By working for the Spiritual Innovation Fund we meet a lot of spiritual and inspiring people. One of them is Jeroen Timmers, from “Giving is all we have”. This time, we will give him the floor:

Houwke Ong, president of the Spiritual Innovation Fund interviews Jeroen:

Question: What stimulated you to make exactly this movie?
Jeroen: We alle feel from within that we are up to something new, that the way we have organised our world is not futureproof anymore. We lack hapiness and meaning. This movie intends to stimulate our senses with the message dat a new world is possible, and that such a world will be centerend around the concept of unconditional giving. At this moment, we are lost and the movie gives some options for a new paradigm for such a new world.
Vraag: What do you want to realise with this movie?
Jeroen: Spread the awareness that a new world is possible, radiating from the heart. By the way, this movie is the first part of a serie of three movies. At this moment, we are working on part 2.
Vraag: What kind if effect do you expect?
Jeroen: I did not make this movie with a particular expectation in mind. My only intention is to mobilize our consciousness about the possibiliy of a new world. And that idea resonates! After publishing this movie online, I received a lot of positive feedback as well as spontaneous offers from people with the question in which way they could contribute to support Giving is all we have.

Jeroen Timmers, we wish you all the best with your initiative: Giving is all we have!

SIF has been granted the ANBI-status from the Dutch Tax Authorities. Although the board never had any doubt that SIF would be granted this status, the board is very pleased with the granting of the ANBI-status. The ANBI-status implies that donations are tax-deductible (threshold) for Dutch citizens, and that SIF does not have to pay taxes over its received donations.

The chairman of the board has regained his original Chinese family name. His original family name is Ong. His parents changed their family name from Ong to Osman in Indonesia, in order to prohibit to be recognized as being Chinese in a list of names. Chinese were in that time named as communists and therefore potential enemies of the state by the right militaristic regime in Indonesia. After 46 years he regained his original family name by means of a Dutch Royal Decision. By the way, the chairman, Houwke Ong has the Dutch nationality.

The search for members of the Inspirational Council has been succesful. The board is pleased to be able to welcome two members for the Inspirational Council.  The two members are mrs. Puck Dinjens, senior advisor at GITP Executive Partners and mrs. Johanna Räkers, director at Clear-Essence. Together, they will search for the third member of the Council.

The Inspirational Council supervises the proceedings of the Board, but more importantly, it inspires the board in achieving the goals of the Foundation.

The Spiritual Innovation Fund (SIF) is giving a presentation at the Turning Tables event at the Business meeting days in the Rijnhal located in Arnhem, The Netherlands. On May 9th from 19u-21u there will be a fundraising event at the ‘open podium’ in the Rijnhal. We will be present.

The board is pleased to announce that talks are underway with candidates for the Inspirational Council. These talks are carried out with calmness and great care. The candidates were nominated by an independent third party, and are not related to any of the board members. This will assure the independance of the Council, as the Council will have to supervise the proceedings of the board. More news will follow when the Council will be established.

The foundation has applied for the ANBI-status at the Dutch Tax Authorities (ANBI = Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling – Foundation working for the common good). The ANBI-status is important, because having this status the foundation is relieved of paying taxes on legacies and donations. Under conditions, donors can deduct their donations from income tax or corporation tax. The board is confident that the foundation will obtain this status. In the articles of association of the foundation, it was taken into account that the ANBI-status needs to be acquired. When the ANBI-status has been acquired, more news will follow.

The board is pleased to announce the establishment of the Spiritual Innovation Fund Foundation on 29 February 2012 at 9:44h. The memorandum was administered at the notary office of De Kroon in Velp (Gld). The foundation is registered at the Chamber of Commerce under number  54794803.