GRUNDFOS FOUNDATION INCLUSION Scalability is key In Denmark, many social problems persist for years on end. We’ve sought to find solutions for decades, but they are incredibly difficult to tackle. The problems are deeply complex and impact negatively on both individuals and society. Christian Toft Ramsbøl Head of Inclusion High youth unemployment, lack of integration of people from other cultures (and marginalised groups), and rehabilitation of ex-inmates are among the biggest social challenges in Denmark. There is a clear need to develop new methodologies to address these com- plex social issues, and in this respect, foundations are uniquely situated to back up new partnerships working to- gether to solve challenges with funding and an openminded approach. A number of the Foundation’s Inclusion projects explore new perspectives and ideas – sometimes put into practice in new social or geographical environ- ments. An example of this is the project ‘Job Lift’ where public housing organisa- tions (DA: boligforeninger) create jobs for their tenants in and around the places where they live (p. 58). Another project, “Feel the Job’, brings together elite sports clubs, sponsors, municipalities and unemployed youth in a circle of trust which is showing remarkable results in matching young people with employers (p. 54). New financial models could also be a possible path toward sustainable change Social investments (or Social Bonds) are beginning to find momen - tum in Denmark. In partnership with DRC Integration, as part of their work with integration, we have been exploring models to introduce social investments in a number of different ways (p. 60). Finally, the year 2021 has seen a revision of the Inclusion strategy. It is clear that we will need to design our projects with an even higher degree of communica- tion and anchoring in mind from the very beginning. To us, it is important that projects and initiatives supported will be able to stand on their own two feet once the Foundation’s engagement ends, and that projects are scalable or methods can be reused in other contexts than the one in which it was first implemented. That is our recipe for sustainable change for society and the people in it. Project Full Speed Ahead was concluded in 2021. Read about the outcomes on page 56. Photo: Grundfos Foundation 53
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