in 2001, van den ende and his wife janine established the vandenende foundation, one of the netherlands’ largest private foundations, which supports cultural and educational projects and stimulates cultural entrepreneurship. the foundation also provides scholarships to talented young performing artists. one of the foundation's most high-profile accomplishments was the reconstruction of the historic delamar theatre complex in the heart of amsterdam. the vandenende foundation — in close cooperation with the dutch government and together with the bankgiro loterij, the prins bernhard cultuurfonds, and the vsbfonds— initiated the blockbuster fund, a fund designed to provide a sustainable way to make large-scale investments in culture.