The Nordic gaming company Paf decided to give all employees the opportunity to donate €125,000 to various good causes, initiatives and projects. The causes were selected through a nomination and voting process by the employees.

All Paf employees were given the opportunity to nominate their own initiatives that they felt were worthy of Paf’s €125,000 donation. Once the nomination process was complete, employees were asked to vote for the initiatives, and it was the employees’ votes that determined which initiatives received the donation and how much of the sum was allocated to each project.

“It’s really important that everyone who works at Paf feels that our core mission is different and that it’s well worth working for. That’s why we wanted to involve the employees and give everyone a direct opportunity to determine the distribution of the donation,” says Paf’s CEO Christer Fahlstedt.

Paf’s basic purpose is to generate funds for the benefit of society. The annual profit is used as Paf funds for social, environmental, youth, sports and cultural purposes, among others.

Second year in a row

This is the second year in a row that Paf employees have been able to donate a sum of money to various good causes. Last year employees donated €100,000 and this year the amount was increased to €125,000.

“It was a great way to end last year and a good initiative to repeat this year. The donation is not part of Paf’s usual mission and purpose, but it reflects our overall core purpose in an excellent way,’ says Paf CEO Christer Fahlstedt.

The distribution of €125,000

When the employees gathered in December for the annual Christmas speech, the vote was taken and the result determined how the €125,000 would be distributed. The Employee vote gave causes for Ukraine the biggest donation and €40,000, followed by causes against cancer €25,000 and in third place causes for combating abuse of children €15.000.

1. €40.000 – Causes for Ukraine

2. €25.000 – Causes against cancer

3. €15.000 – Causes for combating abuse of children

4. €12.000 – Causes for Children

5. €9.000 – Causes for Animals

6. €7.000 – The Swedish Brain Foundation (Hjärnfonden)

7. €6.000 – Medical aid for Palestine

8. €5.000 – Causes for Women

9. €3.500 – Relief efforts – Spanish weather disaster

10. €2.500 – Jesuit Refugee Services Malta

Most votes – top 3

Causes for Ukraine goes to the following initiatives;

• Power Up Ukraine, Swedish based, helps with energy solutions

• Blågula Bilen, Swedish based, donates trucks & 4×4 vehicles with supplies

• Hospitallers, based in Ukraine, Hospitallers is a volunteer organization of paramedics.

• Come Back Alive, Ukraine, Demining in Ukraine

• Safe & Smart, Ukraine based, Restoring hybrid and offline learning in Ukrainian schools

Causes against cancer goes to;

• Barncancerfonden, Sweden, They help families and contribute to paediatric cancer research with the aim of eradicating childhood cancer

• Kingitud Elu, Estonia, Estonian Association of Parents of Children with Cancer

• Rintasyöpäyhdistys, Finland, Europa Donna Finland ry works to increase awareness of breast cancer and improve the quality of life for patients during and after the treatment period

• Project Liv, Finland, support children with cancer and their families

Causes for combating abuse of children goes to;

• Internet Watch Foundation, UK, stop child sexual abuse online

• Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative, USA based, end human trafficking and child exploitation

• Missing Children Europe, protects children from going missing

• ECPAT, based in Thailand, ensures children live a childhood free from sexual abuse and exploitation

• La Strada International, Europe, works against human trafficking

• Prajwala, India, works to end sex trafficking & sex crime

• Maiti Nepal, Nepal, works for a society free from trafficking of children & women

The nomination and voting process was not open to organisations or initiatives that were already beneficiaries of Paf funds. Since 1966, Paf has distributed more than €447 million in Paf funds. In the spring of 2024, Paf was able to distribute €31.4 million for the benefit of society.