The physical environment can make a massive difference in people's lives

The Øresund link between Denmark and Sweden opened in the year 2000. The same year, the Olsen Brothers won the Eurovision Song Contest. Slobodan Milosevic is overthrown as president of Yugoslavia. George W. Bush won the US presidential election. 

The year 2000 is also the year when the RealDanmark association sold its mortgage and banking activities to Danske Bank on 2 October, changed its name to Realdania and has the purpose of creating a quality of life for everyone through the built environment. 

In this interview, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary, we have asked CEO Jesper Nygård to reflect on the years that have passed since then. 

On the development in the past 25 years 

How would you describe the development that has taken place in society from a Realdania perspective? 

An insane amount has happened. The financial crisis was the most significant economic change since the great crashes between the First and Second World Wars. The world order has gone from relatively calm to quite unstable. The climate crisis has become visible to everyone. And "sustainability" has become a mainstream word. Therefore, the issues and projects that Realdania has been involved in over the years have also changed in line with societal developments. 

At the same time, philanthropy in Denmark has developed significantly. It has gone from a '"Those who live quietly, live well" approach to much more openness, dialogue and cooperation with the surrounding society. This can be seen in the fact that many foundations and philanthropic associations also want to help change society and solve complex problems in addition to their more classic grants. 

This requires us to collaborate and enter into partnerships with many different actors. This way of working was an ambition almost from Realdania's inception. But when I look back today, I must admit that it was easier said than done initially. The first years were primarily characterized by partnerships with municipalities, research institutions and other institutions such as museums. Typically, there were fewer partners around a project. 

Today, a significant part of our work is solving complex societal problems, which requires many more parties to work together. Typically, there are very different parties and often opposing interests or views. This type of collaboration is difficult for everyone; therefore, we have also had to practice it. And we still do. Today, Realdania collaborates with virtually everyone in Danish society in our efforts, from local volunteers to associations, researchers, and the private business community to the state and municipalities.

What do you think Realdania contributed to during the period? 

Overall, we have contributed to a greater understanding that the physical environment that surrounds us humans can make a very, very big difference, for example, in our relationships and well-being. The built environment can also be essential in answering some of the societal problems we face. 

Has there been more need for philanthropic actors like Realdania over the past 25 years? 

I think so because society faces complex problems requiring many of us to work together. We must experiment, take chances, and find new ways to solve them. 

Consider young people experiencing homelessness—a complex issue we've tackled as part of a coalition for years. Realdania has contributed in several ways, from supporting research to creating concrete examples of housing. 

Another example is the green transition in construction, where we try to show a more sustainable path and some new solutions with concrete buildings and experiments. 

We have no idea if we will succeed in any of this, and that is precisely what a philanthropic association like Realdania can contribute. We can try some things and take risks that can be difficult for the public sector or the private market. In this way, we can contribute to creating models, solutions, and methods that others can take over or reuse. 

We can try out some things and take risks that can be difficult to take in the public sector or the private market.

About the projects

Which of the projects you have supported would you highlight?

It is challenging for me to single out individual projects among the more than 5,000 we have contributed to. There are the many hundreds of enthusiast projects in the Wonder Work initiative. The House of Music in Aalborg was one of the first major projects we entered. There is the Wadden Sea Centre, Godsbanen in Aarhus, our climate efforts in DK2020 – and the 67 fantastic historic properties owned by the subsidiary Realdania By & Byg. And, of course, many more. However, I would like to highlight three completely different projects. 

The first is the Knowledge Centre Bolius, which had been created the year before I joined the board in 2003. Today, approximately 2 million Danes are in contact with Bolius annually via the website and magazine when they need to find out how to change windows, have problems with killer slugs or want to afford to live more sustainably. Realdania and Bolius are working closely on the latter in the Bo Hållbar initiative. Bolius is basically about giving knowledge back to the many hundreds of thousands of homeowners who have been an important reason why Realdania exists in the first place. 

The other project is Bagsværd Observation Home, where I was really touched by the inauguration. It is a villa by Bagsværd Lake, which, back in the early 1900s, was the summer residence of a court dentist. Together with the A.P. Møller Foundation, Realdania has contributed to a total renovation of the villa, which offers 24-hour care and daycare for very young children and sometimes their parents. It has become a beautiful and calm setting for some of the people in our society who are having the most challenging time. 

