The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) promotes firsthand exchange of intellectual and creative influence between the United States and the Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. A publicly supported American nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, ASF has an extensive program of fellowships, grants, intern/trainee sponsorship, publishing, and cultural activities. Headquartered in New York City, ASF has members throughout the United States, and alumni and donors worldwide.
The Foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees of individuals from the United States and Scandinavia, representing diverse interests yet linked by personal or professional ties to the Scandinavian countries. The five Nordic Heads of State serve as the organization’s Patrons.
MISSION STATEMENT
The American-Scandinavian Foundation is a publicly-supported not-for-profit organization committed to promoting educational, cultural and professional exchange between the United States and the Nordic countries—Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.
ASF offers fellowships, cultural grants, internships/training, publications, exhibitions and other public programs reinforcing the strong relationships between the two regions, honoring their shared values, and appreciating their differences.
ASF Board of Trustees
OFFICERS
DAPHNE DAVIDSON & EUGENE V. KOKOT—
Co-Chairs
DR. TERJE LANDE—
Deputy Chair
EDWARD P. GALLAGHER—
President
ANDERS IVERSEN—
Vice Chair for Denmark
DR. AILI FLINT—
Vice Chair for Finland
SIGRÍÐUR BENEDIKTSDÓTTIR—
Vice Chair for Iceland
BENTE SVENSEN FRANTZ—
Vice Chair for Norway
MONIKA HEIMBOLD—
Vice Chair for Sweden
STEVEN B. PERI—
Vice Chair for the U.S.
HENRIK STEFFENSEN—
Treasurer
LYNN CARTER—
Secretary to the Board
STAFF
EDWARD P. GALLAGHER—
President and Chief Executive Officer
LYNN CARTER—
Secretary to the Board
JEFF CLAYBORN—
Director of Security and Fire Safety
HERTTA NILSSON –
Children’s Center Manager
TATIANA PASHMAN—
Director of Internship and Training Programs
KYLE REINHART—
Manager of Educational and Cultural Programs
Fellowships & Grants
The ASF Fellowships and Grants program, established in 1912, currently awards nearly $700,000 annually in support to some 60 individual students, scholars, professionals and artists from the U.S. or Scandinavia for research, study or creative projects abroad. Fields of study include medicine, law, design, art and architecture, history, language and literature, archaeology, philosophy, mathematics, and chemistry and the grants are supported by 40 funds held by ASF and earmarked for these purposes. Former ASF Fellows have gone on to become Nobel Laureates, diplomats, judges, professors, directors of international organizations, and leaders in many fields.
ASF also helps bring American and Scandinavian life, art, and thought to public audiences by giving financial support to other institutions through its Public Project Grants program. A special effort is made with this program to reach audiences outside ASF’s home base in New York City. In addition, a translation competition, held annually since 1980, recognizes outstanding translations of poetry, fiction, drama, or literary prose originally written in a Nordic language.
Internships & Training
ASF’s Internships and Training Program facilitates exchanges between Scandinavia and the United States for students and young professional by providing J-1 visa sponsorship.
Interns are students in post-secondary academic institutions outside the U.S. or recent graduates; trainees are graduates of post-secondary institutions with at least one year of related work experience or, if not a graduate, with at least five years of related work experience. Over 200 interns and trainees receive visa sponsorship from ASF each year.
Publications
ASF publishes Scandinavian Review magazine, SCAN newsletter, The Longboat (a newsletter for ASF Fellows and Former Fellows), and an annual report.
A directory of the 3,300 American and Scandinavian fellows since 1912 was published in 1998 to commemorate the 85th anniversary of ASF’s fellowship and grant program.
CULTURAL PROGRAMS
AT SCANDINAVIA HOUSE
Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America, the leading center for Nordic culture in the United States, offers a wide range of programs that illuminate the culture and vitality of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Located in New York City, Scandinavia House offerings include diverse exhibitions and film series, as well as concerts and other performances, readings, lectures, symposia, language courses, and children’s activities.
Designed by the internationally renowned Polshek Partnership Architects (now Ennead Architects) and inaugurated in October 2000, Scandinavia House is the headquarters of The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) and the site of ASF’s cultural and educational programming.
PRIZES
As part of its cultural program, ASF recognizes talent and accomplishment through several awards such as the Translation Prize, Gold Medal and Cultural Awards. The Gold Medal, ASF’s highest honor, has been presented to The Nobel Foundation on the occasion of the Nobel Prize Centennial and to H.E. Vigdís Finnbogadottír, President of Iceland from 1980-1996, and H.E. Martti Ahtisaari, President of Finland from 1994-2000, among others.
Recipients of the ASF Cultural Award include Ingmar Bergman, Swedish film and theater director; Liv Ullmann, Norwegian actor and director; Esa-Pekka Salonen, Finnish composer and former Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic; Gunnar Sønsteby, Norwegian World War II Resistance Hero; Louisa Matthiasdóttir, Icelandic artist; and Nikalaj Hübbe, Artistic Director of the Royal Danish Ballet.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
The American-Scandinavian Foundation is seeking applicants for the following open positions.
Please note that for all positions you must be eligible to work in the United States.
FINANCIALS & REPORTS
ASF is committed to providing clear and timely information on our finances to maintain strict oversight and controls over our financial operations. As such, we work with an independent firm to perform an annual audit of financial statements. We also make our annual tax return available to the public.
The current issue of the Annual Report covers the period of July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2021, and is available to download here. The previous issue from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2019, is available to download here.
POLICIES
The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) serves as a vital educational and cultural link between the United States and the five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.
A publicly supported, nonprofit organization, the Foundation fosters cultural understanding, provides a forum for the exchange of ideas, and sustains an extensive program of fellowships, grants, training/internships, publishing, and cultural events. Incorporated in 1911 and headquartered at Scandinavia House in New York City, the ASF has members throughout the United States, and alumni and donors worldwide.
ASSOCIATE GROUPS
The American-Scandinavian Foundation is affiliated with 15 independent, regional groups across the United States.
These groups sponsor programs and activities for their local constituents, many of whom are also members of ASF.