26/5 2025

Until we meet again, Marie Dahllöf!

Marie, after eight years as Secretary General of The Swedish Postcode Lottery Foundation, new adventures await you in July. We would like to take this opportunity to hear your reflections on your time at The Foundation, and what it has been like to be responsible for such an enabler of change.  

Describe your time as Secretary General of The Swedish Postcode Lottery Foundation for these past eight years. 

I have so many wonderful memories, and these past eight years have been so enjoyable. At times its overwhelming to think about everything that has been made possible by the Foundation’s funding. But a constant has been the incredible team I have had the pleasure to work with. They are an incredibly talented group of individuals who are highly competent and fun at the same time. It has been a privilege to be their leader.  

How has The Swedish Postcode Lottery Foundation developed over these years?  

I believe we have evolved into a highly efficient, yet flexible and opportunity-oriented organization. When I started eight years ago, we received about half as many applications as we do today. Back then, we approved about a third of what we approve now. (Yet we are the same number of people working today as we were then). This demonstrates that we have built a foundation with solid and efficient structures, allowing us to work effectively and methodically, whilst simultaneously responding to new opportunities and challenges.  
  

We have also advanced and solidified our position as a leading donor. Over the years, we have asked our project organizations  what our support has enabled for them both short and long term. Here, we really stand out compared to other funders, and we are close to what many consider an optimal donor. Of course, there is always an opportunity to grow, but I am  so proud of the partnerships we have made, and how we are overwhelmingly perceived as a flexible, accessible, and supportive donor. 

Challenge, inspire, and change, are The Foundation’s guiding principles: how has this shaped the work of The Swedish Postcode Lottery Foundation?  

These have been our guiding principles in virtually all aspects of our operation.  We have aimed to challenge other donors and applicant organizations to aim high, dare to think innovatively, and challenge themselves. Many are sometimes risk-averse, but the Foundation has welcomed risk when we see opportunity for great reward. And we are proud to say, we have seen other funders follow our lead. We have also aimed to inspire others by highlighting the choices we have made and the projects we have chosen to fund. We are so proud of our project organizations and the work they do, and we have wanted to convey that.  
 
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, our projects have given way to powerful changes within civil society and the world as a whole.  This capacity for change and impact has been the common thread in all projects we have chosen to support.   

What do you see as The Swedish Postcode Lottery Foundation’s greatest achievements in the various areas we operate in?  

This question is difficult to answer, as I think we have done a lot of good. But a few things stand out:  

  • In the environmental field, we have consistently worked to strengthen the Swedish environmental sector and help small environmental organizations grow and become stronger. I think we have done this well and ensured that we have a vibrant environmental sector driving environmental issues forward at various levels. Given the current  decline in environmental policy and funding, it has been crucial that we have been so quick to identify this need.  
  • Another thing I am proud of is how we have built up an entirely new sector in Sweden. Because we have! When we started funding sports for social change around 2015, this was a concept relatively unknown in Sweden. There were only a few who worked with this, and  “traditional” sports, were far behind in this area. We have played a key role in establishing this field in Sweden and abroad by providing funding to new initiatives, introducing calls for proposals, and establishing a network that has grown to nearly 50 organizations.  And thanks to this network, I believe we will soon have an industry organization that becomes the voice for “sports for social change.”  
  • I am also proud that we regularly receive feedback on how important our support is for the cultural sector in Sweden. Most notably, we provided nearly 20 million SEK in quick and flexible support to organizations during the pandemic, a time where many cultural institutions were struggling to stay afloat. Here, colleagues at the Foundation identified an opportunity to complement other funding for the cultural sector, and we acted quickly and created a new way of working. Our ambition is to be a reliable funder of culture and preserve and enforce a strong, creative, and vibrant cultural sector.  
  • A final achievement is how quickly we identified a need to protect freedom of expression, artistic freedom, as well as journalists and investigative journalism in Europe. We saw early on the changes happening in Europe and directed our attention and support to organizations working with freedom of expression issues within Europe, where we had previously supported initiatives in Sweden and outside of Europe’s borders. I am proud of our efforts to counteract this negative change.  

All of the above is just a selection; there is much more that I think we have done brilliantly.  

What effects do you see that The Swedish Postcode Lottery Foundation has contributed to in society?  

This is an extremely tricky question, and somewhat the same as the answer above. But above all, we have been, and are, a funder that strengthens Swedish civil society organizations. If we ask our project organizations, they say that our support has strengthened their working capacity, helped strengthen their messaging, and reach new target groups. I believe these effects have been made possible through our support.  

Has there been a project that is extra special to you that has been made possible by The Swedish Postcode Lottery Foundation?  

There are many! But one that stands out is a project that involves documenting abuses to use as evidence. This was done by providing individuals with hidden cameras that filmed and documented the abuses. Imagine the risk these people take. This material has then been used to bring people to justice. I am proud of that.  

What are you particularly proud of?  

I love that we have been brave and given organizations the opportunity to be demanding, cause problems, be a thorn in the side, and make it difficult for others not to do the right thing. On a personal level, this is incredibly satisfying.  

What do you take with you going forward?  

Pride in what I and the team have achieved. But also the trust in each other that has developed within the team over these years. We all came together in 2017 through a merger of three different foundations and became one Swedish Postcode Lottery Foundation. It was a bit shaky at first, but now it feels so natural that we all work together for one common goal. These relationships have developed with trust, admiration and an interpersonal warmth that I will take with me moving forward. In my next step, I would gladly repeat this. It is something very special to see this grow between people.  

What awaits next?  

We will see. I am curious myself about what it will be. 😊  

Thank you so much for eight wonderful years together. You have led The Swedish Postcode Lottery Foundation in a direction we look forward to continuing. We wish you all the best in your next role. You will be missed!