Friends of Mikumi is a recognized ANBI foundation with an enthusiastic board.
The board of the foundation consists of five enthusiastic, unpaid individuals.
The founder, Jeroen Degen, serves as the secretary. He is a retired gynecologist who was affiliated with the Zuyderland Hospital in Heerlen and the Maastricht UMC+ for many years. With over 30 years of experience as a tropical doctor, he spends more than 5 months per year in Tanzania.
Since the foundation’s start, Maria Molenaar has been the chairperson of the board. She has served as a board member for various organizations, including Alrijne Healthcare Group. Currently, she holds positions as a commissioner, advisor, and board member in several organisations.
Joost Smeets is a lawyer who previously worked as a tax advisor and now oversees the governance and administrative matters of the foundation.
Henriette Willigers is an anesthesiologist working at the Maastricht UMC+ and involved with the Mosakids Hospital. Henriette is highly active in elevating the standard of anesthesia in Tanzania, particularly in Mikumi.
Alie Berkepies is a nurse and application manager at Alrijne Hospital. She provides “training on the job” to the nurses in Mikumi.
Lieveke Degen van de Lavoir, along with her husband Jeroen, has also been active in Mikumi for many years. Lieveke is a retired youth physician. She is the main organizer behind the Child Support program.
Every five years, the board of Mikumi formulates a strategic plan outlining the main activities that will be organized to achieve the foundation’s objectives. It will also specify how those activities will be financed. Each year, the board evaluates the operations and makes adjustments if necessary.
The foundation aims to be transparent to all donors and publishes a financial overview every year. Below, these can be read.
The banking and fiscal data of the foundation are:
Bank account number NL68 ABNA 0404 1929 04
BIC ABNANL2A
KvK nr. 55143644
Fiscaal nr. (RSIN) 851583301
The foundation acknowledges the importance of adhering to standards of good governance. In the Netherlands, there are various codes of conduct for assessing the governance, supervision, and accountability of charitable organizations. The most well-known is the recommendation for a Good Governance Code for members of the VFI of June 2005, known as the “Wijffels Code.” This code has been included in the CBF quality mark since 2007. Many fundraising institutions have a quality mark (for larger institutions) or certificate (for smaller ones) from the CBF. Due to the relatively high associated costs, the board of the Friends of Mikumi Foundation has decided not to apply for a quality mark or certificate for the time being.
The foundation has an ANBI-status and complies with the obligation to publish information. The ANBI-status provides donors with tax benefits in The Netherlands.
The foundation has a privacy policy regarding the handling of personal data.