The last example I want to mention is the Malt Factory in Ebeltoft. It is a unique example of how to transform an old industrial building into a new meeting place and cultural centre. This place also contributes to urban development and helps connect the old town and the harbour nicely. The wonderful thing about the Malt Factory is that it would hardly ever have come to fruition if there hadn't been fantastic local enthusiasts who wanted to save the iconic building and gather strength and finances around it. 

Finally, I want to mention something that is not a project as such but a mission-oriented part of our investments. It is not philanthropy as we know it. But these investments must provide a financial return on par with our other commercial investments and contribute to our philanthropic goals. 

Today, we have a number of these types of investments that support companies that contribute in various ways to the green transition in construction. It is an additional tool to create change, which I am really proud of and which we have adopted in recent years. 

About anniversaries, communities and quality of life 

Why are you focusing on communities in 2025? 

If I had to choose one common denominator for much of our work over the past 25 years, it would be communities. 

They can be essential to creating quality of life through the built environment because relationships are among the most important things for our well-being. We see this in many of the projects with local enthusiasts, where energy and unity are created between people around a common initiative or interest. But we also see it when we design our cities so that our paths meet instead of parting. When we create space for people in a vulnerable situation to be together and support each other, or in some cases, be alone in community with others. Over the years, we have experienced in countless projects how the physical environment can strengthen relationships between people in different ways – and thus contribute to increased quality of life. 

Therefore, this is also what we focus on in the anniversary year. It is not about celebrating ourselves but about celebrating the many thousands of people with initiative around the country who make sure that we meet about something every day. In the anniversary year, we will, among other things, help specific communities get a good place to meet and inspire even more community and togetherness. 

We at Realdania have been blown away by the interest in getting one of the 150 small community houses we are giving away to communities around Denmark on the anniversary. We have clearly hit a need out in the local areas – both to meet and to have a good place to do it. Reading the many applications has been uplifting, and so far, 60 communities have been allocated a community house. Among other things, it is a beekeepers' association, a men's club and some young people who meet about poetry. 

Over the years, we have experienced in countless projects how the physical environment can strengthen relationships between people in different ways – and thus contribute to increased quality of life. 

What else will happen in the anniversary year? 

We have conducted a massive survey of Danes' quality of life. Some of the results will be disseminated in the book Our Happiness, which will be launched at a conference on the UN's International Day of Happiness on 20 March. It is one of the most extensive studies of quality of life ever—also in an international context. It is based on responses and register data from approximately 122,000 Danes. 

When we created the primary phrase for Realdania's work, 'to create quality of life through the built environment', we had an idea that quality of life was the easiest part of the sentence to understand and put into practice. Quality of life has proven to be the hardest thing to grasp. Because what is quality of life really? Is it the perceived or objective quality of life? And how is it best measured? What is important for our quality of life – and what pulls it down? We will learn more about this now, and I hope the book can inspire a broad conversation among Danes about what quality of life is. 

The last major activity in our anniversary year is when we invite you to a nationwide festival celebrating community in September. Here, 25 projects supported by Realdania open their doors and invite everyone to an inspiring day in the spirit of community.  

About being an association 

How has Realdania as an association developed over the years? 

It has developed a lot! I still remember that at the first election meeting we held in Haderslev, 13 people showed up. But it had probably also been announced in 'Statstidende' (the Official Gazette) beforehand. In the first years, the focus was primarily on developing philanthropic work. Then, our efforts as investors and the association lived a quiet life without focusing on development and releasing great potential. It was understandable that developing and focusing on everything in the first 10-12 years of Realdania's life was impossible. 

When I took over as CEO in 2013, I was tasked with strengthening the association part and preparing an actual association strategy for Realdania. And here, new paths had to be trodden. There wasn't really any organization that looked like us and that we could be inspired by. Since then, we have had two association strategies, both of which have focused on how we want to attract and retain members and, not least, engage them in our work and the built environment. 

Our membership grows by approximately 10-11,000 per year. I can say with peace of mind that we are a living association. There is almost always a queue of members at our events; it is no longer unusual for 1,000 people to show up at our geographical election meetings, and there are often contested elections for the Board of Representatives. It shows me that many people want to contribute to the good cause. This makes me happy and proud of where we are with our association today. 

