Research projects funded by the Swedish Childhood Cancer Fund generally take several years to complete. In practice, this means that when a research project is approved, we undertake to pay out funds for several years. In order to ensure that we can live up to these commitments, even in times of reduced donations, some of the assets are managed in various types of financial instruments. To support the Swedish Childhood Cancer Fund’s asset management the Board has a Finance Committee consisting of the Fund’s chief financial officer and individuals outside the Fund who possess strong knowledge of the capital markets.

Åke Wideqvist, chief financial officer at the Swedish Childhood Cancer Fund, comments on this year’s performance:

“It’s a fabulous performance in many ways. We are overwhelmed by the warmth and commitment we encounter, which is also reflected in the total donations of SEK 425.1 (365.1) million that the Swedish Childhood Cancer Fund raised. This translates to an increase of 16 seven per cent compared with the previous year. Our financial instruments have also performed well with a return of 5.3%.

At the end of 2017 we adopted a new five-year plan to guide us in our future work. According to its objectives, our fundraising should grow more than the market and research initiatives should extend beyond the Nordic region. These are exciting times and we will do our utmost to manage the trust and position we achieved with this year’s performance."

Distribution of donations

Efficient fundraising is a requirement for being able to distribute funds among our important mission-related initiatives. Consequently, the Swedish Childhood Cancer Fund carried out an array of initiatives within its fundraising operations that each generated greater commitment and more donations for the operations that require funding.

The majority of the funds we raise are used to finance research into childhood cancer diseases. At the same time, our work providing advisory services and support initiatives to children with cancer and their families, as well as our efforts to increase awareness of childhood cancer are crucial if we are to ultimately achieve our vision. Fundraising is also an important component of our operation, to which 11 per cent of our donations are allocated. Nevertheless, we are extremely careful here to ensure that every cent spent should generate clear value, so that we can do the most possible good for those who truly need it. A total of 3 per cent of our donations are used to cover administrative expenses.