A 1 million euro special donation, received by Rewilding Europe Capital at the annual “Goed Geld Gala” of the Dutch Postcode Lottery yesterday evening, will see support for European nature-based businesses scaled up.
Impactful endorsement
Rewilding Europe’s support for European nature-based businesses was given a major boost last night when Rewilding Europe Capital (REC) was awarded a one-off donation of 1 million euros at the annual “Goed Geld Gala” of the Dutch Postcode Lottery in Amsterdam. Rewilding Europe also received its annual lottery contribution of 900,000 euros at the event.
“We are thrilled by this unexpected yet gratefully received award, which is a fantastic endorsement of the work REC is doing,” says Timon Rutten, Rewilding Europe’s Head of Enterprise. “Through rewilding, the restoration of wildlife, landscapes and natural processes is now providing jobs and income for Europeans on a growing scale. This award will enable REC to really accelerate this trend.”
A business case for the wild
At Rewilding Europe we understand that if Europeans and European wild nature are to thrive alongside each other, then people need to earn a fair and sustainable living from that nature. Yet in many parts of Europe, the commercial value of wild nature is poorly understood, which means access to finance for nature-based enterprises remains very limited.
This is the reason that REC was founded in 2014. As Europe’s first rewilding enterprise funding facility, it disburses financial loans to new and established European businesses that support rewilding and local livelihoods, as well as providing technical and promotional support. Recent loan recipients include Vale das Lobas, a nature-based tourism resort in Portugal, and Snowchange, a Finnish NGO working to restore peatlands and forests.
By the end of 2019, 21 European rewilding-related enterprises had received REC loans totaling more than 2 million euros, while a total of 152 enterprises had received support and 60 dedicated training.
REC on the rise
In 2017 the European Investment Bank provided Rewilding Europe with a 6 million euro loan agreement through its Natural Capital Financing Facility, ushering in REC’s second phase. This has seen REC provide larger loans across Europe’s forest management, water management, wildlife management, private estates, offsetting, and nature-based tourism sectors, and develop scalable business models.
Today REC’s door is always open to the right loan applicants. “I invite all enterprises or prospective enterprises with an envisaged positive impact on European wild nature to contact us,” says Timon Rutten.
A fairer, greener world
A regular beneficiary of the Dutch Postcode Lottery since 2013, Rewilding Europe now receives 900,000 euros every year. This money can be used on an unrestricted basis to support rewilding activities across Europe. Part of the first lottery award made to Rewilding Europe was actually used to set up REC.
Every year millions of euros in charitable donations are made possible by the 3 million people who participate in the Dutch Postcode Lottery (half the price of every ticket goes to charity). Increased revenues this year mean the lottery was able to give away 376 million euros to more than 100 non-governmental organizations.
“We are extremely proud that we can make these important donations on behalf of our loyal participants,” said Dorine Manson, managing director of the lottery, at the gala. “They will enable the recipients to step up their contribution to a fairer, greener world.”
The Dutch Postcode Lottery has been raising funds since 1989 to support organizations working towards a fairer and greener world. It has grown steadily to become the biggest charity lottery in the Netherlands, disbursing over 6.2 billion euros to beneficiaries since the foundation.
Rewilding Europe is extremely grateful to the Dutch Postcode Lottery, and all its participants, for their longstanding and highly valuable support. You can find a full overview of all Dutch Postcode Lottery grants here.
Want to know more?
- Rewilding Europe Capital
- Contact Timon Rutten: timon.rutten@rewildingeurope.com
