The Honorary Medal for Charitable Assistance (Dutch: Erepenning voor Menslievend Hulpbetoon) was created at 18 June 1822 and is after the Military William Order the oldest decoration for bravery in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Lieutenant Alexander de Langle was the first person to be rewarded with this medal in 1821 for rescuing a sergeant who was stuck at the bottom of a well.

In 1837 King William II decided by royal decree that the size of the golden, silver and bronze medals would be all 50 millimeter.

At the reverse side the words "De koningin aan" (English: The Queen Rewards to) and also some space is reserved for an inscription.

Silver medals were awarded on 29 May 2008 by the then Dutch Minister of Defence Eimert van Middelkoop to five members of the Search and Rescue squadron 7 of the Royal Netherlands Navy, this because they saved the life of the captain and coxswain of an Iranian container ship.

In 2023, the gold medal was awarded posthumously to Jan Zwartendijk for creating visas for Lithuanian Jews.