Our Story
ToolBox was founded in 2003 from a simple observation: the business world is full of skilled professionals who want to engage for society, and the social profit sector is home to countless organisations doing vital work, often without the means to access the expertise they need. Our purpose is to close that gap.
What started as a small initiative has grown into a network of over 400 people: social profit organisations, volunteer experts, foundations and corporate partners, all working together across Belgium. Every year, over 230 professional ToolBox volunteers support around 150 social profit organisations and cooperatives to strengthen how they work. That way they can spend less time firefighting and focus more on their mission.
We are not a funding organisation. We do not tell social profit organisations what to do. We create connections: an organisation that needs a fresh perspective, and a professional who has exactly the right one... And we stay by their side while they build something stronger, together.
Our mission
Our mission is to help social profit organisations unlock the full value of their work by strengthening their organisational capabilities: strategy, governance, finances, communication and team management.
We do this by connecting them with volunteer professionals whose business expertise would otherwise be out of reach. What follows is never off-the-shelf: human, tailored support, shaped around what each organisation truly needs.
When a social profits runs better, it can focus fully on the people it was built to serve, whether that it's youth in vulnerable situations, people facing poverty, patients, or the environment.
Our vision
Belgium's reference for a stronger social sector
At ToolBox, our goal is to help an organisation to align its mission, strategy and operations, so it can act with clarity and accountability, without losing what makes the social sector so strong: its commitment, creativity and human touch.
We look at this through five pillars of organisational robustness: a shared vision and strategy, clear governance, consistent leadership and culture, operational efficiency, and a sustainable funding model.
ToolBox never decides for an organisation. Our role is to help its people see their own situation clearly, with an independent eye, honest challenge, and respect, so that the decisions that follow are theirs: legitimate, shared, and aligned with their mission.
Our values
Human connection first
Relationships are the foundation of everything we do. We stay close to both organisations and volunteers throughout the journey.
Tailored
Every organisation is different and there is no single answer that fits them all. Our ToolBoxers do not impose a methodology; they co-create with the organisations that they support. They start from the organisation's needs and their own expertise, and shape their approach together with the team on the ground.
Collective growth
The exchange goes both ways. Volunteers do not just bring their expertise. They develop a new perspective on realities, ways of working, and challenges they would not encounter otherwise. Organisations also gain another perspective. The interaction helps them to step out of their own environment or sector and see their challenges with fresh eyes.
Bringing meaningful value to the social sector
Key statistics since ToolBox' inception in 2003:
Quality first. We measure success by the depth of our support, not only the scale of our reach.
The people that make ToolBox tick
Cécile Vennat
Executive Director
As a non-profit director, strategic facilitator and coach, Cécile supports project leaders who want to (re)create meaningful connection in our society.
+32 470 98 15 58
Cecile.Vennat@toolbox.be
Dominique Ceuppens
Manager Community and Communication
Dominique looks after ToolBox's community and communication, connecting our volunteer experts with the causes they support and bringing their story to life.
+32 494 06 18 26
Dominique.Ceuppens@toolbox.be
Meet the team
We deploy expertise exactly where it creates meaningful value.
Pieter Rahier
Regional Coordinator Flanders
Pieter has a passion for connecting people, developing organisations and turning ideas into action. He brings his experience to support organisations and create meaningful social impact.
+32 487 75 61 95
Pieter.Rahier@toolbox.be
Ariane Molderez
Regional Coordinator French speaking Brussels and Wallonia
Ariane is a bridge‑builder: she co‑creates projects with strong societal value, bringing together different actors across society.
+32 497 28 34 43
Ariane.Molderez@toolbox.be
Els Janssens
Regional Coordinator Flanders and Dutch speaking Brussels
Els is a driver and believer in social innovation, passionate about supporting the creation and growth of meaningful initiatives and organisations.
+32 473 77 69 82
Els.Janssens@toolbox.be
Evelyne Schöller
Project Manager Social Challenge and Accelerator
Evelyne is an accredited conflict mediator, facilitator, trainer-coach specialised in organisation design and development, leadership, communication, dynamic participation and co-creation.
+32 477246644
Evelyne.Scholler@toolbox.be
Meet our Board
Governance is not a side note for us. It is part of what we do, and it starts at home.
ToolBox helps organisations to strengthen their own governance. It is one of the core areas our ToolBoxers work on with the associations we support. It only makes sense that our own governance reflects the same principles: clarity, shared responsibility, and people who stay genuinely connected to the field.
Our Board of Directors sets ToolBox's strategic direction. Board members bring experience from both the business world and the social sector, the same combination that defines every ToolBox mission, and they stay close to our projects and community throughout the year rather than at a distance.
The members work alongside the coordination team on strategy and long-term direction, while day-to-day operations remain in the team's hands. That balance, strategic oversight without micromanagement, is deliberate: it is the same tailored, trust-based approach we bring to the organisations we support.
Caroline Thyssen
Board Chair since 2024 Board Director since 2021
Johan Goossens
Vice Board Chair since 2024 Member since 2019
Alexia de Jonghe
Member since 2026
Geert Joris
Member since 2024
France de Kinder Boon Falleur
Member since 2026
Johan Merlevede
Member since 2024
Lara Piret
Member since 2026
Philippe Lacroix
Member since 2023
The story behind our numbers - Discover our annual reports :
The story behind our numbers - Discover our annual reports :
"Connection is not a concept, it is an act. An act of presence, of trust, of shared responsibility. "
"Together, we show that pooling our resources, in all their forms, is a powerful force in service of the common good."
