Financial Reporting

IFRS / GRI / ANBI

Consumer360Academy

Schepenenplein 38
6224 VX Maastricht
The Netherlands
+31 (0)43 3635654
consumer360.org@gmail.com
www.consumer360.org

Note:

Consumer360Academy is the international website
name of Vrije Consumenten Vereniging
(Free Consumers Association).
Official KvK number 08099859
KVK / SBI 63.12 (Web Portals)
Official RSIN code 816252129
Founded July 14, 2001

Board

Peter Daub (chairman)
Sylvia Kwarten (treasurer)
Jaap Wemerman (secretary)

Personal Payments

There are no persons paid for any kind of activity.

Business Model

The Free Consumers Association (Vrije Consumenten Vereniging) is a platform to exchange knowledge and experiences between consumers of the 21st century. A forum for active consumers and innovative initiatives.

Consumers who feel responsibility for their purchases, for the environment and for their relations with producers. Especially a platform for latest developments and new initiatives for sustainable products and services, fair trade and mutual respect in a globalising world, for ‘consumer governance’ in general! In the world economy there are producers and consumers, and traders and banks to connect those two. As a consumer we have twelve necessaries of life so we have to do with twelve groups of producers / traders / consumer associations (see below).

And in our choices we decide about seven aspects: quality (the most important), quantity, price, guarantees, form of payment, form of delivery and way of consuming. Every day we make decisions to which ‘producer’ our euro yen or dollar starts its new ‘round’. And when we ask the right questions, producers can give the right answers. So we ourselves as consumers have to work from an economy of supply and demand to an economy of question and answer!

PROJECT / Business Case
PRODUCT / Product Innovation
PROMOTION / Social Media
PRICE / Financial Reporting
PLACE / Consumer International

INTRODUCTION

The human being has become a real manager! On our way into the 21st century, we see a mature attitude beyond independent thinking and judging now also increasingly willing to help and take part in “the future we want” in a globalizing world. A stronger interest in the world and with social media leading to better choices for better products and services to buy or to help by voluntary assisting or by financing.
From the observations and experiences working in different banks and after the start of the Triodos Bank the idea was born to investigate and to help with the development of new consumer groups but especially to investigate what the consumer needs for his or her own development as a player on the world stage.

PROJECT / Business Case

In 1980 November 11 our first plan was written for a consultancy for consumers and starting consumerorganizations followed by seven years of research. In 1986 the Meander Foundation was established and in 2001 July 14 the Free Consumer Association as a platform for exchanging views and experiences. In 2009 in the context of the global trend of consumer education Consumer360Academy started with seminars and workshops and research for further development of consumer insights in consumer governance.
After the Rio+20 conference global society now seems to get from thinking to acting. Consumer education already prepared by many organizations will be used worldwide in schools in the fixed curriculum. Consumer360Academy would particularly like to help the next stage of lifelong learning in trial-and-error of innovative initiatives in the world of consumers, consumerorganizations, (world)trade and business, cultural organizations, politics and NGOs.
Because of this trend towards practical developments it now also means for our initiative a new way of working. From an investigative to a networking lobby / catalyst style of working now also much more focused on thinking and helping with new initiatives or developing initiatives.

PRODUCT / Product Innovation

The design of our project in all its manifestations was always focused to the individual consumer demand and only a single question, namely a sound management informationsystem. And as every manager works from the big picture and all the others go in the details, so too the consumer needs the big picture as a basis for all life situations and choices to asses properly.
So in the scheme of financial agenda book or website, but also every seminar workshop or exhibition we are always trying portraying the big picture and the consistency of all parts. So never a multitude of information, but themes and key ideas. So that the best possible insights, judgments and decisions can be developed.
NB: For the website, this means explicitly minimal size but complete. And as soon as possible referring/linking to other sites specialised on the area in detail.

PROMOTION / Social Media

To “catapult” a new initiative in the world we usually use brochures, word-of-mouth advertising and free publicity. An existing organization is much more based on networking, and we did so since 2004 mainly through writing reactions in the press, relaying important information to specialized consumerorganizations or others. In addition we developed a nose for (indirect) lobbying and therefore work much better as a catalyst to support other people and their activities.
Today’s world is already upside down in a bottom-up where people can indicate what their needs are. Already six billion mobile phones indicate that everyone is now active in looking around and is able to know what’s available and what is happening in the world. For companies and consumerorganizations as well it means that now that selling is changing into listening, and promotion into helpdesks.
NB: For the website as a working platform it means enough promotion side (search engines, home page, tags, links, reviews, networking, etc), but especially an active (educational text and inspiring video lectures) and interactive (forum and webinar) methods to allow the questioners at the level of a help desk like sitting (as IBM does) next to the customer at his/her worktable. Due to the worldwide audience, our website is the basis for all substantive information and information-exchange in the first encounters.

