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Ilkka Paananen Foundation

Ilkka Paananen Foundation exists to increase the social and mental well-being of children, youth, and families. Our foundation was founded in 2015 by Ilkka Paananen, the co-founder & CEO of global game company Supercell. We’ve backed tens of initiatives ensuring equal opportunities for a fulfilling life for all, regardless of background.

As a partner of the Illusian Founder Office, we want technological innovations to benefit the many rather than the few. By bridging the gap between the tech sector and non-profits, we’ve developed, for instance, a groundbreaking impact measurement platform, an AI-powered youth mental health helpline, and games teaching kids valuable social skills.

we back:

Innovative ideas shaping the world with tech. Ambitious, globally scalable solutions. Measurable change. Preventive efforts that treat the root cause, not just the symptoms.

Our Four Programs

Whether for profit or not-for-profit, we back ambitious initiatives that break barriers for children, youth, and families at risk of social exclusion.

1 Community Well-Being
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2 Mental Health
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3 Impact Tech
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4 Founder-Curated Initiatives
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Geography: Finland

Community Well-Being

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1

The societal change we strive for

Finland is a society where children and families feel a strong sense of belonging and believe in their chances in life.

Preferred outcome

To improve social well-being for at-risk children, youth, and their families and foster a sense of community belonging to increase resilience and overall well-being.

Setup

Whether for profit or not-for-profit, we want to back the most ambitious initiatives that take us closer to the future we envision for children, youth, and families. We focus on finding the right solutions, choosing the funding approach that best suits each project.

Goals

  1. Reach 10% more at-risk individuals each year and ensure 75% are positively impacted.
  2. Achieve well-being and life satisfaction results that are 10% above the national or local average, depending on the initiative’s focus.
Program Objectives Program Criteria
Focus

To increase the social and mental well-being of children and families at risk of social exclusion.

Does the initiative address the mental health challenges of marginalized or at-risk groups?
Prevention

We prioritise early interventions over temporary fixes to create long-lasting change.

Does the initiative focus on early prevention of mental health issues, especially for children and youth?
The Makers

We support driven individuals and organizations, incorporating diversity metrics to ensure inclusivity and actively combat biases.

Has the team shown expertise in addressing mental health issues with inclusive, diverse approaches?

Program Criteria

Focus

Program Objectives

To increase the social and mental well-being of children and families at risk of social exclusion.

Program Criteria

Does the initiative address the mental health challenges of marginalized or at-risk groups?

Prevention

Program Objectives

We prioritise early interventions over temporary fixes to create long-lasting change.

Program Criteria

Does the initiative focus on early prevention of mental health issues, especially for children and youth?

The Makers

Program Objectives

We support driven individuals and organizations, incorporating diversity metrics to ensure inclusivity and actively combat biases.

Program Criteria

Has the team shown expertise in addressing mental health issues with inclusive, diverse approaches?
Geography: Global

Mental Health

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2

The societal change we strive for

All school-aged children globally can access low-barrier tools for improving their mental health.

Preferred outcome

To improve the mental well-being of school-aged children and youth.

Setup

Whether for profit or not-for-profit, we want to back the most ambitious initiatives that take us closer to the future we envision for children, youth, and families. We focus on finding the right solutions, choosing the funding approach that best suits each project.

Goals

  1. Increase resilience and mental well-being among students by 30% compared to baseline survey results
  2. Reach 10% more at-risk individuals each year and ensure 75% of them are positively impacted.

Metrics

  1. School survey results and/or relevant international research.
  2. Operational goals, measuring progress through pre- and post-intervention surveys focusing on mental well-being and resilience.
Program Objectives Program Criteria
Focus

To increase the social and mental well-being of children and families at risk of social exclusion.

Does the initiative address the mental health challenges of marginalized or at-risk groups?
Prevention

We prioritise early interventions over temporary fixes to create long-lasting change.

Does the initiative focus on early prevention of mental health issues, especially for children and youth?
The Makers

We support driven individuals and organizations, incorporating diversity metrics to ensure inclusivity and actively combat biases.

Has the team shown expertise in addressing mental health issues with inclusive, diverse approaches?
Geo

We focus on Finland with the community efforts, while the tech and mental health solutions have a global reach from the start.

Can the program address mental health challenges globally, adapting to different regions and cultural contexts?

Program criteria

Focus

Program Objectives

To increase the social and mental well-being of children and families at risk of social exclusion.

Program Criteria

Does the initiative address the mental health challenges of marginalized or at-risk groups?

Prevention

Program Objectives

We prioritise early interventions over temporary fixes to create long-lasting change.

