Livability. That word best sums up Katalys' mission. The organization supports people who want to improve their neighborhood or living environment. 'It's about livability in the broadest sense,' says Jos van Nuenen, who in his spare time works as an advisor for Katalys for the province of Overijssel. 'It might involve, for example, the construction of a playground or the purchase of a village church as a community center. Greening a neighborhood or setting up a small-scale housing initiative under the direction of the community. We focus on people who want something but are not sure how to go about it.'
Katalys supports such resident initiatives by contributing knowledge and experience, ranging from organizational advice to practical tips. 'We often know which way to go if you want to set something up, how to involve the municipality, for example, how to ensure support in the neighborhood,' says Van Nuenen. 'Primarily we use our network of experts and experts. That now includes legal expertise, through Dirkzwager.'
Specialist support, in the legal field and with regard to business management, is exactly what Stichting Het 8ste Werk, one of the projects supported by Katalys, needs. 'What exactly do we do? Our concept is a bit difficult to explain,' says initiator and administrator Jaap Boersma. 'Basically, we share the yard of our farm in Kampen with all kinds of people for all kinds of activities. We have a Sunday brunch, a social supermarket that works as a food bank, chore days, a quiet room, a studio and art wall. Anyone is welcome and can spontaneously drop in."
Neighborhood
The people who get recruited come from all walks of life. Boersma: "They can be people who are going through a difficult divorce, or people who need temporary shelter for whatever reason. Pensioners, flex workers, people with autism, but also the so-called care avoiders and care leavers. Here we are not talking about the conditions people have or the labels that are put on them. Instead, we focus on what people can do. Dilution of severity, it is sometimes called.'
If for Katalys the central word is 'liveability,' for Stichting Het 8ste Werk it is 'naoberschap.' 'An East Dutch term for looking out for each other, caring for each other,' says Boersma. 'Our yard, with a garden, an orchard and water, is a place where you can unwind, and where everyone matters.'
Katalys is a sounding board for The 8th Work Foundation on all kinds of issues. Jos van Nuenen: 'We advise mainly on financial reporting, how to set up building projects, how to attract investments. But also how to set up the organization in a professional way."
Legal Help Desk
The partnership between Katalys and Dirkzwager includes several schemes that resident initiatives can make use of. The schemes are made available by Dirkzwager from the point of view of corporate social responsibility.
Katalys can refer a residents' initiative to Dirkzwager's legal helpdesk, where they can receive several hours of free legal advice. Dirkzwager specialists then look at the case, consult with the initiative and provide them with advice. If more hours prove necessary, the work can be performed at a reduced rate.
Dirkyzwager also provides workshops and webinars on behalf of the initiatives, for example on the Law on Management and Supervision of Legal Persons (WBTR) or from a tax point of view on the Public Benefit Institution (ANBI).
Work
Dirkzwager helped, among other things, with the drafting of new statutes. The 8th Work Foundation could really use this legal help.
'For example, a while back we saw the need to amend our articles of association, and also to introduce a new governance model, a so-called one tier board,' says Jaap Boersma. 'This involves directors and supervisors sitting in one body. But we obviously needed legal advice on how to do that.'
The articles of association and regulations must of course facilitate this and provide the right framework, so that all directors (both executive and non-executive) can perform their duties properly. In this context Dirkzwager has drafted the amendment of the articles of association of Stichting Het 8ste Werk, as well as prepared an amendment of the by-laws. The non-executive directors supervise and advise the executive directors in the performance of their duties. Because there is one body, supervision can be carried out more effectively compared to a situation where there is a separate supervisory body. After all, the supervisors are closer to the board because they are also part of the governing body. The by-laws have also been amended to reflect the new one tier board situation.
Dirkzwager also supports The 8th Work Foundation around ANBI status. An ANBI status has important tax advantages. Boersma: "Our concept is difficult to label. Precisely because we do something for so many different people in so many different ways, people find it difficult to determine to what extent we are a public benefit organization. That is why it is essential that we formulate our objective well. At the same time, you can see that the municipality, for example, appreciates our concept, because they also know that we take care of many people who, if their situation worsens, would end up in expensive care programs."
Valuable legal expertise
Dirkzwager's legal help enables Stichting Het 8ste Werk to further professionalize. 'For those statutes you really need specialist knowledge,' says Boersma. "With Dirkzwager it is great to have a solid partner on our side who knows all the ins and outs. The cooperation goes very well; if I don't have time to respond to something, they understand. But they also keep me on my toes."
Katalys is also satisfied with the cooperation. 'The draft statutes that were made for the Het 8ste Werk Foundation can be put forward again for other projects at Katalys,' Van Nuenen concludes. 'It is very valuable for us that we now also have legal expertise in our network. And we can use it for neighborhood initiatives that need it.'