PRICE / Financial Reporting

The price of the project covers all costs of purchase, maintenance, personnel and promotion. And because of the nature of independence it can only be financed with unconditional grants. This has never been a problem by working with volunteers, using existing infrastructures and subscriptions for all information, and participate in many networks and (international) conferences.
Especially the view that the message is more important than the organization itself made sure we were heard everywhere, but as consumer organization we could maintain the size of a small foundation. So as a little CATALYST we could help generate new ideas and help larger organizations to become bigger and more important.
To add a picture of our organization in financial terms: about 50 euros per month can be calculated for internet costs, ditto for literature and ditto for travel expenses. Occasionally a larger post because of a conference, a new website or a new secondhand laptop. In total something between 2000 to 3000 euros per year in donations.
NB: For 2012 and beyond, the same financial pattern is expected because indirect lobbying and networking remain the core business. The only additional cost this year relates to a technical upgrade of the website and the publication of our basic book and financial manager in an English translation as e-book and/or e-course.

PLACE / ConsumersInternational

Because all people are consumers, the world of seven billion (everybody is a member, free of charge!) is the market for our activities. In practice however we have mainly to do with the consumerorganizations and especially the general national consumerassociations represented jointly by Consumers International.
Because we are not promoting ideas or fighting for consumer-rights according to our statutes, we are particularly active as a moderator and a platform for exchanging views and experiences. And because that information and “best practices” are especially important for the next generation, we focus in particular on consumer education worldwide.
Therefore we focus our attention next to the ongoing lobbying especially thinking together with organizations that specialize in consumer education. As PERL, IFHE and Consumers International.

Peter Daub
20120816

Annual Report

Annual report 2020

Consumer360Academy For Consumer Education – 40 Years of Catalizing Change

Consumer360Academy is still a very small organization but working as a catalyst towards many greater organizations working on consumer education one way or another. Although an advisor or catalyzer never knows what his impact is, he can become enthousiast every time when an organization goes in a more positive direction. Especially when that organization survived a crisis in which the adviser was asked for assistance by co-thinking.

Consumer360Academy has its roots in 1980 when its founder Peter Daub (then working at Triodos Bank) started his research on what a consumer would need for making decisions about to buy or not to buy. Which information, which arguments are needed to make the best possible decisions in everyday shopping and financial decisions? The answer is as simple as it is. All decisions are based on 12x7x3 aspects, 12 necessities of life x 7 aspects of trade x 3 directions in development (past present future). This organizational structure is not only basis for consumers but also for all other organizations in production, trade, banking, politics, ngo’s and society as a whole as well. So daily planners and moneymanagent agenda’s can be one piece of paper! The rest of the website is information for lifelong learning.

The book Consumer Freedom and Responsibility written in 1998 was the result of this research and the start of the Free Consumers Association in 2001, later given the english name Consumer360Academy in 2004 with the start of the website. Last September now also connected to Economists4Future and Fridays4Future, the worldwide initiative of Nobel Prize winner Greta Thunberg. The (sub)title Consumers4Future is meant to give a name to every consumer worldwide who chooses for a sustainable and responsible lifestyle to help build the best possible future for him/herself and for the next generation!

November 11 the Library and Archive will start to be accessible for researchers on consumer history. The newspage of the website in itself is already a comprehensive archive of the last 40 years of history about consumer information, consumer initiatives and organizations, and consumer education. It is THE most simple Toolkit for every consumer to organize his/her daily life including all financial data in the MoneyManager360.

Consumer360Academy has worked together with many organizations worldwide and will continue to do so. Most important organizations for consumer education are the International Federation for Home Economics IFHE, the Partnership for Education and Research on Responsible Lifestyles PERL, and the UN SDG Partnership Exchange.

