Van Leer Foundation

Van Leer Foundation

The Van Leer Foundation traces to 1949 when Bernard van Leer established the entity to focus on young children and families. His son Oscar later shaped the mission through the Van Leer Group Foundation, created in 1979 as the parent holding structure. The organization operates from The Hague with additional facilities in Jerusalem. Deployment centers on early childhood initiatives alongside mission-related investments in education technology and affordable housing. Confirmed positions include commitments to Bridges Fund Management, Jonathan Rose Companies and PATRIZIA SE. The foundation also holds stakes in Israeli companies such as IceCure Medical, Similarweb, Check-Cap and CollPlant through Docor International. Geographic reach spans the Netherlands, Israel, the United Kingdom and the United States. The foundation employs no disclosed headcount figure and maintains service relationships with Northern Trust for fiduciary management and KPMG for audit services. It participates in networks including The Hague Club and Philea. In May 2025 the foundation spoke at the Bratislava Summit on cities and early childhood. Governance flows through Stichting Van Leer Group Foundation, which owns 100 percent of Crecor B.V. and Docor International B.V., creating a layered holding architecture that separates philanthropic grants from commercial activities.