Museum tells authentic story of a Norwegian immigrant family through three generations

PIERRE — The Stavig House Museum in Sisseton recently completed fundraising more than $120,000 to establish a permanent endowment fund at the South Dakota Community Foundation (SDCF) and was awarded $20,000 in matching funds from SDCF’s Nonprofit Savings Account grant program.

Endowment funds are invested over time and earnings create a long-term revenue source to support the organization.

“The newly established Stavig House Museum Foundation is a great asset for the museum and our community,” Stavig House Museum President John Rasmussen said. “Each year the funds available from the foundation will help the museum carry out its mission to preserve local history and attract visitors to our community.

"We want to thank the South Dakota Community Foundation for the $20,000 Challenge Grant. The grant served as a catalyst energizing our fundraising efforts and adding substantially to the total funds in our foundation once we reached our goal.”

The historic Stavig House, built by Scandinavian craftsmen in 1916, combines elements of the Victorian era with Arts and Crafts style architecture. Listed on the National Historic Register, the museum tells the authentic story of a Norwegian immigrant family through three generations, from fishermen in Norway to homesteaders on the Dakota prairie to Main Street entrepreneurs in the new town of Sisseton.

The house remained with the Stavig family for 80 years before becoming a museum.

“We are honored to collaborate with the Stavig House Museum in establishing a sustainable funding source that will ensure the ongoing operation of the museum.” SDCF Senior Program Officer Ginger Niemann said.

Donations to the existing Nonprofit Saving Account for Stavig House Museum are invested along with other SDCF endowed funds. A percentage of the fund’s value is made available annually for their organization to distribute to support the mission of their nonprofit.

As the fund grows, so will the amount available to give back to the Stavig House Museum. If you would like to donate to this endowment, please visit https://www.sdcommunityfoundation.org/giving/support-an-existing-fund .

To learn more about funding opportunities offered by the SDCF, please visit our website: https://www.sdcommunityfoundation.org/ .

SDCF is a public non-profit organization established in 1987. SDCF, with offices in Pierre, Rapid City, Sioux Falls and Aberdeen administers over 1,200 funds benefiting hundreds of charitable organizations annually. The Foundation distributed nearly $31 million in grants in 2023 which made a tremendous difference in communities statewide.

If you have a specific cause you would like to support or would prefer to give for the general good of our state, please visit https://sdcommunityfoundation.org/giving to learn more or call 1-800-888-1842.

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This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Museum tells authentic story of a Norwegian immigrant family through three generations