Apart from funding, DOEN provides the pioneers it supports with a platform for showing as many people as possible how things can be different. To ensure the message is as authentic as possible, we let our partners do the talking, as in this interview with Sytze van Stempvoort, in which he talks about his mission at PeelPioneers. We also try to place pioneers’ stories in a broader context. For example, in an article on the Right to Challenge, we examine citizens’ right to contest how municipalities run services by coming up with better strategies and hear from some of our partners who are doing just that. And we interviewed DOEN’s Mirjam Niessen on driving social transitions through investment. Large numbers of people read an article on our participatory grant-making pilot scheme, which greatly boosted our reach on LinkedIn.
Three strategic goals
2024 was a dynamic and challenging year. We enjoyed a number of successes, partly thanks to our updated communications strategy, which focuses on three important goals:
1. Attracting appropriate applications
To accelerate the transitions, we need to find the most suitable funding applicants. To attract them, we share inspiring partner stories that illustrate the kinds of work we fund. DOEN accepts online applications throughout the year. In 2024, we took steps towards simplifying the application process. We will continue our efforts in 2025, starting with the launch of our new website.
2. Increasing our impact on the transitions
We can use our communications to exert influence on the transitions by showing relevant groups that things can be different. Thus, we publicise our partners and their work among other financiers who could potentially take over funding from us, as well as policymakers and interested parties in the business world.
By highlighting amazing projects by socially engaged artists in our podcast Wij zijn kunstenaar, we hope to inspire other cultural funds to embrace this type of work. In 2024, the third season attracted more than 10,000 new listeners. Socially engaged artists involve people and communities in their process as a matter of course. Together, they come up with alternative perspectives.
In a 2024 special issue of P+ magazine, we published an article spotlighting the growing community–project movement.
3. Moving from niche to mainstream
Our collaboration with the Nationale Postcode Loterij and VriendenLoterij means we’re able to reach and inspire an audience of millions – as we need to do to make the transitions reality. We profile our partners in TV programmes such as Postcode Loterij Miljoenenjacht and Postcode Loterij Eén tegen 100. For example, a 2024 segment on TommyTomato showed how, by delivering lunches and giving cooking lessons in schools, the organisation encourages children to eat vegetables for life.
Also in 2024, DOEN supported entrepreneurs developing sustainable and socially inclusive consumer products by staging the Fair Future Challenge. The competition gave the winning businesses a valuable boost but also introduced nominees’ products and services to a sizeable audience. DOEN partners including Seepje, Bakers & Bananas and The Good Spice demonstrated during the 2024 Fair Future Challenge how commerce and social impact could go hand in hand.
Finally, in 2024, through major visibility campaigns for the Postcode Loterij Buurtfonds, DOEN attempted to inspire as many people as possible to take action to improve their neighbourhoods.