Cases

ILA is a successful production company that has been supporting organisations from its foundation — but the actions are fragmented and lack a common thread and long-term vision. They need guidance and advice.

Serenitas supports ILA in transforming ad-hoc actions into a coherent strategy. We work through workshops with a select group of key employees, and Serenitas translates the outcomes into a realistic and achievable action plan. Starting from the company's values and identity, a focus is determined that aligns with what ILA truly wishes to achieve.

ILA now has a clear philanthropic vision, embraced by the whole team, together with a concrete action plan. ILA can present its foundation as an integral part of its identity.

The parents of four children aged 5 to 15 want to support social initiatives as a family and fully involve their children in this journey. They don't know how to get started.

Serenitas designs a workshop tailored to the children’s ages to identify the values they share and the areas in which they want to make an impact. Meetings, desk research and regular feedback from the parents help shape the process further. Serenitas then identifies organisations that align with the family’s values and objectives. Once a shortlist has been established, Serenitas also explores the next steps: due diligence on the organisations, making initial contact, exploring specific projects and identifying opportunities for volunteering.

The family now has a shared philanthropic strategy, embraced by both parents and children. Philanthropy has become a meaningful family project that brings a sense of purpose and fulfilment to everyone. They have identified organisations with which they can build long-term partnerships.

An international company supports organisations across Europe and the US through a philanthropic fund over a three-year period. The company wants to build relationships with its partner organisations that go beyond financial support and engage employees across the organisation.

Serenitas conducts individual interviews with each of the 12 organisations to review how their activities are progressing, explore how they would like to involve the company and its employees in their work, and identify how both parties can benefit from the collaboration. Given the focus on mental health, particular attention is paid to the capacity and wellbeing of employees within the partner organisations. Serenitas reports back to the company with observations and ideas for strengthening the relationships. Each year, Serenitas presents an update to the management committee of the company’s philanthropic fund.

The relationship between the company and its supported partner organisations has grown stronger and now goes beyond financial support. Employees are becoming involved locally with partner organisations, and this sense of purpose also strengthens their connection with their employer. The management committee has gained a better understanding of the realities and challenges faced by the organisations it supports.

De Brakke Grond, a Flemish cultural centre in Amsterdam, is looking to diversify its funding mix. The organisation is seeking ideas and concrete ways to increase its revenue.

For this assignment, Serenitas is working with Loesje Vanwalleghem (lucitia.eu) and Elke Briers. We map the organisation’s current funding mix and engage with the director and several key people within the organisation. Based on these insights, we develop concrete opportunities in individual fundraising, corporate philanthropy and sponsorship, as well as other funding sources, designed to complement and reinforce one another.

A concrete and detailed menu of possible avenues, underpinned by overarching principles, with a comprehensive range of fully developed options from which the board and team can choose the ones they wish to pursue.

An organisation working to promote social justice and equal opportunities wants to generate ideas for the years ahead together with its employees, volunteers and people with lived experience.

Serenitas facilitates workshops in which employees, volunteers and people with lived experience work and reflect together in an interactive way, inspiring one another, supporting each other’s wellbeing and sharing ideas. We use methods that enable every participant to contribute in their own way, creating a space that is creative, engaging and conducive to new ideas for the future.

The participants regain their motivation to take action and get to work on new and existing initiatives.

An individual has an idea for a socially relevant and much-needed initiative, but struggles to translate ideas into concrete plans.

Through five coaching sessions, we explore the different — seemingly incompatible — ideas and bring them together in a clear and structured plan, defining the objectives, reach, impact and vision.

She can now start communicating about her project as it takes shape, with a clear and compelling story and a well-defined objective.