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Podcast explores the ‘Lottery of Progress’: trust-based funding in practice

 - Lotterynews

In a recent episode of the Hope Is A Verb podcast, Sigrid van Aken, CEO of the Postcode Lottery Group, shed light on how it’s redefining fundraising.

The Postcode Lottery Group has raised €13.5 billion for charitable causes since being founded 35 years ago in Amsterdam. By turning postal codes, or zip codes, into lottery-tickets for good, the Postcode Lotteries offer a win-win scenario where players win prizes together with their neighbours, while supporting crucial areas such as healthcare, human rights, education and conservation.

A new approach to funding charities
In this new episode of Hope Is A Verb, a podcast from Fix The News, Sigrid van Aken discusses the format of the Postcode Lotteries and the importance of trust-based funding, which provides charities with flexible, long-term support. This approach allows social initiatives to address complex issues with the freedom to innovate and adapt. CEO Sigrid van Aken: "The Postcode Lottery Group is one of the world’s largest private charity donors, and every player in our community lotteries helps change lives for the better. As one of our international ambassadors, George Clooney, once said we ‘put the FUN in fundraising'”.

Research supports this model, showing that a trust-based approach with flexible, long-term funding not only bolsters financial stability but also attracts additional donations and fosters creativity in problem-solving. Through players’ funding, the Postcode Lottery Group employs an entrepreneurial approach and recognises the importance of flexibility and risk-taking to achieve meaningful results.

Case study: HIV prevention in Eswatini
Sigrid van Aken highlights a landmark example of how trust-based funding can enable organisations to take bold action with profound societal impact. An HIV initiative in Eswatini in southern Africa, supported by the Postcode Lottery’s Dream Fund, the Clinton Health Access Initiative and the Dutch AIDS Fund, pioneered a groundbreaking approach. By testing the whole population for HIV, the number of people receiving treatment doubled. This led to a reduction in new infections of close to 50 percent and set a new standard in global health.

Expanding Global Reach
The Postcode Lottery Group’s CEO thinks its model, already a success in Europe, can be applied globally. She envisions it fostering innovation and strengthening communities around the world. Quoting the Czech statesman Václav Havel, she concluded the episode with a message of hope, stressing that even when outcomes are uncertain, the effort to create a better society is what drives positive change.

Podcast Hope Is A Verb

Hope Is A Verb, from the team of Fix The News, shines a spotlight on people and organisations working to make a difference.

Listen now: Sigrid van Aken - The Lottery of Progress