Interview with Matilda Näsvall, Head of Communication at Jordens Vänner/Friends of the Earth Sweden, Sweden
I've been working in various roles at Friends of the Earth, Sweden since 2019. In recent years, I've been responsible for communications and fundraising, among other things.
Friends of the Earth, Sweden is a home for many different forms of engagement, but what everyone has in common is the pursuit of a more just and sustainable world. My job is largely about supporting that engagement. It can involve everything from creating communication materials for a campaign, finding ways to finance a project idea, or organizing camps and training sessions for the organization's young people.
The absolute best thing about my job is meeting people who are truly passionate about the environment, justice, and everything that encompasses. When I get to meet pensioners who have tirelessly fought for our causes since the 60s, or 14-year-olds who want to organize fundraisers for the rainforest - that gives me hope!
In a time when many feel powerless, it's a blessing to have a job where I get to work together with people who fight to make the world better.
It was a combination of personal engagement and right timing. I'm educated in international relations, journalism and communication, and have long been involved in various causes as a volunteer. Previously, I've mostly worked with young people and social issues, but environmental and climate issues have always been in the background.
For a while, I was a research assistant at a university in the US, researching neoliberalism and multistakeholderism. I've also been active in organizations myself as a chairperson and board member in various contexts, and I'm used to applying for grants and running non-profit projects.
For several years, my husband and I ran the organization Young Adventurers in Eastern Gothenburg. We had both previously worked with newly arrived immigrants and children in socioeconomically vulnerable areas and wanted to give more children the opportunity for meaningful leisure activities and great adventures - within the planet's boundaries.
I applied for a temporary position at Jordens Vänner while I was studying for my master's in communication. I had never heard of the organization before, but as soon as I started reading about it, I felt like I had found home. That feeling has stuck with me ever since!
Jordens Vänner was formed in 1971 as a non-profit environmental organization and the Swedish branch of Friends of the Earth International, the world's largest democratic environmental organization with over 2 million members around the world.
The organization grew out of the local environmental movements of the 60s and 70s and still consists of local and national groups that work in various ways for an ecologically sustainable and socially just world.
Friends of the Earth, Sweden has local associations and committees throughout Sweden. We also have five partner organizations in Latin America with whom we both run joint campaigns and also channel SIDA support - and raise money - to.
We're a very broad organization that works with a multitude of different issues. The basic idea is that everything is connected - climate issues, local environmental problems, human rights and how we distribute the Earth's finite resources.
Friends of the Earth, Sweden work is primarily based on voluntary engagement. Our fundraising is a way to support and strengthen that engagement, but collecting money is not the organization's main mission. I think that's important to keep in mind so you don't lose sight of what you're actually fighting for. A lot can be done even without major fundraising.
If you're a small and newly started organization, own it. Build a strong foundation with genuine engagement, then the rest will come naturally. Transparency is incredibly important. Avoid slogans and don't just formulate texts because they sound good. The most important thing is that there's a foundation for what you're saying. Think about what you're passionate about in your organization and trust that there are others who feel the same way.
Be concrete about how much money you need and what for. Donors want to know what their contribution goes toward and what they're helping to contribute to. The same goes for the organization as a whole. It's important that members, board, and employees all feel there's a common goal and that fundraising is something the organization works on together.
We actually work less and less with social media and invest more in physical meetings and our own channels like our website and newsletter.
When we use social media, mainly Instagram, the goal is usually to reach young people who can then come to physical meetings so we can meet for real. Those physical meetings are something we often hear is what our members want and need.
When we redesigned our website in 2023, we simultaneously did a thorough review where we tested and evaluated tons of fundraising tools. Octany was simply the best - it was both simple and professional. It's sleek and user-friendly both outwardly to our donors, but also very easy for us to work with.
It is important that it feels safe to donate to us and we feel that Octany instills just that sense of security. As soon as we use Octany in our newsletters as direct links or on campaign pages on our website, we see that it gives much better results than other alternatives.
It's the simplicity for both us and the donors. I'm so happy that we chose Octany as our fundraising tool. I've never experienced anything going wrong, and that's something we often experience with other systems. Now it sounds like I'm advertising for you, but this is really what I feel! You're so easy to work with as people and I feel heard. If I have a question, I get an answer immediately.
Right now, our work connecting issues of peace, environment, democracy and justice feels more important than ever, and we're driving a multitude of different issues both locally, nationally and internationally.
A current and very concrete project that's underway is "Framtidsföreställningen" - a Heritage Fund project that spans three years and kicked off at the beginning of the year.
The project targets young people up to 25 years old and combines culture with climate engagement, starting from young people's own ideas about what a more sustainable and just future could look like.
The goal is to create meeting places and help young people combine creativity, like singing, dancing and theater, with engagement. The plan is to put on several performances over the coming three years.
Read more about Framtidsföreställningen
Right now we're looking for both participants aged 16-18 but also cultural mentors between 18-25.
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