CBF-norm) was 5.52%. This includes advertising costs, leaflets, and the salaries of fundraising personnel. The CBF-percentage is only related to own fundraising (income gathered from private individuals, churches, schools, and businesses). If the income gathered from subsidies and the costs involved are also taken into account, the total costs for fundraising amount to 4.80% of income.

Project implementation costs
The other half of the costs in the Netherlands consists of expenses necessary to guide and monitor the programs and projects of our partners in the South. Included are the salaries for staff judging project applications and visiting projects. Also included are the costs for enlarging awareness, for example through information campaigns at schools or the youth magazine ‘Grenzeloos’ (without borders). In 2004, these costs amounted to 5.39%. In total, the overhead costs in the Netherlands amounted to 10.19% of income.

Checking expenses
Woord en Daad wants to spend its funds in a responsible way, and this applies just as well to money that has left the Netherlands in order to be spent overseas. First of all, local partners should have a reliable and orderly working method. Long-term partners of Woord en Daad have to meet high quality standards. If necessary, Woord en Daad assists its partner in improving its working method. All partner organizations (with a donation up to € 35,000 per year) are audited by local accountants each year. In addition, Woord en Daad checks during yearly working visits whether the money is spent on the intended target. Also, once in every five years we visit partners to examine their financial management and the functioning of their internal and external controlling mechanisms. Woord en Daad does not limit its supervision to the financial level. It devotes much attention to qualitative aspects: does the support actually reach the target group, does the support really make a difference in people’s lives? Arrangements made by Woord en Daad with its partners are written down in project- and program agreements. Woord en Daad’s obligations towards its partners are also incorporated in these agreements.

Quality systems
To ensure the quality of its activities, Woord en Daad adheres to three quality control systems. The first system is derived from the CBF-seal of approval, containing minimum requirements for management, fund raising, and reporting. For process management and improvement, we follow the ISO-system. Woord en Daad has been ISO-certified since May 2002 (ISO 9001-2000, category 35). Finally, Woord en Daad applies the COSO-system for process coherence and control.

For more information:
Woord en Daad
Address: P.O. 560, 4200 AN, Gorinchem, The Netherlands
Telephone: +31-183-611800
Fax; +31-183-611808
E-mail: info@woordendaad.nl

Summary annual report 2004 - Download here
This annual report is published by Woord en Daad. This report is a summary of its consolidated Dutch annual report.

Woord en Daad worldwide, download map here

Revuenes and expenses in 2004:

Summary annual report 2003 - Download here
Summary annual report 2002 - Download here
Nederlands