Jansen PrimeSteps Foundation was founded as a not-for-profit foundation in 2013 by entrepreneur Gerhard Jansen and his wife Susi Jansen.
Our foundation provides a head start
The name PrimeSteps is also our agenda. We support motivated people in need with their first steps on the path to a self-sufficient future. We do this by boosting projects that we expect to enable a growing number of people to improve their own quality of life after a short start-up phase.
We support projects with a multiplier effect
We provide this boost by means of both money and transfer of know-how. Our aim is generally to enable people to earn their own livelihoods; in other words, education and creation of jobs are at the heart of our program. The priority in this process is to improve local and regional economic power, and not only the well-being of individual people.
We base our work on entrepreneurial principles
The foundation’s capital originates from entrepreneurial activities, and we approach our projects with the same entrepreneurial spirit. That means that we look for good chances of success, seek rapid implementation, and rely on locally present project management and expertise. Closely monitored collaborations with other institutions are also possible. We track projects according to jointly agreed milestones and measurable results.
Entrepreneurial, for us, also means that we are not a foundation with a charity mindset. Our projects should help to strengthen vocational skills and create jobs. It is our conviction that this is the most efficient and sustainable type of development work.
We are open in terms of sectors and countries
Within the scope of our foundation’s mission, we support diverse types of projects, in principle without geographic limitations. Recognizing that the value of our funds increases many times over in developing countries and emerging markets, such countries in Asia and Africa currently are in focus.