“When doors are slightly ajar, I like to kick them wide open.”

She is a beautiful mix: modest, down-to-earth, helpful, sensitive, yet also very decisive, someone who speaks her mind and a doer with big dreams. Bojana Duovski is a mover & shaker at Stichting Studiezalen. In the past year and a half, they, partly thanks to her, have gone from two to no less than twenty-three partnerships with companies. What are her secrets to achieve this? How does she shape this? And what does it yield for both parties? Her big brown expressive eyes almost constantly shine. She tells with so much enthusiasm that she effortlessly takes you into her world.Why would a company want to collaborate with them? Bojana doesn’t have to think long about that. “It would be a loss for them if they don’t. I really mean that. We build sustainable friendships and truly connect with the community. This way, they can come by or even participate in one of the 47 study rooms, where children receive guidance for a few hours a week. This makes it very tangible. There are even people from Deloitte who occasionally want to come work at our office. So, you’re sitting in such a cool and luxurious office at the Zuidas, where everything is, and then you choose to work here, in 50 m2 in Nieuw-West. Why? Because they feel more connected to others here. I find that very interesting. And for me, it’s actually a confirmation of the poverty of the rich.”

A switch

It was the beginning of 2021. Bojana closed her business in the event industry, partly due to the pandemic, and started reflecting on herself; what makes me happy and how can I make a meaningful contribution? “At that time, I saw Abdelhamid Idrissi, founder of Studiezalen Foundation, speaking online. He resonated with me as a person, because I saw that he carried a lot. That’s why I offered my help as a sparring partner. The foundation works in the most vulnerable neighborhoods of Amsterdam and Zaandam, where issues such as poverty, language barriers, and school dropout rates are prevalent, to help these children and young people develop their talents. Through homework assistance, study rooms on various topics, coaching, and workshops. I noticed that the foundation was facing financial challenges every year, so I looked into how we could improve its financial health. I chose to involve the business world because inequality of opportunity is a societal issue for all of us, and they are often focused on sustainable development goals.”

Quid pro quo

“Where do you start then? I chose to start with my own network. I gathered a group of people from different companies and said: guys, I’m going to do this, what can YOU do to contribute? They quickly got on board because we have a good relationship. After that, I also approached other companies. Building relationships with them, of course, didn’t all happen smoothly, sometimes it takes quite a few conversations to get on the same page, but if doors are slightly open, I like to kick them wide open. We think from the perspective of the children; what do they need? This can involve resources, people, mass, media, or money. And, I always emphasize what I am bringing. We always offer something in return. Often, it is the connection with the youth; a target audience that companies often struggle to reach. Additionally, we can provide a lot of advice and content when it comes to integrating social aspects into the values, culture, and strategy of a company.”Menno de Kuijer, Orange Capital Partners“We are committed to being socially involved in the neighborhoods where we are also active with our property portfolios. By supporting Study Rooms, for several years, we hope to contribute to a higher educational level for young people in a safe and peaceful environment.”

How do you get a CEO on board?

Bojana: “Meanwhile, many beautiful collaborations have already emerged, with no less than 23 different companies. One of them is Deloitte. Employees dedicate a certain number of hours per year to Studiezalen. For three years. They can choose what they want to do themselves, for example: working out a case for the organization, leading a creative workshop, or sharing their personal story with the children, about the path they have taken to a good job. Our goal is: a good night’s sleep for every child. If a child sleeps well, we have done our job well. For example, the employment agency Olympia helps parents on their way to paid work. This indirectly affects the children, but it is also necessary. A third example is ABN AMRO. People from this company volunteer as remote buddies. They read with a child, one on one, to promote language development. Both in Dutch and English. We even know the CEO of ABN AMRO, who indicates in his title on LinkedIn that he is a remote buddy because he finds it so important. How beautiful is that? When both the employee and the top layer of a company embrace a goal and actively engage, it also motivates others.”

My own story

“Inequality in opportunities has always been a theme that resonates with me throughout my life. I come from such a family myself. My parents are guest workers from former Yugoslavia, they did not speak the Dutch language sufficiently, and due to the war and the associated problems, I was unable to study. I had to take a path that was not my first choice. I eventually made it through sheer hard work, but if only I had a Study Rooms back then, it would have made a big difference for me. My past experience really makes me deeply understand the mission of Study Rooms. My message is genuine. At the same time, I have worked in the corporate world for many years, so I also speak the language of businesses. Being able to resonate at both levels allows me to truly connect. I feel blessed to be able to do this. What I find most beautiful is that through collaboration with companies, I truly see talent growing; both internally with us and with the children in the study rooms. You can really see that it makes a difference, that extra opportunities are being created; that is a great gift. And it truly benefits both sides. Both parties can learn from each other; as long as we are willing to look, willing to listen.”

Why wait?

“I think that in about five to ten years it will be standard for a company to be socially involved. It may even become a requirement. You already see it often now, that ‘social return’ obligation, where a certain percentage of a tender must go back to society. This often involves large amounts of money, quite a challenge. So I believe that soon there will be no escaping it. Therefore, companies are better off getting involved now haha! With us or with one of the other 2000 social organizations in the city.”

Bojana’s tips for social organizations:

• Make sure you have a damn good and honest story. Even if it’s small, stick to that.
• Clearly identify what your needs are and who could help with them.
• Find that one person within a company, a firestarter, who resonates with your story. Don’t focus on the name of a company but on a person.
• Dare to ask. A ‘no’ is also completely fine, but then ask about what is possible.
• Be clear upfront and make concrete agreements.
• Collaborate with other social organizations. Sometimes it seems like everyone is fighting for that small piece of the pie, but what if we share…
• Have a little courage and just do it!

Interested too?

Are you a company or a social organization and are you also curious about the possibilities of establishing a connection?
Volunteer Center Amsterdam is happy to help you further, for example withinBusiness Involved projectPlease contact Rachida el Alami for this:r.elalami@vca.nu/ 06-81431044
OfCome to the speed dating event on December 7th.

Text: Linda Slagter
Photo Bojana: Huub Zeeman