PlanetRomeo Foundation

2015 Annual Report

PlanetRomeo Foundation hereby presents its 2015 annual report, a year in which we look back with pride. We funded a total of € 143,631 to 34 LGBTI projects around the world, almost 50% more as compared to 2014. This makes the Foundation Board proud and even more determined to continue our efforts to fund small LGBTI initiatives. The contribution we make to the lives of LGBTI people around the world is real and needed. We make a difference, but we cannot do so without our donators. The board would therefore also extend its immense gratitude to all who helped to make this possible.

2015 Project Overview

A In 2015, a total of 151 funding requests have been received, an increase of more than 60% as compared to 2014. Of these 151 requests, 104 were rejected because they did not match the Foundation's funding strategy and policy. At the end of 2015, 13 funding requests were still pending. Funding Requests 2015
Under consideration end of 2015 ▼ 13 requests 8.6%
Rejected ▼ 104 requests 68.9%
Granted ▼ 34 requests 22.5%
A total of 34 funding requests were granted financial support in 2015 for a total amount of € 143,631 allocated. An overview of these projects can be found in the interactive world map presented above. Amount Awarded by Region
Asia & the Pacific ▼ € 21,251 5 projects 14.8%
Sub-Saharan Africa ▼ € 66,021 14 projects 46.0%
Europe ▼ € 35,020 9 projects 24.4%
Middle East & North Africa ▼ € 10,975 3 projects 7.6%
The Americas ▼ € 10,364 3 projects 7.2%
Amount Allocated by Theme
Sports & Culture ▼ € 21,000 14.6% of € 143,631
Education ▼ € 81,396 56.7% of € 143,631
Safety & Shelter ▼ € 41,235 28.7% of € 143,631
 

2015 Financial Overview

In 2015, the total amount of donations received was € 136,813. PlanetRomeo Foundation received a total of € 25,813 in third party donations from individuals: an amount of € 20,460 was donated by the romeo.com community, € 5,353 from other sources. PlanetRomeo B.V. made a donation of € 111,000. Release of funding obligations During 2015, a few payment installments for projects supported in previous years were cancelled, due to projects being finished with less expense than previously budgeted for, or projects that didn’t meet their original project goals. This led to a release of funding obligations over previous years in the amount of € 11,150. This amount was added to the 2015 income and directly made available for funding other projects. Income 2015: € 147,963
Donation PlanetRomeo B.V. ▼ € 111,000 75.0% of € 147,963
Donations romeo.com community ▼ € 20,460 13.9% of € 147,963
Third party donations ▼ € 5.353 3.6% of € 147,963
Release funding obligations ▼ € 11,150 7.5% of € 147,963
In 2015, the total amount of expenditures was € 150,519. The greater part of this cost, € 143,631, consists of the actual project funding. On overhead, € 6,888 was spent. Relative to the above mentioned annual income of € 136,813 (release of funding obligations to the amount of € 11,150 excluded), this results in an overhead percentage of 5.0%. Expenditures 2015: € 150,519
Project funding ▼ € 143,631 95.4% of € 150,519
Overhead ▼ € 6,888 4.6% of € 150,519
Service Agreement PlanetRomeo B.V. provides services, like the provision of staff, office space and inventory to PlanetRomeo Foundation. This is set in a so-called Service Agreement which has been valued at a cost level of € 38,405. To cover these costs, PlanetRomeo B.V. donates these services in-kind. This allows PlanetRomeo Foundation to keep its overhead cost at the lowest level possible. The total amount of operational costs, service agreement excluded, was € 6,888 in 2015. 2015 Result The negative result for the year 2015 in the amount of (€ 2,556) has been deducted from the other reserve.

2015 Annual Overview

Introduction In 2015, the Foundation Management Board again paid attention to achieving an increased number of funding requests as well as a higher quality level, while also ensuring a balanced regional coverage. With regard to the internal organization, the Foundation Board conducted an analysis of the Safety & Shelter projects funded, and made further improvements to procedures and forms. Also, several networking activities were undertaken. Activities in 2015 Networking Activities In 2015, PlanetRomeo Foundation enhanced its presence among other funding organizations in order to make the Foundation name more well-known. The Foundation’s Chair, Karen Kraan, attended an international LGBTI funders meeting in Athens, Greece, to connect with representatives of other LGBTI funding organizations. This not only confirmed that the Foundation has become a familiar name among other organizations, but also that the Foundation has an important role to play. The combination of funding small initiatives and having relatively straightforward procedures, makes certain that the Foundation serves as an important stepping stone to other sources of funding. Our international scope, as well as our choice in priority themes, are appreciated and perceived as special. This is a confirmation of our distinct position as a ‘small big funder’ within the LGBTI funding landscape. In May 2015, PlanetRomeo Foundation initiated a meeting with other internationally operating Dutch LGBTI funding organizations, which was held in Amsterdam. Participating funding organizations included Mama Cash, The Pride Fonds (a joint initiative of Amnesty International & COC Netherlands), Trut Fund and XminY Solidarity Fund. During this meeting, information on the organization’s individual funding strategies was exchanged, and we determined what the overlap and differences between them were. Also, expert knowledge was shared and decided to make it possible to redirect funding applications to each other. Fundraising Activities It was determined that the current donation options, both via the Foundation website and via romeo.com were in need of further improvement and optimization. For example, recurring donation options as well as making multiple local payment options should be made available. These are expected to increase the potential success of a fundraising campaign. The development of both the new donate page and the campaign itself were started early 2016, and due for launch later in the year. Strategic Focus Development Renewed effort has been made to further ensure a balance between the number and quality of funding requests received and the project funding granted. To achieve this, the Management Board members distributed an e-brochure among their international network of LGBTI advocacy and funding organizations, as well as to other relevant stakeholders. Also, an analysis was conducted on all of the final reports of previously supported Safety & Shelter projects. As these projects often meet with specific challenges, a more in depth analysis was conducted in order to get a better understanding of both their context and conditions of these projects, as well as better ways to monitor them. Organizational Developments Report from the Management Board In 2015, the Management Board maintained a regular frequency of meetings to safeguard the further development of the organizational structure, policy and strategy of the Foundation. The board met 11 times in 2015. Nori Spauwen, Junior Diplomat, working on conflict prevention and mediation at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Niels Kattenberg, Fundraising Consultant at Nassau Fundraising, were appointed to the Management Board late 2015. The Supervisory Board also extended the term of appointment of Renate Hartman and Jan Bouwens. At the end of 2015, the Management Board consisted of 6 members. Report from the Supervisory Board Preceding the Supervisory Board meetings, the board members conducted preparatory activities. The board convened three times in 2015. All meetings were joined by the Management Board, in which the 2015 budget and the 2014 annual account were adopted. Additionally, the Supervisory Board was informed about policy and strategic developments, consistent with its supervisory task. Mid-2015, Michèl Tromp decided not to extend his appointment as chair, Janneke Harting took over this role. At the end of 2015, the Supervisory Board consisted of 3 members. Full 2015 Annual Report The full 2015 Annual Report is available for download.