2020 Worldnews in a Nutshell

January COP25 Climate Conference Madrid / Greta Thunberg

February World Economic Forum / Stakeholders engagement

March Global Money Week / Financial Literacy

April Christiana Figueres / The Future WE Choose

May Consumers International / Change Network

June TIME Magazine: Rutger Bregman / The Moment to Change the World

July Rudolf Steiner / Rethinking Economics

August United Nations / Stakeholder Engagement (MOOC)

September United Nations 75 Years / SDG’s

October Triodos Bank for Responsible Banking 40 Years

November Consumer360Academy 40 Years (That’s Us!) / Catalyzing Change

December Ralph Nader TED Social Change 50 Years

2020 Our Activities

January Preparing Housing, Library and Archive for November Celebration Consumer360Academy

February Annual Meeting (3 days) International Federation for Home Economics IFHE, Bonn Germany

March Introduction MoneyManager360, Toolkit for Financial Literacy and Household Bookkeeping

April Global Money Week (Proposal) GMW is postponed to 2021

May ISEAL Webinars (3) on Living Income for Farmers

June Triodos Bank Annual Shareholders Meeting (online)

July World Social Forum (online)

August Cusanus Hochschule for Shaping Society and Rethinking Economics Bernkastel-Kues Germany

September Sustainable Tuesday (2 posters) The Hague Netherlands

October Celebration Triodos Bank 40 Years (online)

November Consumer360Academy 40 Years Celebration and Opening Archive for Researchers

December PERL/CCL Celebration 25 Years (online) INN University Hamar Norway

2021 Our Plans – What are we going to do next year(s)?

Consumer360Academy, Dissemmination of Information, Advising and Catalysing Change

Supply Chain Associations – Promoting Consumers-Trade-Producers

Threefolding of Consumer-Citizen-Creator Information for Organizations and Society

MoneyManager360 – Promoting For Basic Financial Literacy and Household Bookkeeping

Consumer360Experience – A Poster Presentation

Archive360 – About 40 Years Consumer Emancipation

Website and Book – Upgrade and New Edition

IFRS / GRI / ANBI Financial reporting

Expenditures 2020

320 Membership Fees (12 organizations)
1180 Website/Internet/Telephone (KPN)
460 Webmaster
180 Lenovo laptop (12×15)
840 Daily Paper (FD + VK)
440 Monthly Magazines (Foreign Affairs / Monde Diplomatique)
860 Books/Handbooks/Readers (Professional Literature)
920 Travelling NS (Seminars / Lectures / Projects)
240 IKEA dossier / bookcases (3x)
320 IFHE Annual Meeting in Bonn Germany (3 days)
80 Materials (Paper etc)

5840 Total

Income 2020

4800 Regular donations
1040 Other donations

5840 Total

Possessions 31/12

1 Lenovo Computer (written off)
14 IKEA Book Cases / 1 Desk / 4 Chairs (written off)
70 Meter Books and Handbooks (written off)

Annual report 2019

Overview

In 40 years of researching, networking and catalysing change, we helped many consumers and consumer-organizations to find their way into the 21st century. It was highly interesting to see this change at seminars and international conferences, especially gaining momentum in the first few years of the 21st century! People were much more interested in the world around them, asking more questions than ever before, and were more eager to take action and responsibility for the future. Individually, with others in initiatives and organizations, and as global citizens, entering much more “professionally” into dialogue with all stakeholders instead of protesting alone! Today we can see that the human Individual is really “incarnated” into maturity!

We were created to be creators. We can now experience ourselves as co-creators in the universe! But it is a beginning only. The process of lifelong learning will guide us in the centuries ahead! The Dutch financial newspaper FD of January 2020 spent four full pages on the question, why schoolchildren have to learn so much about history but almost nothing about the future? The article was especially meant as a wake-up call to introduce futurology in school curricula!

On the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland now ALL stakeholders including consumer organizations will join the dialogue about the future of the world economy. The WEF is celebrating its 50th anniversary also!

Looking back

As we mentioned in our news articles, this year many organizations were looking for new strategies (may/june), new trade routes (jan/feb) and new ways of government (nov/dec). It was especially interesting to be at the conference where the successful Global Money Week was handed over to the OECD, at the Dutch Central Bank in Amsterdam. The OECD will continue the Global Money Week in the OECD/INFE project (International Network on Financial Education), a school program on financial literacy. We were also at the conference on 100 years of Threefolding of social issues in Stuttgart, where Rudolf Steiner introduced it in 1919.

Furthermore we joined the celebration of 70 years of the Social Economic Research and Advisory Institute for the Dutch government (SER). The IFHE asked us to help review abstracts for their conference in Atlanta USA next year. The International Federation for Home Economics is more than 100 years old and is the worldwide organization of school teachers on home economics.

