Nowadays, the Willemsfonds is still a volunteer organisation and a meeting place for cultural activities.
The Willemsfonds was founded on 23 February 1851, for the promotion and support of the Dutch language in Flanders (northern Belgium).
In its early days, both Roman Catholics and liberals worked together within the organisation, even Jean-Baptist David was a member of the Willemsfonds.
Until 1976, the presidents of the Willemsfonds would come from Ghent, such as its first president Jules de Saint-Genois (1813–1867), Ferdinand Snellaert, Prudens van Duyse, Frans Rens, Jacob Jan Heremans, and Julius Vuylsteke, to name a few.
Over the years, it published the work of several Flemish authors, such as Jan Frans Willems, Reinaert de Vos and Julius de Geyter, Johanna Courtmans-Berchmans, Tony Bergmann, Cyriel Buysse, Virginie Loveling, Maurits Sabbe, Paul Kenis, Karel Jonckheere, Marcel van Maele, Willem Roggeman, and Clem Schouwenaars.