Viking Magazine - March 2016 - 38

Q&A
Ready to Serve
In
December, Corrie
Maki Kundson was
named the new
Sons of Norway Foundation
Director. She brings a wealth
of experience to the position,
having spent the last decade
working in philanthropy and
four years experience in the
insurance industry. In her
new role, Knudson will also
be responsible for day-to-day
operations and the awarding
of fi nancial support via the
Foundation's grants and scholarships
programs. She couldn't
be joining Sons of Norway at
a more exciting time, as 2016
marks the Foundation's 50th
anniversary. Viking spoke with
Kundson about her new role
and the Foundation's golden
jubilee.
Q Tell us about yourself.
A I'm from Eveleth, Minn.,
and I'm very proud of my Iron
Range Roots. I also have a deep
appreciation for the strong
work ethic of my Finnish
immigrant great-grandparents.
It's something that drives me to
work hard every day and serve
my community. Professionally,
my background is in
philanthropy. Before joining the
Foundation I spent more than
a decade fundraising for other
non-profi ts, such as Loyola
Medicine, the Minnesota
Medical Foundation and Be the
Match Foundation.
Meet the new director of the Sons of Norway Foundation,
Corrie Maki Knudson.
Q What are some goals you
hope to achieve in your new
role as the Sons of Norway
Foundation Director?
A Over the past 12 years,
the Foundation has seen
marked annual growth, so
fi rst and foremost my goal
is to continue that tradition
of excellence by helping
increase the Foundation's
assets and awards even further.
I also want to deepen the
recognition and understanding
of the Foundation's purpose
among members as well as
increase their participation.
Another goal is to continue
the collaboration between
the Foundation, Fraternal
and Financial departments to
provide the fullest member
experience possible.
Q This year marks the Foundation's
50th anniversary.
How does Sons of Norway
plan to celebrate?
A Right now we are in the
midst of planning various
events to mark this milestone
and will defi nitely be keeping
members informed on the
celebrations as they come
together. Above all, I want this
year to be about celebrating
the longevity of the Foundation
and all of its signifi cant
accomplishments throughout
the last half century while
thanking donors for their
ongoing support.
38 VIKING MARCH 2016 sonsofnorway.com
Q Why is it important for
members to donate to the
Sons of Norway Foundation
and how can they do so?
A It's important to give to
the Foundation because it
accomplishes four things. It
supports education and the
development of tomorrow's
leaders; it brings programming
into lodges; it encourages
cross-cultural exchanges; and
it supports members in need
following natural disasters.
Members can make a real and
lasting impact on the world
around them by supporting
the Foundation through a
donation. Members can donate
annually or make a larger
commitment to our efforts by
contacting me directly to create
a named fund or a bequest. In
this way the donor can leave a
legacy for years to come.
Sons of Norway
Scholarship
Deadlines, 2016
March 1:
* Astrid Cates/Myrtle
Beinhauer Fund
* Helen Tronvold
Norwegian Folk High
School
* King Olav V
Norwegian-American
Heritage School
* Scholarship to Oslo
International Summer
School
April 1:
* Nancy Lorraine
Jensen Memorial
Scholarship Fund
* Warne-Eng
Scholarship
May 1:
* Lund Fund
Scholarship
* Orel and Marie
Winjum Scholarship
Fund
See more from the interview on March 15 at sonsofnorway.com/blog.
PHOTO BY BECCA DILLEY
http://www.sonsofnorway.com/blog http://www.sonsofnorway.com
Viking Magazine - March 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Viking Magazine - March 2016
