ABSTRACT
In the Netherlands, the general term used to denote the voluntary sector is particulier initiatief, or private initiative. The Dutch system differs from its counterparts in other countries in two principal ways. First, the functions of advocacy and service are rarely combined in one organization. Instead, advocacy is the province of diverse national organizations, typically small mutual-benefit associations staffed by member-volunteers and financed by donations, lottery income, and government subsidies. In the Netherlands, unlike England and Norway, only rarely does a nonprofit organization undertake both advocacy functions and service functions. Within the service-delivery sector, there are two wholly different systems of regulation, control, and financing. The basic personal services are organized through a nationally regulated, controlled, and financed system. The central government promulgates the policies and regulations, local service organizations design and implement the programs, and most of the financing is provided by social insurance.
