ELOKUU / AUGUST 2022
The Most Important Source of Support for Finnish Culture in the United States
Photo courtesy Visit Finland

Did You Know...

...that this is crayfish season in Finland? Crayfish boils at home parties feature platters of the bright red rapujuhlat, cooked with dill and washed down with schnapps that fuels singing throughout the evening.


Greetings!

And suddenly, it was time to turn the calendar page to August.

The precious days of summer are slipping away. While easing out of vacation mode, we savor every minute in the hammock or day at the shore, and every bite of a ripe peach or blueberry pie.

Some are thinking about back-to-school shopping, helping to pack up college-bound kids, or a post-Labor Day return to routines.

At Finlandia Foundation, we are looking forward to the launch of initiatives that will enhance our current programs and help to secure the future of the organization and its support of Finnish culture in the U.S. We'll share more in the coming weeks and months.

In the meantime, enjoy these last, as the old song goes, lazy-hazy-crazy days of summer.

Anne-Mari Paster
President
ampaster @ rcn. com
Grant Opportunities from Fulbright Finland
By Mirva Johnson

Are you looking for ways to finance an exchange between Finland and the U.S.?

In partnership with the Fulbright Finland Foundation, FFN’s Young Leaders Board hosted an informational webinar on June 21 highlighting Fulbright Finland’s grant opportunities. The program was recorded and may be viewed online.

Fulbright Finland grants are available to those across disciplines and at different career stages—from students interested in research to mid-career professionals who want to connect with Finnish organizations. But importantly, they also provide grants for U.S. organizations to bring Finnish professionals to the U.S. for short term (one week to three months) or longer term visits (three to 12 months).

Watch the recording to hear about these opportunities as well as tips on their evaluation criteria. Application deadlines vary by grant and program, with many deadlines coming up in September and October. Check out Fulbright Finland’s website for more information on their professional grants as well as other grant programs to Finland for specific deadlines and criteria.


Seeking FFN Performer, Lecturer of the Year
Finlandia Foundation welcomes applications as well as recommendations for its 2023 Performer of the Year and Lecturer of the Year.

Applications are due by September 1 for POY and October 1 for LOY.

The POY and LOY travel to FFN chapters across the U.S. with entertaining and informative programs related to Finnish America and Finland. The 2023 terms are January 1 through December 31.
Wrapping up their tours in December are POY Eeppi Ursin (right) and LOY, "The Finn Cooks" Eleanor Ostman and Soile Anderson (below).

Due to Covid-19, FFN offered an option for virtual POY and LOY.
However, host chapters have been eager to again host the programs before live audiences.

FFN provides a travel stipend and host chapters offer an honorarium to the visiting talent. Details on each program are posted at the FFN website; click:
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
September 1: Performer of the Year 2023 application deadline; click here
September 14: NATO webinar with Suomi-Seura and CMI (Crisis Management Initiative); watch for details
October 1: Lindfors Law Scholarship application deadline; click here
October 1: Lecturer of the Year 2023 application deadline; click here
October 21-23: Joint Chapter Meeting, New York City
January 17, 2023: Grant application deadline; click here
February 1, 2023: Scholarship application deadline; click here
February 1, 2023: Lindfors Law Scholarship application deadline; click here
February 19-25, 2023: National Sauna Week; click here

Your Gifts Make it Possible
The young Kivajat Dancers of Hancock, Michigan (photos above and top) perform traditional Finnish dances under the direction of Kay Seppala. The troupe, based at the Finnish American Heritage Center at Finlandia University, dances across northern Michigan and beyond.
Kivajat has received funds from the FFN grant program to assist with travel to perform in Finland. These are wonderful and meaningful opportunities for those who are the future of Finnish America.

Thanks to generous gifts from individuals like you, FFN is able to support worthy programs and projects that encourage preservation and awareness of Finnish-American and Finnish culture in the U.S.

Your contribution is matched dollar-for-dollar by the Paloheimo Foundation (up to $100,000 annually). Finlandia Foundation National, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization.

Thank You! Kiitos!
NATIONAL SAUNA WEEK
February 19-25, 2023