(Amsterdam) – The Dutch Postcode Lottery, the largest charity lottery in The Netherlands, will extend its financial support of Human Rights Watch for five years, Human Rights Watch said today. The Dutch Postcode Lottery will continue to give Human Rights Watch 900,000 euros (US $1.2 million) a year through 2018.
With half of its earnings devoted to charities, the Dutch Postcode Lottery raises funds for organizations that work toward a fair and sustainable world. The Lottery supports 89 organizations that are active in the areas of economic development, human rights, environmental protection, and social cohesion in the Netherlands. Since its founding in 1989, the Lottery has donated almost 4 billion euros to charity.
“Human Rights Watch is one of the most prominent independent organizations in the world dedicated to protecting human rights,” said Michiel Verboven, managing director of the Dutch Postcode Lottery. “For more than 30 years, Human Rights Watch has focused international attention to places where human rights are being violated, giving a voice to victims and holding perpetrators accountable. It is important for the Dutch Postcode Lottery to keep supporting Human Rights Watch, and we are looking forward to continuing our cooperation.”
The Dutch Postcode Lottery’s generous support helps Human Rights Watch protect people in time of conflict, defend civil society and human dignity, and bring oppressors to justice, Human Rights Watch said.
“The support of the lottery has not only given us much-needed financial means, it also elevated our credibility as we opened our office in the Netherlands,” said Anna Timmerman, Netherlands director at Human Rights Watch. “As a new organization in this country, we found the backing of the lottery incredibly valuable, helping us to raise our profile and convince people to support us. The lottery’s network of beneficiaries helped us to quickly establish strong relationships with partner organizations.”