Other activities were connected to Dutch Sustainable Tuesday, a review on the newest book of best-selling writer Niko Roorda on sustainability and management, a dialogue with the Volksbank about clients in financial problems and financial literacy for prevention. Also at the 7-years celebration of the Budgetcircles, a highly effective concept for solving financial problems by working together in groups. Jeanine Schreurs developed this program to help people get grip on their money, sustainability and quality of life!

As member of the UN Partnership Exchange we submitted our thoughts for the review on the 4-year evaluation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (which we joined in New York 2016). So there was never a dull moment! And, o yes, we almost forget to mention that we launched the extra domain name and special webpage for our cashmanager/planner moneymanager360.money.

Looking forward

Most important will be the ongoing development of consumer participation in all 12 areas of economic activity (necessities of life) and dialogue about the 7 aspects of trade. Working towards better insights, dialogue and sustainable and responsible lifestyles. And giving our economic questions a realistic basis by prepaying, subscription or co-financing.

For us, the most important day in 2020 will be November 11, when our initiative celebrates 40 years of working especially for the individual consumer: on information and arguments, decisionmaking and longlife learning!. In 1980 we wrote our letter of intent to Lex Bos at Triodos Bank (one of the first banks for sustainable and responsible banking), which was just founded two months before. We presented our plans to start an Advisory Bureau for Consumers/Organizations, to research all the management information consumers would need to manage their own life and their relation to the world around them. Including consumer-producer dialogue and cashflows as mirrors of the exchange of products and services. In fact we wanted to translate our management education and experience for the consumer. From corporate governance to consumer governance. In practice an extension of home economics including dialogue with producers, trade and finance. From an economy of supply and demand towards an economy of question and answer!

November 11 we will also present our Consumer360Archive: 200 meters of books, magazines, daily paper articles, notes, project reports and personal diaries and logbooks of those fourty years, arranged according to the 12 necessities of life and the 7 aspects of dialogue and trade. The archive will be open for students to research the many sources. The library will be open to the public and lectures and seminars on consumer governance in general can be arranged.. As in previous years, we can give workshops and courses on consumer issues. On consumer governance, financial literacy, consumer-producer dialogue or on society in its structures and possibilities for the future we want. And of course our book, website and moneymanager can help to see the big picture!

In 2020 we will again join the Global Money Week, the annual meeting of the IFHE, and the conference on 40 years of Triodosbank. We also hope to join discussions on the future of the worldeconomy at Forum3 in Stuttgart. And to be present in Barcelona at the World Social Forum.

Expenditures 2019

270 Membership Fees (12 organizations)
1080 Website/Internet/Telephone (KPN)
360 Webmaster
180 Lenovo laptop (12×15)
600 Daily Paper (FD)
440 Monthly Magazines (Foreign Affairs / Monde Diplomatique)
960 Books/Handbooks/Readers (Professional Literature)
840 Travelling NS (Seminars / Lectures / Projects)
320 IKEA book cases
560 Forum3 Conference in Stuttgart
120 Materials (Paper etc)

5730 Total

Income 2019

4800 Regular donations
930 Other donations

5730 Total

Possessions 31/12

1 Lenovo Computer (written off)
14 IKEA Book Cases / 1 Desk / 4 Chairs (written off)
70 Meter Books and Handbooks (written off)

Annual report 2018

To buy or not to buy

In 2018 we decided on the future of our activities and on how to respond to questions in the years to come. Society as a whole and individual people (read: consumers) are changing fast forward in getting information, searching arguments, and taking decisions concerning “to buy or not to buy”. So we as Consumer360Academy have to change fast forward too!

Products

That was exactly the reason for concentrating on the promotion of the easy-to-go household booklet which we now gave its new name: MoneyManager360. We introduced it during our workshop presentation at the conference of the International Federation for Home Economics IFHE in Osnabruck Germany August 30.

On January 1 next year a new set of webpages will be added to our website, plus an extra domain-name: www.moneymanager360.money. To invite readers to use it we added the following promotional text:

MoneyManager360 is based on the 12 necessities of life.
That’s WHY it is the simplest household booklet
and gives you the best tool to find all information you need.

Drawn in a circle of 360 degrees it presents the whole world in a nutshell.
So you can better understand HOW everything is (inter)connected.
And find the most relevant arguments to buy or not to buy.

