Our roots
Anchored in tradition, open to the world.
Porticus' philanthropy begins with a simple belief: every person has equal worth, the vulnerable deserve priority, and the planet is our shared home.
We work alongside partners who protect dignity, foster opportunity, and care for creation—listening first, then acting together to create lasting change. From local classrooms to global climate action, our mission is the same: to help good ideas grow into lasting solutions.
This commitment is deeply rooted in history. Since 1841, the Brenninkmeijer family has given as they worked, ensuring business is a force for good. Each generation has carried this forward, acting together in true partnership with partners and teams to spark change.
Today, Porticus continues that tradition—investing in people, places, and ideas that can shape a better future, so that communities everywhere can thrive.
An ethical business generates a force for good
Several businesses, charitable foundations and philanthropic programmes share their heritage with Porticus in the early days of C&A. As this family business expanded, Clemens' and August’s descendants set up and supported charitable initiatives wherever a new store opened. Recipients included hospitals, charitable foundations, parishes, schools and universities. So it continued for more than a century, with local C&A staff managing donations as a side activity.
1960s
Global challenges require coordinated efforts
By the beginning of the 1960s, the family owners felt their efforts should meet the standards of the steadily growing and globalising charitable sector. In 1963, they appointed a full-time co-ordinator in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
Like the C&A business, the charitable foundations were still organised nationally. The boards of these entities, on which members of the family were always represented, started to meet regularly to exchange knowledge and experience. They invited experts to discuss key societal needs and opportunities for action. A broader strategy emerged.
1990s
Global and professional – Porticus launches
In 1995, regional charitable activities were brought together and Porticus was born. Named to represent an open gateway to a brighter future, it became the global adviser to the charitable funds the family members had established decades earlier.
Since then, the professionalisation of both the organisation and the charitable sector has picked up speed. Porticus has grown to over 180 philanthropy professionals today, working on the challenges of our times and seeking to improve the lives of those in need just like Clemens and August intended to do in 1841.
