finnish cultural foundation
4
finnish cultural foundation
annual report 2013–2014
T
hough the recovery of the European
economy is still taking its time, the
Cultural Foundation can view the
past year with satisfaction. The return on
investments was excellent for the third
year in succession, so that the value of the
Foundation’s assets rose to well over EUR
1.2 billion. Since the Foundation further
received new donations amounting to
EUR 7.5 million, its economy is well able
to withstand even a prolonged recession.
THE
Foundation celebrated its 75th
anniversary during the year under
review. In honour of this, it conducted a
large PR campaign in the press and social
media. A history of the Foundation was
published in November 2014. Moreover,
a documentary about the Foundation
was shown on Finland’s MTV3 channel
at Christmas 2013, and a corresponding
documentary made by the Finnish
Broadcasting Company was premiered
in December 2014.
THE
big campaign for this jubilee year
was titled All Finland Plays. Its aim is to
establish cross-generational meeting places
going by the name of Terhokerho (Acorn
Club) in each Finnish municipality by the
end of 2016, and to get Finns of all ages
playing together. The campaign is being
implemented by the Mannerheim League
for ChildWelfare and the Finnish Red Cross.
It was prompted by the dwindling of cross-
generational play and contact in general.
The budget for this three-year campaign
is over EUR 3 million, with which the
Cultural Foundation is financing the initial
coordination work. The meeting places
themselves will be based on voluntaries
and may therefore continue after the
Foundation’s funding has ceased.
WE
awarded over EUR 32million in grants,
the regional funds again representing
audience both in Finland and abroad. The
Final was watched by over 50,000 viewers
and the competition website recorded a
total of 28,000 visitors from102 countries.
By the end of August, the recorded
performances had been accessed more
than 150,000 times. Such wide visibility is
rare for any singing competition anywhere
in the world.
IN
September 2014 the Hague Club,
consisting of the Chief Executives of
major European foundations, held its
annual meeting in Helsinki. Both the
Hague Club and the European Foundation
Centre (EFC) offer the Finnish Cultural
Foundation a window on the international
foundation community. Like the other
Finnish foundations, we do virtually no
work abroad, apart from the support we
provide for small minority languages in
Russia. This is a feature not confined to
Finland, since the majority of the world’s
foundations focus on only a limited region.
IN
an organisation such as the Finnish
Cultural Foundation, the grants are not
just euros that flit from one bank account
to another; they are financial gifts from
private individuals to benefit other
human beings. The donor funds often
closely specify the geographical region
or subject to which their grants may be
awarded. Through the Cultural Foundation,
these personal wishes unite to reach every
corner of Finland and every conceivable
field of culture – including those that may
not immediately spring to mind.
Antti Arjava
a third of this. Slightly more grants –
approximately 2,400 – were awarded than
in 2013; in previous years the tendency
had been more to reduce their number
and increase their size. Unlike many other
major European foundations, the Finnish
Cultural Foundation still aims first and
foremost to support individual scientists
and artists.
IN
order to improve the status of grantees,
a framework agreement has been
negotiated with the universities that
will ensure all grantees at universities
the same ordinary working facilities as
researchers under normal contract. The
objectives of this system correspond to
the recommendation published last year
by the Council of Finnish Foundations. For
the use of these facilities grantees pay their
universities a fee that is included in the
grant. By the end of the year, almost all
the universities had signed the framework
agreement. Other foundations will, it is
hoped, adopt similar systems in the future.
IN
August the Foundation organised the
VII Mirjam Helin International Singing
Competition. Known for its high standard,
demanding repertoire and prestigious
jury, the competition has won itself an
established reputation as one of the
world’s leading singing competitions.
Via television, social and other media
the competition attracted a large new
The Secretary General’s Review
The Finnish Cultural Foundation celebrated its 75th anniversary this year with
a media campaign, a big new p oject and a record sum awarded in grants.
As the year drew to a close, the Foundation’s finances were sounder than ever.
"Our grants are not
just euros that flit
from one bank account
to another."