I often encounter the view that it must be a unique and challenging job to be the top day-to-day manager of an association. I don't see it that way at all. This is one of the most exciting things about Realdania. Throughout the years, I have appreciated that there is something bigger than us who is responsible for the daily operations. It gives a strong and present feeling of working for the Danes – because 190,000 members, after all, to one extent or another, represent the population. It is an immense pleasure to meet our members at member events and election meetings around the country. Both when we get good critical questions or input to improve and when we meet joy and support for our work – fortunately, there is the latter most of the time. 

Why is it important for Realdania to be an association? 

Realdania is a unique figure among philanthropic actors both at home and abroad. We are an association that works with philanthropy in the same way as many distributing foundations. Still, we are one association — since 2000, we have been an independent association not linked to any company. We will work exclusively with philanthropy and distribute money and knowledge in society. 

Our members do not automatically join, like back in the days with Realkredit Danmark, where all customers were automatically members of the association RealDanmark. Today, members actively join Realdania because they are interested in our work and the built environment. Some also join because they want to have an influence on the association. After all, it is the members who elect the Board of Representatives, who then elect the Board of Directors, and the Board of Directors appoints the Executive Board. 

The money we distribute to projects comes from the return on the investment of our wealth. It originated in funds created by many Danish borrowers over generations. Therefore, it will always be important for Realdania to have legitimacy for our work in the form of society's support. Both support from those we collaborate with in the projects, from the authorities and not least from the Danes in general, who are the ones we work for. In this context, it means that so many members support our work and want to get involved differently. They contribute in a wide range of areas. For example, they help strengthen our knowledge of our work and, thus, our reputation. Some of them make professional contributions and input to our work. And then they keep us on a short leash, so we always do our best to behave appropriately. 

About power and decency 

Is there a risk that foundations and philanthropic associations will gain too much societal power? 

Of course, there is. This is a risk that is always important to be aware of. Here, decency and transparency are absolutely crucial. We must never become self-sufficient, closed or unreflective. Then, we must remember a great respect for the elected representatives and the political system and its processes. Suppose you do not recognize that foundations and philanthropic associations have considerable power. In that case, you risk they will become states within the state. 

Standing on the shoulders of the rest of society, being humble, and playing together with other societal actors are absolutely crucial. That is precisely why we in Realdania's management and board must be kept on a short leash of our member democracy and by a critical press.  

Is the large amounts of money the foundation sector sends out into society worrying? 

No, I don't think so. Precisely because the players in the philanthropic sector behave really, really properly. The money from the funds adds something extra to our society and some opportunities for development that we would not otherwise have. But there is a danger of self-sufficiency if you are not aware of it. That is why respect, openness, and dialogue with the world around us are so important. 

I often think of the long-time Social Democratic member of parliament Ivar Nørgaard, who was deputy chairman when I became chairman of the housing association AKB in 1987. He once said to me: 'Remember that as you gain more and more influence in society, that power corrupts. ' He said this to himself every morning when he brushed his teeth. And I've done that myself ever since – every morning. 

Passing on the baton 

The anniversary year also marks your farewell to Realdania after 12 years as CEO. Can you put some words on that? 

It's sad and feels entirely right at the same time. I have been active in Realdania as CEO and former board chairman for many years. And even with a history dating back to 1989, when I became a member of the Board of Representatives of Kreditforeningen Danmark, which later became RealDanmark – the association from which Realdania originated. So you can say I am leaving the association after long and faithful service. 

This decision has been made in agreement and dialogue with the board. In 2025—and probably in the spring—I will hand over the baton to my replacement and continue to be available with help if needed. For a while, I will represent Realdania in some international contexts, for example, in the European Foundation association Philea and in the global climate network for cities, C40. 

What should you do when you stop? 

I want to contribute to board work at home and abroad, and I have no plans to retire anytime soon. But I want to scale down and take the top off a busy working life. 

I love to work, but I have just turned 63 and cannot keep up with what I used to. For Realdania, the 25th anniversary is a good time to pass on the baton. This is both good for Realdania and good for me. 

Disclaimer: This article has been primarily translated using artificial intelligence. Some terms and concepts may have been 'lost in translation'.