Stichting Z
2e Oosterparkstraat 72
1091 JG Amsterdam
020 - 623 62 02
zmag@xs4all.nl
2e Oosterparkstraat 72
1091 JG Amsterdam
020 - 623 62 02
zmag@xs4all.nl
Z magazine is the streetpaper of Amsterdam and is issued by the Z Foundation. The aim is to help the homeless help themselves. Z magazine has been published since 1995. The magazine is distributed at and by the Z Foundation to about 200 independent vendors in total. The vendors buy the magazine at € 0.80 and sell it on the streets at € 1.50. Z magazine appears bi-weekly in Amsterdam and environs (three-weekly in the summer). The average circulation is 21.000 copies per edition.
By selling the paper, homeless people can acquire for themselves a modest income and (once more) build a basis of regularity, social contacts and self-esteem. As a consequence, a move to develop further initiatives becomes easier. A large portion of the vendors, therefore, structurally improve his or her life conditions.
The Z organisation consists of a lot of volunteers, a small editorial board of freelance journalists, a few paid staff, as well as trainees: about 60 people in all. The distribution department is opened on a daily basis. Another part of Z is the so-called vendors' board who organises a meeting of vendors each month. The vendors' board consult with the board of directors and employees, on a regular basis.
The Z Foundation has the sale of the magazines to vendors as a financial basis. Z does not receive any subsidy and invests the profit in projects and activities that cater for the needs of the homeless.
A successful initiative is the housing-work-project, where sellers can get a place to live and a paid job at the same time. Another initiative is the so-called BADT, a platform for homeless people themselves, an interest group that serves as a counterpart for the big institutions.
Z has become an integral part of Amsterdam street life. The organisation works hard to improve the quality of the paper, the organisation and the distribution. So far, there were more than 5,500,000 copies sold. In October 2004 the 5,000,000th copy was celebrated.
In 2002 the Z Foundation received the so-called KVGO Award, an award of the Royal Dutch Association of Graphical Enterprises for a non-profit organisation that makes use of graphical means in a special way.
In 2005, the Z Foundation and Z magazine existed 10 years. This was celebrated on Sunday the 11 th of September on Dam square with a free public lunch and on the 9th of February with a 'Live Magazine' in Theatre De Balie.
