Postcode Lottery Group
The Postcode Lottery Group is a Dutch international social enterprise, 100% owned by a foundation. The group establishes and manages charitable lotteries worldwide to raise funds for social organisations working in areas such as culture, nature, environmental and animal protection, health, human rights, and development aid. The Postcode Lottery Group is reported as the world's third-largest private charity donor, after the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation & the Wellcome Trust.

History
In 1983, Boudewijn Poelmann, Frank Leeman, Herman de Jong, and Simon Jelsma founded Novamedia - today known as Postcode Lottery Group - a Dutch marketing and media company established with the mission of raising funds for charitable causes through the creation and management of lotteries seen as a tool for generating revenue while also engaging the public in charitable giving. Since a percentage of the ticket price goes to charities, every player contributes to support social organizations.https://www.postcodelotterygroup.com/who-we-are/our-history/

In 1989, the company launched its first lottery, the Dutch Postcode Lottery (Nationale Postcode Loterij), which was based on the concept of using postal codes to determine winning tickets through organizing a subscription-based lottery.https://www.postcode-lotterie.de/so-funktionierts

The lottery gained popularity in the Netherlands and Novamedia founded Postcode Lotteries in other European countries, also aimed at raising funds for social organisations. Today, the Postcode Lottery Group operates six lotteries in five countriesWind, Femmetje de (2020-11-29). "Ceo Postcode Loterij Sigrid van Aken: 'We gaan voor het tweede 10 miljard'". Het Parool (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-03-02..

The postcode lotteries
The Postcode Lottery Group launched its first lottery, the Dutch Postcode Lottery (Nationale Postcode Loterij), in 1989. This lottery uses postal codes (zip codes) as ticket numbers and has become one of the largest lotteries in the Netherlands. A portion of the ticket price supports various charitable causes, including environmental conservation, human rights and
social welfare.https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/development/development-co-operation-profiles_a1659b79-en

Following the Dutch subscription-based model, the Postcode Lottery Group set up the People's Postcode Lottery in Great Britain in 2005https://www.skymedia.co.uk/news/all-star-cast-to-front-peoples-postcode-lotterys-april-draw-campaign-in-new-cross-broadcaster-deal-from-the7stars/, followed in that same year with by the Swedish Postcode Lottery (Svenska Postkodlotteriet).https://postkodstiftelsen.se/om-postkodstiftelsen/postkodlotteriet/

In 2016, the Deutsche Postcode Lotterie was launched in Germany, to raise funds for German charitable organisations. Two years later, in 2018, the Norwegian Postcode Lottery (Norsk Postkodelotteri) was founded.

These lotteries are collectively known as the Postcode Lottery Group. In 2024, the group announced the establishment of the Canadian Postcode Lottery Foundation in
Canada.

Operation model

The Postcode Lottery Group's operating model goes as follow https://www.postcodelotterygroup.com/who-we-are/:
 Use of postcodes : part of what makes the Postcode Lotteries distinctive is the use of postcodes as ticket numbers to determine winners. This approach relies on publicly available geographic data rather than arbitrary number selection methods.
 Subscription-based: Postcode Lotteries operate on a subscription-based model, where players sign up for ongoing monthly participation rather than purchasing individual tickets for each draw. This structure fosters long-term engagement and provides a stable revenue stream.
 Regulation and oversight: postcode lotteries are subject to regulatory oversight in the countries where they operate, ensuring compliance with local lottery laws and regulations.
 Charitable focus: a significant portion of ticket sales revenue is allocated to support a wide range of charitable causes, including social welfare, environmental conservation, healthcare, human rights and education.
 Impact reporting: Postcode Lottery Group and every Postcode Lottery provide regular reporting on the impact of its lotteries, detailing the funds raised and the causes supported.
 Community engagement: Postcode Lotteries engage with local communities not only through their support for grassroots organizations and community projects but also by organizing festive manners to hand out prizes to winning communities.
 Responsible gaming: Postcode Lottery Group upholds standards in its operations to ensure responsible gambling practices according to the principles of fairness, integrity and social responsibility.

Governance

The boards of Postcode Lottery Group are responsible for overseeing the company's strategic direction and financial managementhttps://www.postcodelotterygroup.com/who-we-are/organisation-governance/. The boards are:
 The executive board that is responsible for the Postcode Lottery Group and its affiliated companies. The members are Sigrid van Aken (CEO), Imme Rog (CMO) and Michiel Verboven (CCO).
 The supervisory board – Novamedia Holding BV - that supervises the policy implemented by the executive board and the general running of Novamedia and its affiliated companies. The board members are: G.A. Verbeet (chair); C. van der Pol; D.E. Sauer; E.H. Verkoren; G.J.A.M. van der Vossen and P.A. Zinkweg.
 The Novamedia Foundation that assures the continuity of Novamedia's mission and the social entrepreneurial spirit. The board members are: P.L.B.A. van Geel (chair); D.R. de Breij & G.P. Prein.

Activities
Since its inception, the Postcode Lottery Group has raised more than €13.5 billion in support for thousands of charitable initiatives, locally and internationally. According to the Associated Press, in 2023, the group stood among the largest private donors to Ukraine related matters, contributing 155.2 million euros (165.9 million USD) to humanitarian and human rights organisations also operating in Ukraine or assisting refugees. The Dutch branch donated 100.6 million euros (113.3 million dollars) to organisations involved."List: Some of the largest private donations to Ukraine". apnews.com. Retrieved 2024-03-17.

Ambassadors 
In 2001, Nelson Mandela becomes the first international ambassador of the Postcode lottery Group. Since then, various personalities around the world are associated with the Postcode Lottery Group, among which: 
 Sarah Brown, founder and president of Theirworld
 Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States
 George Clooney, Actor and human rights activist
 Johan Cruijff, football player and philanthropist
 Roger Federer, Tennis player with 20 Grand Slam titles
 Toni Kroos, World Cup Winner, five-time UEFA Champions League Winner
 Nadia Murad, President of Nadia's Initiative for survivors of genocide and sexual violence, Nobel Peace Prize Winner 2018
 Rafael Nadal, Spanish tennis player with 22 Grand Slam titles
 Emma Thompson, actor, writer & activist
 Desmond Tutu, Archbishop of Cape Town, Primate of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
 Katarina Witt, Former Figure skating Star and Olympic Gold Medalist

Awards
In 2022, the Postcode Loterij was recognised as the ‘Top Global Funder You (Probably) Haven’t Heard Of’ by Inside Philanthropy's Philanthropy Awards (IPPAs).

References

External links
 Officiel website of the Postcode lottery group

Category:1983 establishments in the Netherlands
Category:Lotteries
Category:Organizations established in 1983