New Sweden Cultural Heritage Society

What New Sweden Cultural Heritage Society does

New Sweden Cultural Heritage Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization chartered in 1989 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon. It preserves and promotes Swedish culture and heritage in the Pacific Northwest through a portfolio of recurring cultural events, educational content, and community programming. Signature annual events include the August Kraftskiva (crayfish party) at Fogelbo, the December Lucia Fest at Moreland Presbyterian Church, the Scandinavian Christmas Goat Market at Norse Hall, and participation in the Midsummer Festival and ScanFair at the Oregon Convention Center.

The organization's core products are a quarterly newsletter (with archives back to 2006), an online recipe collection of traditional Swedish smörgåsbord dishes, a culture-and-heritage resource library (immigration stories, historical documents, Stockholm walking tours), and a tiered membership program ($25 individual, $40 senior couple, $45 household/family). It also operates the historic Fogelbo log home, built between 1938 and 1940. There is no proprietary technology platform; the digital stack is a WordPress website, email newsletter, and a Facebook page.

The business model is a nonprofit membership-and-donation model. Revenue comes from annual membership dues and tax-deductible charitable contributions supporting a scholarship fund and general operations. Distribution is regional (Portland metro and Pacific Northwest), delivered through in-person events, an online content library, and direct membership sign-up via website and mail-in form. The organization staffs 1–10 people and is governed by a Board of Directors; in 2024 Kristi Gustafson succeeded Steven Englund as President.

Name

New Sweden Cultural Heritage Society

Legal name

New Sweden Cultural Heritage Society

Website

https://www.newsweden.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

New Sweden Cultural Heritage Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1989 in Portland, Oregon that preserves and promotes Swedish heritage through membership programs, annual cultural events including Kraftskiva and Lucia Fest, a quarterly newsletter, and traditional Swedish recipes and heritage resources for the Pacific Northwest Swedish-American community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Heritage & Traditional Festivals (Folk, Ethnic, Indigenous) (MPAGAEAB), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

Keywords

• Swedish cultural heritage
• Nonprofit membership organization
• Cultural event programming
• Heritage newsletter publishing
• Genealogy and cultural education

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to events, newsletters, and cultural activities. Members receive quarterly newsletters and email updates about upcoming events.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations to support the organization's scholarship fund and general operations. As a 501(c)(3) organization, contributions are deductible for income tax purposes.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

New Sweden Cultural Heritage Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that preserves and shares Swedish culture and heritage in the Pacific Northwest through an annual calendar of in-person cultural events (Kraftskiva crayfish party, Lucia Fest, Midsummer Festival, Valborg, ScanFair, Scandinavian Christmas Goat Market), a quarterly member newsletter, traditional Swedish smörgåsbord recipes, and culture & heritage educational resources including immigration stories and historical documents. Membership in the society is offered at tiered annual dues and provides access to the newsletter and member activities; the organization also accepts tax-deductible donations supporting its Scholarship Fund.

Product overview

New Sweden Cultural Heritage Society operates as a single unified offering centered on cultural preservation and heritage sharing, without a platform-plus-modules architecture. The organization's core products include: quarterly newsletters keeping members informed about events and Swedish culture; annual cultural events such as the Kraftskiva crayfish party and Lucia Fest; a traditional Swedish smörgåsbord recipe collection; and culture & heritage educational resources including immigration stories and historical documents. Membership programs provide tiered access to these offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Sweden Newsletter
• Cultural Events & Activities
• Traditional Swedish Smörgåsbord Recipes
• Culture & Heritage Resources
• New Sweden Membership

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nordic NorthwestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Sweden is an affiliate of Nordic Northwest, a key partner for Scandinavian cultural activities in the Portland area. The organizations co-host events and share programming, including the annual ScanFair at the Oregon Convention Center.
• Scandinavian Heritage FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization providing resources and connections for Scandinavian heritage activities.
• League of Swedish SocietiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Sweden participates in the League of Swedish Societies' annual Midsummer Festival, one of the oldest heritage traditions in Oregon.
• Swedish School of PortlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for children's Swedish language education, providing cultural programming for youth.
• Vasa Youth GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for folk dancing activities for children, supporting youth engagement with Swedish cultural traditions.
• Genealogical Forum of OregonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsored a seminar on Swedish and Norwegian genealogy, providing expert guidance on genealogical research strategies.
• Nordic Museum (Seattle)minorOthersRegional cultural institution providing museum resources and exhibitions related to Nordic heritage.
• Trollbacken Children's Swedish Language & Culture CampminorOthersSummer camp partner for children ages 7-13, providing immersive Swedish language and cultural experiences in August.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Vasa Order of America: National Swedish-American fraternal heritage organization with local lodges running Swedish cultural events, language programs, and member activities. Closest structural analog to New Sweden as a membership-based Swedish heritage society.
• Nordic Northwest: Portland-based umbrella organization (formerly Nordic Heritage Foundation) of which New Sweden is a formal affiliate. Most directly comparable peer as the parent entity that shares programming, venues, and ScanFair operations with New Sweden.
• League of Swedish Societies: Portland-area consortium of Swedish heritage societies with which New Sweden co-hosts the annual Midsummer Festival. Represents a network of structurally identical local Swedish heritage societies participating in shared programming.
• Finlandia Foundation: National Finnish-American heritage nonprofit that preserves ethnic heritage through events, scholarships, and educational programming. Highly comparable mission and operating model to New Sweden, applied to a different Nordic-heritage community.

Broad incumbents

• Nordic Museum: Seattle-based Nordic heritage museum covering all Scandinavian cultures with exhibitions and programming. Already a partner of New Sweden and operates in overlapping heritage-preservation territory, but with much broader Scandinavian scope.
• Sons of Norway: National Norwegian-American heritage organization with structurally identical model of local lodges, membership dues, and cultural events. Operates the same Scandinavian-heritage nonprofit playbook as New Sweden but at national scale.

Regional players

• American Swedish Institute: Major Swedish-American cultural institution in Minneapolis with a museum, heritage programs, and events. Directly comparable mission of preserving Swedish heritage through cultural programming, though operating in a different geographic market from New Sweden.
• Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum: Iowa-based Norwegian-American heritage museum offering directly comparable ethnic heritage preservation, events, and educational programming, but serving a different Nordic-heritage community in a different region.
• Danish American Center: Minneapolis-based Danish heritage cultural center with a similar community-based programming model serving the broader Scandinavian-American diaspora. Comparable in structure and mission to New Sweden's Swedish-focused work.
• Swedish American Museum: Chicago-based Swedish heritage museum and cultural center offering events, educational resources, and genealogical programming that closely mirror New Sweden's cultural-preservation model, but serving a different regional audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NewSwedenCulturalHeritageSociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-sweden-cultural-heritage-society

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New Sweden Cultural Heritage Society