Program Criteria

Does the initiative focus on early prevention of mental health issues, especially for children and youth?

The Makers

Program Objectives

We support driven individuals and organizations, incorporating diversity metrics to ensure inclusivity and actively combat biases.

Program Criteria

Has the team shown expertise in addressing mental health issues with inclusive, diverse approaches?

Geo

Program Objectives

We focus on Finland with the community efforts, while the tech and mental health solutions have a global reach from the start.

Program Criteria

Can the program address mental health challenges globally, adapting to different regions and cultural contexts?
Geography: Global

Impact Tech

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3

The societal change we strive for

Social innovators and not-for-profit organisations use technology as an integral tool to increase social inclusion.

Preferred outcome

To increase access to technology-driven resources that improve the mental health or community belonging among at-risk children and youth, leading to measurable improvements in their overall well-being.

Setup

Whether for profit or not-for-profit, we want to back the most ambitious initiatives that take us closer to the future we envision for children, youth, and families. We focus on finding the right solutions, choosing the funding approach that best suits each project.

Goals

  1. Develop and launch scalable, innovative tech solutions.
  2. Ensure that all projects align with the goals of our Community Well-Being or Mental Health program.

 

Metrics

  1. Number of users and annual user growth and retention.
  2. Number of regions using the impact tech solution.

 

Program Objectives Program Criteria
Focus

To increase the social and mental well-being of children and families at risk of social exclusion.

Is the tech solution dedicated to enhancing social inclusion across the globe?
Prevention

We prioritise early interventions over temporary fixes to create long-lasting change.

Does the solution identify and address potential social challenges proactively and preventatively?

Program criteria

Focus

Program Objectives

To increase the social and mental well-being of children and families at risk of social exclusion.

Program Criteria

Is the tech solution dedicated to enhancing social inclusion across the globe?

Prevention

Program Objectives

We prioritise early interventions over temporary fixes to create long-lasting change.

Program Criteria

Does the solution identify and address potential social challenges proactively and preventatively?
Geography: Global

Founder-Curated Initiatives

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4

The societal change we strive for

In addition to increasing social inclusion, the foundation supports culture, environmental protection and sports activities.

Preferred Outcome

Topics that are particularly important to the founder family and fall under the general purpose of the foundation while not being a part of the core strategy. In addition to increasing social inclusion, the foundation can support culture, environmental protection, and sports activities.

Setup

Whether for profit or not-for-profit, we want to back the most ambitious initiatives that take us closer to the future we envision for children, youth, and families. We focus on finding the right solutions, choosing the funding approach that best suits each project.

Goals

All Founder-Curated Projects aim to create measurable, positive change.

Metrics

The metrics are determined for each project on a case-by-case basis.

All about measurable change

  • €0M committed to increasing social inclusion during the next 20 years
  • 0+ initiatives backed
  • 0 countries reached
  • 0k individuals reached annually
  • 0K individuals annually whose well-being changed for the better as a result

Turning data into purpose

We’re obsessed with finding out what kinds of ideas, technologies, and teams can make the most positive impact. We aim to thoroughly understand our projects’ effectiveness and continuously develop them based on data.

One of our most significant initiatives, Melvio by We Foundation, is a platform for impact measurement. The goal is that in the future, all organizations working with social inclusion can verify their activities’ positive impact and reach.

We measure our impact through four lenses

Reach
Making sure our help reaches at-risk people who benefit from our support the most.
Engagement
Examining how deep and influential the collaboration with the project’s target group is.
Change in well-being
Measuring how the activities actually affect its target group’s social and mental well-being.
Societal change
Tracking the broader change on a societal level to help us create sustainable impact models instead of band-aid solutions.

Scalable change, tech-positive ideas

We believe non-profits can operate with the same efficiency and scalability as for-profit companies. Our role is to support the most promising ideas that use tech for good.

For example, we’re collaborating on Project 5/5 with Sekasin-chat, a national mental health service for young people. We’re developing an AI-powered chat to improve access to mental health services without replacing human interaction or therapy. 

Another initiative we’ve launched is Wondershop, a project that fosters social inclusion through gaming. As engaging as any commercial hit, their games help children and youth build critical life skills like problem-solving, teamwork, and emotional regulation.

Projects we back

Want to build with us? Share your ideas at:

FOUNDATION@ILLUSIAN.ORG

Fine print

The Ilkka Paananen Foundation is led by a board of directors, 
ensuring we’re aligned, working towards our mission, and 
organizing our work effectively. 

The members:

Ilkka Paananen, chairperson
Sirkku Soini
Teemu Korhonen

You can download the rules of the foundation here.

Email us at foundation@illusian.org