Scandinavian Heritage Foundation

The Scandinavian American Cultural & Community Center

Mission: With more than 500,000 Nordic immigrants and their descendants living in Oregon and southwest Washington and countless others interested in Nordic business, travel and culture, the Foundation’s purpose is to preserve authentic traditions, languages and culture while celebrating modern Scandinavian life from the five Nordic nations –Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

As a pan Scandinavian organization, SHF encourages the half million people of Scandinavian heritage living in the region, as well as people of all ethnic backgrounds, to discover the cultural richness of Scandinavia. It manages an ambitious schedule of lectures, classes, and cultural and business events independently and in collaboration with Portland State University, the Scandinavian Genealogical Society and over 30 diverse Scandinavian organizations.

Over the last 10 years the SHF Board of Directors has fostered a dream of establishing a Scandinavian American Cultural & Community Center (Cultural Center) where a rich program of cultural and educational activity will be offered and where the SHF mission “to Preserve, Communicate and Celebrate Scandinavian Heritage and Culture” can be fully realized.

The Present Situation: The Foundation is now housed in a very small cottage situated on the 2.5 acres of land where the Cultural Center will be built. It does not have space for its growing number of activities and must hold its myriad programs off site at various locations throughout the region. ScanFair, an annual holiday festival, attracts as many as 5,000 people over its two days of celebration. In addition, SHF offers lectures, cultural events of music, dance and theater, dinners, meetings and business luncheons that attract hundreds more people. Artifacts and historical documents and materials are presently housed in several disparate locations, including a shed adjoining the cottage. The Foundation, literally, has no space for its present activities and is bound by space from any future growth.

The Solution: SHF intends to build a 24,000 sq. ft. Scandinavian American Cultural and Community Center at its presently owned property on Oleson Road in Southwest Portland. The “SHF Founders Club” purchased the property in 1992. The founders were. a group whose specific focus was to raise money for the purchase of this land. The building has been designed by Cy Stadsvold, AIA of Corvallis, Oregon, an expert in Norwegian Stave Churches, with a cost estimate from the architect of $4-5 million.

The Facility: At the heart of the SHF vision stands a modern, accessible and inspiring building. In the building art, architecture and landscaping converge to showcase the best of contemporary and traditional Scandinavian art and architecture. The building will be clad in stone and wood and include offices, meeting rooms, an exhibit hall, a library, cafe, gift shop and Great Hall, among other features. The Cultural Center will facilitate the discovery and appreciation of Scandinavian culture. It is designed to house a burgeoning number of events, lectures, exhibits and artifacts for all Nordic organizations and become a focal point for Nordic culture and heritage in the Northwest.

Campaign: With the growing number of events, the Foundation’s Board of Directors has determined that it must provide a central facility to house those events, to harbor the artifacts and materials, to allow for office space and to become a visible and concrete center for Nordic organizations. The Board seeks up to five year commitments totaling $4-5 million from all sources to assist in building this center. The Foundation intends to secure an additional $1 million to fund a permanent endowment which will provide for the future maintenance of the facility. It is anticipated that this endowment will be secured through individual planned and estate gifts.

Precedent: The Northwest region has facilities already established to assist in retaining the cultures and values of other ethnic groups, such as the Japanese and Chinese Gardens, the Jewish Community Center, the German American Cultural Center and Norse Hall, Many Nordic groups also have had halls and facilities in the past founded by Nordic émigrés who helped settle this country and who arrived to seek a better life in the abundant Northwest. They wove their traditions and values of equality, fairness, diligence, community and sharing into the very fabric of America’s colorful quilt. However, few of those facilities still exist. The Cultural Center will fill the void left by those halls and take its place alongside existing facilities in preserving Nordic values by:

1. Encouraging education through Nordic language, literature and history classes;

2. Exploring Scandinavian heritage and values through genealogical research and oral history;

3. Enriching the cultural fabric of the community through diverse programs of culinary, visual and performing arts;

4. Encouraging historic preservation of significant artifacts and materials;

5. Promoting travel, trade and business between Scandinavia and America;

6. Offering Scandinavian cultural experiences for children;

7. Increasing the awareness of the contributions made by Scandinavian Americans who came to the Northwest to work in its forest industries and fish its abundant waters, as well as to start new businesses.

The success of a campaign of this magnitude depends on extraordinary generosity and commitment. With a goal of $4-5 million many large gifts will be needed, yet gifts of all amounts are needed to secure the goal.

Endowment: In addition, $1 million is needed to provide a permanent fund from which the income alone will be used to maintain the facility and will be secured through planned and estate gifts.

You or your family may use this opportunity to remember or honor grandparents or others by naming a part of the new Center.

Image courtesy of MapQuest

For more information, call the Scandinavian Heritage Foundation Office at (503) 977-0275.

The Scandinavian Heritage Foundation is a 501c(3) non-profit charitable organization. Gifts to it are deductible to the extent allowed under IRS tax regulations. The Foundation’s tax ID number is 93-09011132.   For information on giving opportunities or to receive details about planned or estate gifts, please telephone us at 503.977.0275 or write to The Scandinavian Heritage Foundation, 8800 SW Oleson Road, Portland, OR 97223.

Construction Update

—        The Scandinavian Heritage Foundation is moving ahead without reservation on its capital campaign.

—        In September 2006, the SHF Board of Directors approved the money to move ahead on developing the final construction documents. These are the detailed design documents that our chosen contractor will use to build the Center once we break ground. Thanks to our fundraising and capital campaign up to this point that money is already in the bank.

—        Architect Cy Stadsvold, Ralph Tuomi, project manager and SHF staff interviewed four contractors and recommended Andersen Construction to the board at its November 2006 meeting, while also making a recommendation to the Board that we proceed with the Design/Build method of completing the construction documents that will save SHF money and time.

—        Today, the contractor, Cy, Ralph and staff are working closely to develop those detailed plans.

—        Since 2003, we have received about $1 million in cash and pledges toward the capital campaign. Just in August 2007 alone we received in pledges and cash $400,000 from donors and foundations who share a belief in our mission and have a high level of confidence that our organization and staff can raise the needed money to build the Cultural Center. We hope that others who are waiting to see more community confidence will step forward now so that we can reach the following goals as soon as possible.

Phases I & II -- Completed! Purchase Oleson Road property for $276,000; the current value is over $1.2 million. Conceptual architectural drawings, Capital Campaign feasibility studies and planning, and attaining pledges that pay for the Capital Campaign.

Phase III -- This is where we are now. Goal: $3 million and potential pledges that give confidence in reaching the 80% goal of Phase IV. Complete architectural construction drawings, obtain bids for construction studies, begin neighborhood outreach.

Phase IV -- Goal: at least 80% of the building cost and remaining 20% is deliverable by completion of construction. Complete studies, neighborhood outreach and apply for Washington County permits.

Phase V -- Begin construction. Complete fundraising.

Phase VI -- Open the Cultural Center.

Mission Statement
Preserve, Communicate and Celebrate Scandinavian
Heritage and Culture

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