Youth Perspective Fund: working towards a debt-free generation
Youth Perspective Fund: working towards a debt-free generation
The Dutch Youth Perspective Fund (Jongeren Perspectief Fonds or JPF) is the answer to the serious problems young people have with debt. By means of an innovative public-private partnership, we are helping young people regain a future.
The challenge
In the Netherlands, many young people run the risk of entering into problematic debt, or already have. Being in debt can often lead to stress that shatters lives. This makes searching for work or engaging in social activities virtually impossible, causes health problems, and most young people in debt face a downward spiral.
The approach
In the past two years, the JPF strategy has been successfully applied in the Dutch city of The Hague. Its positive impact, social innovation and innovative financing are now being continued in a unique public-private partnership. Not only in The Hague, but across the Netherlands. Based on the proven impact, we have found private investors willing to put money into the strategy. Thanks to this investment, we can set to work in guiding young people and freeing them of their debts. We have agreed with the local council that they will donate to the fund a small portion of the savings that we make for the council by helping young people.
This then helps replenish the fund, enabling us to repay the private investors in the longer term. We help young people, the council pays only for the results, and investors get their investment back. We call this a win-win situation.
We are proud that by structuring organizational and financial agreements with council and financiers, we can give young people an opportunity for a better future.
Impact
More than 200 young people freed of the worry of debt in The Hague every year.