To registrate your daily expenses it is most practical to use a horizontal or vertical excel sheet.
That’s WHAT works best! So that you can take the best possible decisions.
For the sustainable and responsible future you want, for the quality of life

DOWNLOAD NOW FOR FREE AND START THE FUTURE YOU WANT!

It can be downloaded for free so that all 7.000.000.001 consumers can use it when they want to. (And editors can copy it for free to integrate it in books, agenda’s/managers, websites or apps).

Promotion

Because of the central role of the money manager as “mirror” of our daily expenses our promotion activities will focus more towards education on financial literacy. But we will also continue on the road of consumer education for sustainable and responsible consumption and production such as IFHE, PERL, ConsumerClassroom and Consumers International.

To promote our academy we also joined many other initiatives this year: Lidl consumer panel, Archive Day, Sustainability Day, Alternative Finance Festival.

Price

Financing the website, ict and communication, papers, magazines and books, travelling and the many seminars and conferences were again made possible by many donations. The financial report will be published on the webpage ifrs/anbi.

Place

The “place to be” is of course the desk or ipad of the consumer. Other channels for communication will also be explored such as Wikipedia, the press and conferences.

Outlook

In the year 2019 we will concentrate our promotion on all levels of globalization and the dialogue between production trade and consumption. In 2020 we will present ourselves as Consumer360Archive highlighting the emancipation of the consumer 1980-2020. A library with 80 meters books and 120 boxes full of articles we have quite a story to tell.

Expenditures 2018

120 Membership Fees (IFHE & ICA)
1080 Website/Internet/Telephone (KPN)
320 Webmaster (HeartCoded)
180 Lenovo laptop
600 Daily Paper (FD)
400 Monthly Magazines (Foreign Affairs & Monde Diplomatique)
1200 Books/Handbooks/Readers (Professional Literature)
720 Travelling NS (Seminars Lectures & Projects)
1120 IKEA book cases
400 IFHE Conference in Stuttgart (Not EU Funded)
100 Materials (Paper etc)

6240 Total

Income 2018

4800 Regular donations
1440 Other donations

6240 Total

Possessions 31/12

1 Lenovo Computer (written off)
14 IKEA Book Cases (written off)
56 Meter Books and Handbooks (written off)

Annual Report 2017 / Consumer360Academy

Promotion

Consumer360Academy presentation March 24 for the conference at the University of Sligo in Ireland of the International Federation for Home Economics IFHE. April 29 conference listening to Frank Trentmann about his bestselling book Empire of Things about 500 years history of the consumer since the start of worldtrade and bookkeeping in Venice in the 15th century. In June presentations of Consumer360 on invitation of Anthroposophical Society and Christian Community (Christengemeinschaft) the two organizations who helped us finding deeper insights in the living principles of the world and mankind towards freedom and responsibility.

Product

Making a new business plan for the next few years. Focussing on our website and links to all directions to find and to be found. Planning of updates and upgrades. Membership of the International Council on Archives ICA to save all knowledge of Consumer360Academy for the future. Our website is already saved by the Internet Archive in San Francisco USA and the Royal Library in The Hague in the Netherlands.

Price

Financing these activities is still possible by own means. Website, books and magazines, following webinars and visiting one conference every year are the only expenses to be made for continuing every year this project since 1980 and will not change very much in the years to come. It is about 5000 euro per year made possible by donations (financial report available).

Place

Our plan to reach the consumer worldwide is as easy as every other initiative nowadays thanks to internet: links links links and wikipedia as the place to be for all information for everybody who is interested! As a catalyzing force for change the best people to help us are the teachers in the world of education. That is why we are connected to PERL, IFHE, UN and ConsumerClassroom and sending all interesting news we see forward to many websites of the press and otherwise.

Expenditures 2017

180 Membership Fees (IFHE & ICA)
1080 Website/Internet/Telephone (KPN)
240 Webmaster (HeartCoded)
600 Daily Paper (FD)
400 Monthly Magazines (Foreign Affairs & Monde Diplomatique)
1200 Books/Handbooks/Readers (Professional Literature)
480 Travelling NS (Seminars Lectures & Projects)
1000 IFHE Conference in Sligo, Ireland (Not EU Funded)
100 Materials (Paper etc)

5280 Total

Income 2017

5280 Donations

5280 Total

Possessions 31/12

1 Lenovo Computer (written off)
1 Book Cases (written off)
1 Books/Handbooks (written off)

3 Total

Capital/Debts 31/12

3 Capital
0 Debts

3 Total