Photo credit: Eric Stavney
Whether by creating a virtual reality game that puts children in the shoes of polar bears, developing an educational gardening program at a local school, or hosting a virtual Scandinavian Festival, the 2020 Sons of Norway Foundation grant recipients are celebrating Nordic culture and giving back to their communities in new and exciting ways.
The Sons of Norway Foundation is thrilled to announce that the 2020 grants committee has awarded 35 grants for a total of $27,330 in funding. The grants are awarded in four different categories: Helping Hands to Children, Lodge Vitality, Lodge Heritage and Culture, and Community Partnership. These grants support Nordic heritage and culture by funding Nordic-themed events and programs, offering humanitarian aid to children in lodge communities, and providing lodges with resources to support programming and membership growth.
The Foundation awarded grants to lodges in all six districts in the United States, as well as to community partners in Canada and Norway. The full list of grantees can be found below.
The Sons of Norway Foundation will be highlighting the events and projects from the 2020 grant recipients throughout the year. Follow the Sons of Norway Foundation on Facebook and Sons of Norway on Instagram to see the amazing work done by lodges and community partners all over the USA, Canada and Norway!
The 2021 grant applications will open on October 1st and are due December 31st 2020. The Sons of Norway Foundation welcomes all lodges and community partners to submit applications for funding.
Full Grant Listing:
Helping Hands to Children Grants
Vikings of Lake Lodge 6-166 – “Growing our Bodies Through Gardening” program
Mollargutten 4-478 – Let our classrooms crackle from “Brain Pop”
District 5 – Matching grant for Masse Moro camp
Roald Amundsen 6-48 – Cordova Senior High School Homeless Students Assistance
Heim Lodge 4-178 – Books for area schools
Whidbey Island Nordic Lodge 2-164 – Farm to School program
Lodge Vitality Grants
Kringen Lodge 4-025 – Membership Initiative with “Kringen Cash” and Social Media Enhancement
District 3 Central Lodge 3-000 – Fencing around septic tank at The Land of the Vikings
Nordlyset Lodge 5-183 – Audio system for program support
Restauration Lodge 3-555 – Projector for lodge programming
Tusenvann Lodge 1-659 – Can you hear me now! Audio system for lodge
Shawnee Skogen 5-689 – New lodge equipment needs
Lodge Heritage and Culture Grants
Sverdrup 107 – Norsk Ting i Nord Dakota (Norwegian Things in North Dakota)
Kringen Lodge – Nordic Fest educational trip to Decorah, IA
Mjosen Lodge 1-175 – The Power of Silver: Traditional Norwegian Jewelry
Polar Star Lodge 5-472 – “2020 Polar Star” – Stoughton Norwegian Folk Dancers
Scandia Lodge – Nordic Music and Arts Festival
Vennelag Lodge 5-513 – Celebrating Nordic food traditions
Columbia Basin Lodge 80 – Viking ship float improvements
Nordstjernen Lodge 1-563 – Introduction of the Vesterheim Museum to the lodges of Northern Minnesota
Harald Haarfager Lodge 2-011 – Children’s cultural camp
Blafjell Lodge 3-646 – Local Colors Festival participation
Loven Lodge 5-29 – Masse Moro Youth Heritage Camp
Vidda Lodge 4-663 – Hosting a Scandinavian performance group
Loyal Lodge 252 – Cultural events at the Loyal Lodge
Solskinn Lodge 6-150 – Geneaology Speaker at lodge meeting
Bemidji Lodge 1-500 – Bemidji Lodge 50th Anniversary Event
Community Partnership Grants
Scandinavian American Cultural and Historical Foundation – Scandinavian Festival
History Alive Project, Inc – Celebrate Westby’s 100th Year as a City!
Ski for Light Canada – Ski for Light Canada
Northwest Edvard Grieg Society – Peer Gynt 2020
Ashlin Aronin – Isbjørn: A Virtual Reality game for children
Lars Idar Waage – A different Stavanger – a dying Norway in a living America?
Barneleikarringen Cultural Foundation LLC – Community Youth Norwegian Holiday Workshop
Nordic Heritage Museum Foundation – Nordic Lights Film Festival: 11th Annual Film Festival