Making History Together: A Success Story

In November 2025, a passionate Finnish American, motivated by a deep belief in the importance of heritage and cultural preservation, challenged us with a mission. The donor pledged to match dollar-for-dollar the next $100,000 raised for the Finnish American Heritage Center and Historical Archive of Finlandia Foundation National. It was a true vote of confidence in our mission and a desire to make a meaningful impact in Finnish America. This call was heard loud and clear.

Now, five months later, we are thrilled to share that the Making History Challenge has been a success—thanks to you.

Like so many in our community, this contributor treasures their Finnish roots and believes strongly in preserving them for future generations. That vision is at the heart of our mission, and together, we could not have been more aligned.

By the beginning of the year, we had already reached three-quarters of our $100,000 matching challenge, having received nearly $75,000 by January 2026. In the months that followed, more individuals stepped forward eager to take part, make a difference, and help us make history.

By early April, we were just $10,000 short of our goal. The outpouring of support had already been remarkable, leaving us inspired and deeply humbled.

And now, we are overjoyed to share that last week, thanks to two additional pledges of $5,000 each, we reached our goal. The $100,000 Making History match has been met resulting in $200,000 raised. Over the course of the challenge, we received more than 230 individual donations, ranging from $5 to $10,000, demonstrating the collective power of our community.

The final gifts that brought this campaign across the finish line came from two devoted board members—our President, Päivi Tetri, and Board Member Catherine Mannick—whose generosity, leadership, and ongoing service reflect a profound commitment to preserving Finnish-American history.

Because of your generosity and belief in this work, we are strengthening the future of Finnish-American heritage. While we can say we “made” history in this campaign, the work continues. Together, we are ensuring that these stories—so vital, so personal, so irreplaceable—will be preserved, shared, and brought to life for generations to come.

This campaign was about more than a goal. It was about honoring the past while building the future—and together, we did exactly that.

With deep gratitude, thank you for helping us make history.

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

In March 2023, the Finnish-American community faced a turning point. When Finlandia University announced its closure, Finlandia Foundation National (FFN) convened an emergency meeting and made a bold commitment: to preserve the heart and heritage of Finnish America.

Through the Saving Finland in America (SFIA) initiative, launched that same year, FFN set out to safeguard the cornerstone institutions once owned and operated by Finlandia University and housed at the Finnish American Heritage Center: the Historical Archives, the Finnish American Folk School, Finlandia Art Gallery, The Finnish American Reporter, and North Wind Books.

The campaign’s goals were ambitious:

• Purchase the Finnish American Heritage Center and North Wind Books
• Establish a $1 million endowment to secure their future
• Preserve and expand access to the Finnish American Historical Archive

We were able to achieve the first two goals. The buildings have been purchased, and the endowment is established — ensuring that our beloved heritage will be preserved and enjoyed for generations to come. Over the course of the SFIA campaign, more than 900 supporters stepped forward in an extraordinary show of generosity, raising more than $5 million to protect and sustain these cherished institutions.

We’re working to find the best path forward for digitization of the archive collections; this will be a multi-layered process, but we must do it right rather than do it quickly. Digitizing a collection that was built nearly 100 years ago will take far longer than 100 weeks, or even 100 months. But we will fulfill our promise to Finnish America; we will achieve that goal. And we’ll keep you updated along the way.

We did it! Your impact was doubled. The mission: Preserve the past. Build the future.

Though this campaign was a success, the work continues. You are always welcome to help us preserve history and make history with us—please visit our donation page to support this work into the future.

To learn more, email office@finlandiafoundation.org.

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