FMC Endowment Fund

Fall 2025 Update

RECENT SCHOLARSHIP and GRANTS

2025 State Honor Choir Scholarship Recipients @ $4,720

• 4-5-6:  22 scholarships
• 7-8:     24 scholarships
• 9-10:   21 scholarships

Special Note: All families and students who applied were awarded honor choir scholarships!

*Thanks to a grant from the Twin Cities Opera Guild, we were able to offer additional Honor Choir scholarships last year.

2025 Summer Dialogue Scholarship Recipient

Summer Dialogue scholarship recipients are (L-R) Michael Claver – Mounds View Academy; Melody Johnson – University of Northwestern; Zoe Vorbach – Eagle Point Elementary & Richardson Elementary; and Krishana Dempcy – Lakeview School.

2025 Summer Dialogue Student Conductor Scholarship Recipients

Student Conductor Workshop participants: 

(L-R) Dr. Jo Ann Miller (NDSU, guest clinician), Ava Larson (UM – Duluth), Martin Henke (Concordia College), John Lahlum (Minnesota State University), Max Everett (Gustavus Adolphus College), Samuel Nelson (UM – Duluth), Rand Mathison (St. Olaf College), Kaia Ruliffson (University of St. Thomas), Sebastian Vongphakdy (St Cloud State), Riley Abbott (UM – Twin Cities), and Lin Warren and Brian Schmidt from Gateway Travel.

Not pictured: Maxwell Everett (Gustavus Adolphus College), Marie-Florence Johnson (University of Northwestern) 

2025 STATE CONFERENCE TRANSPORTATION GRANTS

• Borealis Chamber Artists – Richard Carrick, conductor
• Owatonana High School Huskies & Concert Choirs – Paula Asmus, conductor
• Bemidji State Choir – Isaac Lovdahl, conductor
• Winona State University Concert Choir – Colleen Chester, conductor
• Farmington High School Concert Choir – Megan Dimich, conductor
• Allegro Choral Academy – Kari and Greg Douma, conductors

Note: All scholarship and grant applicants received support.

REMARKABLE SUPPORT OF THE FMC ENDOWMENT FUND

Throughout these many years, the FMC Endowment Fund has expanded its support to our Minnesota choral music community by providing scholarships for members to attend graduate school, attend professional development conferences, support a needs-based state honor choir scholarship program, and support and encourage young music students to pursue choral conducting as a career. A new transportation grant program was launched in 2021 to assist choirs to perform in the annual ACDA-MN state conference, and beginning in 2023, the IDEA Fund has begun to support people and programs that are making choral music more equitable and inclusive. In addition, the fund provides considerable financial assistance to the ACDA-MN operational budget that considerably reduces registration rates for Summer Dialogue and State Conference, and further supports a portion of the salary for the Executive Director and Director of Development.

Featured Supporter

Melanie Payne

When did you make your first donation to ACDA-MN? 

My first donation was given in 2015. It was directed to the FMC Endowment Fund to sponsor the new scholarship program for the multiple Honor Choirs that were offered through ACDA-MN. I am an incredibly proud ACDA-MN/FMC Endowment Committee Member to have helped establish and develop the student scholarship program. I have even included the FMC Scholarship Program for ACDA-MN Honor Choirs in my Estate/Will Planning.

Why is it so important for you to contribute to ACDA-MN? 

I strongly believe in the future of choral music in Minnesota! We have the highest quality music educators providing pivotal choral experiences, elementary through secondary, for our youth. Contributions to ACDA-MN and FMC are integral in order to continue and expand these choral opportunities for our young singers as extensions of their home school choral experiences.

What is one part of ACDA-MN’s future that excites you? 

Our leadership is outstanding and our members are inspiring. Our Minnesota elementary/secondary singers continue to benefit from this organization and are changed humans because of those experiences. Please donate today – for the future of the many thriving choral music programs in our beautiful North Star State.

Now more than ever, your gifts have and will continue to make a huge difference in our ability to live out our mission as we seek to inspire and support a community of choral musicians in our state. Thanks a million! 

FMC SCHOLARSHIP FUND SCORECARD (since 1997)

Number of scholarships and grants awarded: 706

Dollar Amount Awarded: $381,416

GIVE TO THE MAX DAY

Teaming up with hundreds of Minnesota nonprofits, ACDA of Minnesota, through its FMC Endowment Fund, will participate in the annual Give to the Max Day scheduled for Thursday, November 20, 2025. Special giving incentives will be offered throughout the day for donors to maximize their contributions. Historically, millions of dollars are generated each year for Minnesota non-profit organizations through the Give to the Max campaign.

