Objectives and Activities
Objectives
The foundation is a non-profit organisation that aims to tackle youth unemployment by helping young people to start, scale and sustain their own businesses. The foundation achieves this through a global network of locally-based non-profit organisations that support inclusive entrepreneurship programmes targeted at disadvantaged youth.
The foundation tries to achieve this objective by supporting the activities of the Youth Business International network.
Theory of change
The foundation’s work is based on a theory of change founded on the power of a network to effect positive outcomes for youth. SYBI believes youth entrepreneurship creates decent work for young people, strengthens communities and drives inclusive economic growth, but for too many young people entrepreneurship is out of reach. To succeed as entrepreneurs, young people, and in particular those from disadvantaged backgrounds, need access to the right set of support services and the right enabling environment in which to grow their businesses. By working through a network, SYBI can increase the quality of youth entrepreneurship support services, defining effective methodologies from collective insight and evidence across a global network.
Activities
Learning
SYBI supports learning across its global network through a regular programme of learning activities across its membership, including:
- Learning labs: a monthly series focusing on network members sharing experiences on specific areas of shared interest.
- Communities of Practice: Regular meetings of members in regions or on a thematic basis, to foster stronger collaboration and shared programmes across countries.
- Training programmes: training programmes for members focus on building core capability in mentoring, soft skills training, inclusivity and, in future, programming for social and green enterprises.
- Member events: annual events are held to develop stronger collaboration, share learning, and identify future strategic directions.
Innovating
SYBI supports innovation in support services for disadvantaged young entrepreneurs through a series of programmes including:
- Digital Accelerator: a programme of support to help member organisations develop their capability to deliver entrepreneurship support through digital platforms, and to develop digital capabilities in young entrepreneurs.
- Innovation Challenges: programmes that stimulate innovation within the membership focusing on emerging areas of interest, including digital products and social impact acceleration.
Influencing
SYBI influences the wider youth entrepreneurship ecosystem through conducting and disseminating research into core and emerging areas of entrepreneurship.
The focus of research projects is identified annually and has included research on the impact of mentoring, the importance of soft skills, and youth entrepreneurship programming for refugee and migrant young entrepreneurs. Current and future research is focused on learning from the network’s COVID response, and effective approaches to fostering social entrepreneurship.
Making of profits with its activities is not an objective of the foundation. Should any occasional profit be generated, such profit shall be used for the foundation’s activities in line with its objectives (i.e. non-profit purposes). The foundation shall not retain more funds than is reasonably necessary to achieve the purposes of the foundation.
Funding and Spending
The foundation generates capital through a combination of:
- Grants from private corporations
- Grants from trusts and foundations
- Grants or other subsidies from government entities
- Donations from private individuals
Subject to the level of reserves and taking into account SYBI’s estimated operating costs, the foundation will provide and oversee sub-grants to support YBI network strategic activities both in the Netherlands and abroad, activities which meet the goals of the foundation or any major projects that are of strategic value to SYBI.
The foundation will take the initiative with respect to the provision of sub-grants to other entities or projects in order to fulfil the goals of the foundation.
Organisation and Governance
The foundation will not employ any employees and will be managed by the following directors:
- Elwin Groenevelt
Treasurer Stichting Youth Business International - Anita Tiessen
Director Stichting Youth Business International - Ellora-Julie Parekh
Director Stichting Youth Business International - Lydia Savill
Director Stichting Youth Business International
The initial board members were appointed upon incorporation of the foundation by resolution. Going forward the Board of YBI have sole responsibility for appointing, dismissing and suspending SYBI board members.
The members of the board do not receive any remuneration. Expenses reasonably incurred shall be reimbursed to the members of the managing board. The foundation does not have a supervisory board.
The administration of the foundation will be conducted by Youth Business International.
Stichting Youth Business International (SYBI) 