About us
The Fred Foundation was founded in 1996 by Fred Matser. The foundation comprises an organization for the day-to-day work plus a board that is also closely involved.
Organization
Aartjan Bontje
Director
Aartjan chose to take a different path after having worked in the financial and professional services sector for 15 years. Immediately after his studies and later while working at KPMG and SNS REAAL, he worked as a volunteer for various social foundations and associations. Aartjan joined the Fred Foundation as director in 2017, and every day he enthusiastically puts his knowledge and expertise to work in support of a variety of issues close to his heart. ‘’It truly is a privilege to be able to contribute, with the team and through the assets provided by the Fred Foundation, towards realizing a better society for man and nature.’’
Manou Zonderland
Refugee Programme Manager
Manou is driven by a strong sense of justice. Her sociology studies in International Migration and Public Policy at LSE (with honours) focused on inequality, human rights and refugees. She provided legal assistance to asylum seekers who had no documentation and worked at the United Nations in New York for two years when the Sustainable Development Goals were being negotiated. She has worked for the Fred Foundation since 2018. In the role of Refugee Programme Manager, she focuses on systemic change for people who have had to flee. She draws inspiration from all the beautiful, creative and innovative initiatives she sees in the field and the impassioned people she works with. She lives in Amsterdam with her partner Martin and their two children Lou and Matís. They enjoy exploring Europe’s mountains and coasts together in their camper van, Boris.
Jan Ebeltjes
Manager Ukraine projects
Jan is the founder of the CHOE Foundation (1994), an organization which leads several projects to improve the lives of orphans, psychiatric patients and students in Ukraine. Before choosing to pursue a full-time career in charity, Jan functioned as an interim manager for several telecommunication companies, such as KPN Netherlands, gaining experience in IT and business process management. In 2001 Jan accepted a full-time position with the Fred Foundation with the mandate to build a Ukrainian practice. He is active as a composer and accompanies several choirs on organ and piano. His motto: music fondles the heart, organizes the soul and unites people.
Jasper Folmer
Programme Manager
Nature and climate
Jasper is grateful to have grown up amid the nature of Twente. He is convinced that this is where his love for nature was born Jasper is dedicated to helping nature and climate restoration through the Nature and Climate theme. He works enthusiastically and intuitively, and he has a no-nonsense mentality. In addition to his work for the Fred Foundation, Jasper facilitates nature restoration and climate expedition leadership programmes in Europe’s pristine wilderness areas. He also spends a lot of time in nature in his private life, living on an old farm in the Betuwe region with his family.
Anna Groenewegen
Programme Manager
Public interest
Anna has a wide-ranging background. Fifteen years ago, while studying philosophy, she started an organic lunch café with a local art gallery, followed by numerous other projects. There was always a common denominator to these projects: making the world a better place. Anna is grateful that she can put that into practice with her work at the Fred Foundation. For the last four years, she has been involved in the Food4Smiles project as a project leader. At the end of 2022, she started focusing on the Public Interests theme, which centres on investigative journalism. Anna lives in Delft with her partner Ben, daughter Josje and son Maas. . At the weekends, you are more likely to find them at the beach or in the woods with their family dog, Koos.
Martine d’Hooghe
Programme Manager Animal welfare and Manager Operation
After a career in marketing, art direction and copywriting, Martine currently manages the projects Fred Foundation supports to (co-)create a more peaceful, happy, just, sustainable and healthy world. She has always had a special interest in bringing integrative medicine into the mainstream. Your genes are a predisposition, but not your fate. When we eat well, move more, stress less and love more our bodies often have a remarkable ability to transform and heal and lead a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life. Her motto and quest: “The art of life is to move wisely between all the glorious contradictions life offers you. Choose wisely. Each and every time. And always go back to the middle. To the essence. Your own heart. The most beautiful and the most difficult place to be.”
Sandra Kloezen
Programme Manager People in challenging circumstances
Sandra’s background includes general medical training and she has had the opportunity to work on many wonderful projects at home and abroad. She worked with Fred Matser in the 1990s on the theme of Inspiration in Healthcare and has been part of the Fred Foundation team since 2019. She explores initiatives both inside the Netherlands and beyond its borders that give people more security for their livelihoods, actively helping think things through and establishing interconnections where possible. In addition to her work for the Fred Foundation, Sandra volunteers one day a week at Kruispost, a medical station for uninsured people. That generates great intersectionality.
Board
Fred Matser
Founder and chairman of the board
Fred Matser (1945) is a leading Dutch philanthropist, humanitarian and philosopher. He headed a successful commercial real estate company. A life-changing experience radically affected his vision on life, death and the human condition. Fred uses insights gained from his intuition, to restore the dynamic balance and harmony in ourselves, between people and in nature. He does this through the work of a large number of foundations he has founded and funded, such as Fred Foundation, Essentia Foundation, Flowfund and ForestPeace Foundation of which he is chairman. The development of consciousness is central to his life.
Evert Greup
Secretary and treasurer board
Evert Greup (1956) is married and has two children and three grand children. He studied econometrics at Erasmus University Rotterdam and obtained his MBA at the University of Rochester (USA). From 1982 until 2010, Evert worked in the financial sector, amongst which he functioned as CEO of Kempen & Co and afterwards at the VvAA group. By joining the board of War Child in 2004, a new world opened up to him. Ever since, his interests shifted to ‘charity’ (in the modern sense of the word) and social entrepreneurship.
Johan Bontje
Board member
Johan Bontje was partner and co-owner of Boer & Croon Strategy and Management Group in Amsterdam from 1980 until 2000 and amongst others lecturer at the Free University in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Presently he works as an independent boardroom consultant and executive coach for individuals and teams. As former chairman of the Foundation for Natural Leadership Johan still undertakes journeys with leaders to Africa and Europe. With his focus on general management – with its human and business sides – he has a quick understanding of the work environment. He (co-)wrote 5 pragmatic books on strategy, flexibility, rational and emotional management and authentic leadership.
Nina Matser
Board member
Nina worked at a major auction house after studying art history. She later attended art school and is now working as a painter. She is married, has three children and lives and works in Amsterdam. Through her father (founder and chairman of Fred Foundation), she has been involved in Fred Foundation’s work from the sidelines from an early age. She considers it a privilege to be part of the board since 2023. The initiatives that Fred Foundation initiates and supports are close to her heart.
Honorary committee
Jane Goodall
Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, one of the world’s most famous scientists, is known for her landmark study of chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, Tanzania. In 1977, Dr. Goodall established the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI. With offices in over a dozen countries around the world, the Institute is widely recognized for innovative, community-centered conservation and development programs in Africa and a global youth program, Roots & Shoots, which currently operates in 90 countries.
Deepak Chopra
Dr. Chopra is the author of more than seventy-five books translated into over thirty-five languages, including numerous New York Times bestsellers in both the fiction and nonfiction categories. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, Adjunct Professor at Kellogg School of Management and Senior Scientist with The Gallup Organization.