2025 GIFTS TO THE FMC ENDOWMENT FUND

Thank you to these generous individuals who have contributed to the FMC Endowment Fund during May to August, 2025:

Jamie Andrews

Anonymous (3)

Miriam Augsburger

Deveny Beaton

Bri Bergstrom

Collen Chester

Michael Claver

James Cox

Matthew Culloton

Krishana Dempcy

Kira Degerness

Marie Spar Dymit+

Randi Erlandson

•       In Honor of the Prior Lake-Savage Honor Choir Singers

Jason Etten

Alex Ferderer

Bryan Fisher

Steven Fox*

Isaac Frauendist

Janice Gilbertson

•       In Memory of Kenneth Denzer

Seana Graber

Sam Grace

John Habermann

Jocelyn Hagen & Timothy Takach

Rob Hahn

Shaun Halland

Thomas Hassig

Roe & Beverly (Thompson) Hatlen

•       In Memory of Rev. Conrad M. Thompson

Diane Heaney*

Elizabeth Hellstedt

Paula Holmberg

•       In Memory of Robert Mix

Brandon Hurley

Jeff Iverson

Amy Johnson

•       In Memory of Sigrid Johnson

Kristen Johnson

Mark Johnson

W. Clark Johnson

Kristin Kehrer

Kristin Kivell

Wayne Kivell

•       In Memory of Margaret Boehlke

•       In Memory of Robert Mix

Aaron Kohrs

Matt Krage

Kyle Lamb

Teri Larson+*

Diana J. Leland

•       In Memory of Margaret Boehlke

•       In Memory of Kenneth Denzer

•       In Memory of Robert Mix

Randi Lyders

Josephine Lynn

Duayne L. Malewicki

Christopher Mason

Melanie McIvor

Wendell Nelson

Kennedy Niska

Melanie L. Payne

Scott Perau

Dylan Pringle

Ron Rydell

•       In Memory of Paul J. Christiansen

•       In Memory of Murrae Freng

•       In Memory of Curt Hanson

•       In Honor of Erik Christiansen

•       In Honor of Rene Clausen

•       In Honor of Philip Brunelle

•       In Honor of Bruce Becker

•       In Honor of Janice Gilbertson

•       In Honor of Dale Lammi

•       In Honor of Steve Boehlke

•       In Honor of Paul Brandvik

•       In Honor of Joe Osowski

•       In Honor of Matthew Culloton

•       In Honor of Michael Culloton

Sam Sadlowsky

Randy Schafer*

Stephanie Schumacher

Emma Silvestri

Jack Slavik

Wendy Souja

Brian & Jennifer Stubbs

Gillian Teoh-Berbee

Jerome Upton

Tyler Vidal

Zoe Vorbach

Michael Walsh

Therese Walth

Mike & Donna Wolsted

•       In Memory of Robert Mix

James Wolter

Rebecca Wyffels+

•       In Memory of Margaret Boehlke

•       In Memory of Floyd Wilkening

Grace Young

+Alice T. Larsen Memorial Scholarship Fund

*IDEA Fund

We apologize for any errors or omissions. Please contact Jamie Andrews at jandrews@acda-mn.org for any corrections.

Gifts to the FMC Endowment Fund

Acknowledge a mentor, colleague, relative or friend, by donating to the FMC Endowment Fund.  Your donations in ANY amount are welcomed at ANY time.

Your gift to the FMC Endowment Fund supports choral music excellence in Minnesota today and into the future. ACDA of Minnesota is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization and all gifts are tax deductible.

Make a Sustaining Gift

A sustaining gift is an easy way to make a difference everyday that works for your budget and schedule. It is convenient, customizable, and environmentally friendly, and helps ensure a steady source of funding for ACDA-MN.

You can set up your recurring gift by credit card now by going to GiveMN.org. Select “Donation,” then “Monthly donation” 

Once you have entered your payment information and submitted your recurring gift, ACDA-MN will automatically deduct gifts monthly from your credit card according to the amount you select. And don’t worry—your online donation is secure and flexible.

For more information or to make an online contribution by credit card click: acda-mn.com

Or mail your contribution by December 31 to:

Jamie Andrews
ACDA-MN

4445 44th Avenue South
Minneapolis MN. 55406

jandrews@acda-mn.org

We greatly appreciate your ongoing generosity and support. Thank you!

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT POLICY

ACDA-MN leadership, overseeing the FMC Endowment Fund and the Alice T. Larsen Memorial Scholarship Fund, annually advises our investment management firm to adopt selective investment strategies that utilize socially conscious investment options that focus on environmental, social, and corporate governance criteria.

Members of the FMC Endowment Fund Committee:

• Daniel Digre
• Marie Spar Dymit
• Rikka Estenson
• John Habermann
• Paula Holmberg, Chair
• Jon Kietzer
• Melanie Payne
• Andrew Parr
• Anne Klus
• Kathryn Larson
• Teri Larson
• David Mennicke
• Karla Miller
• Mark Nelson
• Ron Rydell
• Randy Schafer
• Daryl Timmer
• Michael Walsh, Past-Chair
• Jamie Andrews, Executive Director

Members of the FMC Advisory Committee

• Anton E. Armstrong
• Philip Brunelle
• Carol Barnett
• Abbie Betinis
• Rene Clausen
• Jocelyn Hagen
• Brian Newhouse
• Jake Runestad
• Kathy Saltzman Romey
• Timothy C. Takach
• Dale Warland