When a person in Sweden dies without a written will and no living spouse or close family, their property is transferred to the fund; the fund also receives money from gifts and wills.
The purpose of the fund is to support non-profit organizations and other voluntary associations.
The fund is administered by the Swedish Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency.
The Swedish Interitance Fund receives properties from around 600 individuals each year.
One of its largest additions was reported in January 2007, when the fund received 68 million kronor from the estate of 86-year-old man in a village outside Umeå in northern Sweden, much to the surprise of his neighbours.