Looking for support with fundraising?
I help organisations turn ideas intro strong project, build partnerships, and secure funding for mental health and youth empowerment initiatives.
DOES YOUR INITIATIVE MATCH WITH MY EXPERIENCE?
About you and your organisation
You have a project related to mental health or empowerment. You would like to build long-term relationships with funders and secure funding, but you’re not sure where to start — or perhaps you simply don’t have the time.
You may have a strong idea that still needs further development, be looking for partners to collaborate with, or be searching for suitable funding opportunities and grant programmes. Or perhaps you already have a concrete project and are looking for support with proposal writing or developing a fundraising strategy.
Whatever stage your initiative is at, I can help turn ideas, plans, and ambitions into compelling projects that attract funding and support.
About my expertise
I have experience working with both Dutch and international funders. My focus is on social initiatives that contribute to people’s mental and emotional development. This includes areas such as personal development, talent development, community building, and empowerment.
In addition, I have extensive experience working with youth organisations around the world, and as a coach and therapist I have seen firsthand how development and wellbeing programmes work in practice. This allows me to contribute not only from a fundraising perspective, but also from a genuine understanding of the content, the target group, and the realities of programme delivery.
This combination of experiences gives me a strong understanding of the goals, challenges, and potential impact of the projects I support.
Some examples of projects I work with:
- Youth programmes that strengthen resilience
- Training programmes that empower people in vulnerable situations and support their participation in society
- Programmes that encourage connection with nature
- Projects that integrate personal development into mainstream education
- Projects that bring together young people from different neighbourhoods and social backgrounds
- Neighbourhood initiatives to reduce loneliness and social isolation
- Programmes on sexual health and resilience and relationship skills
- Initiatives that foster body awareness
- Participation in MDT (maatschappelijke diensttijd)
Projects can take place in the Netherlands or abroad. I have extensive experience working in developing countries and lived in Sub Saharan Africa for 2 years.
HOW I WORK
We start with a conversation about your initiative — what’s already in place, and what your wishes are for the future. If possible, I like to witness or join one of your activities so I can truly experience and feel the impact of your work. This helps me convey a strong, authentic story to potential funders.
You may already have some funding leads, or we can start from scratch. When you want to learn more about fundraising as an organisation, I can guide you through everything, so maybe next time you can do more yourself. Ideally, your organisation develops a project budget and a team member can design documents in your own housestyle if required, while I map out the funding landscape and identify the most promising opportunities. I’ll estimate the hours I expect to need, and we’ll discuss and agree on this together.
I work as a freelancer and do not operate on a “no cure, no pay” basis. I charge an hourly rate, and we can discuss a predefined bonus structure that will be paid once the funding is confirmed.
I especially enjoy long-term collaborations over one-off assignments — once we get to know each other, my work becomes more aligned with your organisation’s mission and needs.
SERVICES
Looking for support in navigating the funding landscape? From identifying the right funders and shaping project ideas to building partnerships and writing successful applications, I can support your organization throughout the fundraising journey.
Fundraising Strategy & Funding Research
Identifying the right funding opportunities and developing a realistic fundraising roadmap:
- Funding landscape research and prospect identification
- Opportunity assessment and feasibility analysis
- Funding strategy development
Project Development & Partnership Building
Turning ideas into fundable initiatives and building the right collaborations to strengthen proposals:
- Support the creation of fundable project design
- Partnership development & stakeholder engagement
- Consortium building and strategic collaborations
Donor & Funder Relations
Building and maintaining strong relationships with funders and partners to support long-term success.
Grant Writing & Proposal Development
Translating plans and ambitions into compelling funding applications:
- Grant proposal writing
- Funding application preparation and submission
- Proposal coordination and project narrative development
Proposal Review & Fundraising Advisory
Providing feedback to strengthen applications and improve funding success rates:
- Proposal review and quality assessment
- Critical feedback on draft applications
- Funding readiness assessments
- Strategic fundraising advice
Knowledge Sharing & Capacity Building
Building fundraising capacity within organisations, enabling teams to develop their knowledge, confidence, and independence in fundraising over time.
- Practical introduction to fundraising
- Coaching and mentoring fundraising staff
- Strategic sparring and advice during ongoing fundraising efforts
ABOUT ME
My name is Aukje te Kaat – I am a fundraiser, sociologist and therapist based in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Throughout my career and personal life, mental health and empowerment have been a central theme.
As a young person, I felt a strong urge to “save the world.” Studying sociology — and later completing a second Master’s degree in Conflict and Development Studies — felt like a meaningful step in that direction. For nearly ten years, I worked in international development: supporting youth organisations in slums of Tanzania and Kenya; working with refugees in Malawi for UNHCR; and leading a research department focused on the social and financial skills of young people, mostly in developing countries.
Over time, I learned that I don’t need to save the whole world — no one can. But I can contribute meaningfully to mental health, personal development, and empowerment. My background as a researcher, sociologist, and therapist — combined with being bilingual (Dutch/English) and experience in working with different types of organisations — allows me to connect with people and organisations on many levels.
Since 2015, I have been involved in fundraising for NGOs. Until 2025, it was never my primary focus, but I always greatly enjoyed it — and my proposals were consistently successful. Between 2015 and 2025, I raised over €3.5 million for various organisations. I value building long-term relationships with foundations, demonstrating the impact of important work, and developing proposals for future projects.
RECENT EXPERIENCE
Since January 2026: I have been working as an independent fundraising consultant. In this role, I combine my experience in research, therapy, international development, and of course fundraising to help social initiatives grow and increase their impact.
2020–2025: Stichting Breekjaar: Fundraising for a variety of programmes, working with funders including Fonds 21, VSBfonds, Green at Heart, and MDT.
2015–2020: Aflatoun International: Project development and fundraising with international donors and funders, including Erasmus+, Porticus, Credit Suisse, ING, Dioraphte, and Echidna Giving.
Education
- Advanced Master in Conflict & Development Studies (Ghent University)
- PhD research on life skills for young professionals (Ghent University)
- MSc Sociology (Radboud University Nijmegen)
Leave me a message and I will get in touch with you.
”We are very happy that we decided to work with Aukje! We have worked on two funding applications together, of which the largest has already been approved, and we expect to hear about the other one soon. Aukje works meticulously and with great drive; she understands the impact you want to make and can translate that into language that truly resonates with the funder. She thinks along, is critical when needed, and genuinely wants the project to succeed. I can recommend her 100%, and I can’t wait for all the future applications we will take on with her.
RutgerOuf of Office Foundation
