FMC Endowment Fund

Winter 2026 Update

Jamie Andrews, Executive Director

FMC SCHOLARSHIP FUND SCORECARD (since 1997)

Number of scholarships and grants awarded:  803

Dollar Amount Awarded:  $410,838

RECENT GRANT & SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

A scholarship has been awarded to Abi Hansen, Concordia-Moorhead, Vocal Music Education, to attend the ACDA Regional Conference in Milwaukee, WI, February 25–28, 2026. Abi will experience the week as part of a cohort made up of one student from each Midwestern Region state. 

The World Symposium on Choral Music scholarship has been awarded to Steven Albaugh, Rosemount High School. The funds will help cover his expenses to travel to Macau, China August 23-28, 2026. 

Upcoming 2026 scholarships will be awarded to students in the 7-8 and 4-5-6 honor choir programs, along with the Next Direction HS Student Leadership Conference, and graduate studies. Graduate studies, along with the Alice T. Larsen scholarship application is due April 3. See the ACDA-MN homepage for more information about these scholarship opportunities at: acda-mn.com.

GRANT UPDATE

We are grateful to receive an increased grant from the Twin Cities Opera Guild for Honor Choir scholarship support. The funding allows us to offer even more scholarships for participating students.

We are also thrilled to receive an Anna M. Heilmaier Foundation grant in support of the Choral Mentorship Program. The grant will help build capacity, specifically helping to support travel costs of the mentors and mentees. 

Additionally, we are again thrilled to share that ACDA-MN received an Arts Learning grant for $30,940 from the Minnesota State Arts Board to support the launch of Golden Voices

Caption: Nearly 100 singers participated in the first Golden Voices Festival Nov 15, 2025. 

Featured Supporter

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

I believe I made my first donation to the endowment back in the 1900’s! Is that possible? I want to say it was the first or second year that the endowment was established… perhaps 1998 or 1999. Yes, I’m that old.

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

I have seen first hand what the FMC Endowment does. I received a graduate scholarship when we had toddlers at home, and there was no way for me to attend graduate school on one income. I’ve also had students who have benefited from the scholarships for ACDA of MN Honors Choirs. For some of them, it was the start of the process of seeing themselves as a singer. Creating that kind of access, especially teaching in rural Minnesota, is foundational to why I’m a choral educator. Singing in a choir is such a privilege, but it should not be solely for the privileged. Seeing some of my students, who would not otherwise have the means, get a scholarship to be in a choir from so many others from around the state and be a part of a choir focused on craftsmanship and community, is so heartening. That scholarship is a lifeline for kids to see themselves differently, and for their view of their world to explosively expand in the course of a few weeks.

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

I’m most excited about the next generation of conductors. Having them connect their life experiences to this ancient art is profound. They will bring a relevance to the performing arts that our culture desperately needs. We are in a century-long process of a culture shift that is larger than the Reformation, the printing press… It’s HUGE! Bringing these fresh perspectives into ACDA on how to manage this shift is not just important for the survival of ACDA or of choral music, but an important link in helping our world weather the turmoil of a shifting culture. The FMC Endowment helps ensure that diverse perspectives are at the table, both in our choirs and in leadership.

2025 DONOR CAMPAIGN SUMMARY

Thank you to all the individualdonors and institutions who supported the FMC Endowment Fund during 2025 with gifts totaling $103,840 in these categories:

Individual Donations:	$44,499	Donors:  167
ACDA-MN Member Donations:	$27,834	Donors:  117
Non-Member Donations:	$16,665	Donors:  48
Institutional Grants	$42,940	Donors: 3
Summer Dialogue Donations:	$4791	Donors:  65/144 = 45%
Give to the Max Donations:	$650	Donors: 8
ACDA-MN/FMC Leadership Donations	$20,110	Donors:  57/109 = 52%
FMC Committee Members	$7025	Donors:  15/18 = 83%
FMC Emeritus Members	$10000	Donors:  15/23 = 65%
FMC Advisory Committee	$400	Donors:  4/11 = 36%
ACDA-MN Board of Directors	$2200	Donors:  15/15 = 100%
ACDA-MN R&R Chairs	$25	Donors:  1/13 = 8%
ACDA-MN Star of North Editors	$120	Donors:  2/6 = 34%
ACDA-MN Honor Choir Co-Chairs	$90	Donors:  2/13 = 8%
ACDA-MN Past Presidents	$250	Donors:  3/10 = 30%
Alice T. Larsen Scholarship Donations	$3,450	Donors: 19
IDEA Fund	$10,550	Donors: 6

2025 GIFTS TO THE FMC ENDOWMENT FUND

We thank these individual and corporate donors who have contributed to the FMC Endowment Fund during September to December, 2025:

Neil & Johanna Anderson
Anonymous+
Linda M. Armstrong
Anton E. Armstrong DMA+
Dr. Gregory & Julie Aune	In honor of Dr. Brandon Dean
Carol Barnett
Bruce W. Becker
Dione Belling+
Jane & Robin Blomquist	In memory of Paul J. & Eleanor Christiansen
Steven Boehlke
Virginia Bowles+
Richard Carrick
Marilyn R. Cathcart
WB Chapin Jr
Marian Christopherson
Jessica Conover
Marilyn Markus Cooper	In honor of Brittany Gilje Murphy & Madeline Gilje
Donna Cushing
Ryan Deignan
The Dan Digre & Luz Paz Donor Advised Fund
Dennis & JoAnn Doran
Gregory Douma
Arne Everson
Dean & Jennifer Eyler
Christopher & Tiffany Fettig
Doug & Mary Kay Geston	In memory of Margaret Boehlke
Janice Gilbertson	In honor of Bruce W. Becker
Sue Gilsdorf
Stephen F. Griffin	In memory of Susan Paulo Cherwin In honor of David Cherwin
Stephen & Nancy Grundahl
Shaun Halland
Diane Heaney*
Charles Hellie
Elizabeth Hellstedt
David & Kris Henderson
Paula Holmberg
Gerald Huffman
Patricia Jensen	In memory of Lauretta & Jere Graetz
Sarah Johanns
Amy Johnson	In memory of Sigrid Johnson
Mark Johnson
Melody Johnson
Janice Johnson+
Jon N. Kietzer
Margaret & Dana Kirkegaard Giving Fund+	In memory of Alice T. Larsen
Wayne & Alyc Kivell
Kathryn Larson
Diana J. Leland	In honor of Bruce W. Becker, Dale Warland, Carl H. Lipke, Anton Armstrong, Gregory Peterson
Paul & Kathryn Lindquist	In honor of our children who had the honor to sing in college choir
Issac Lovdahl
Christopher Mason
Larry & Faith McCaghy	In honor of Bruce W. Becker
Cassandra J. Midboe	In memory of Ole Joseph Midboe
Karla J. Miller
Bob & Rosalie Moninger
Ardis C. Nelson	In honor of Mark L. Nelson
Gay Nelson+
Judith K. Nyquist+
Gordon Olson
Kyle Pederson	In honor of Bruce W. Becker
Neal Peterson & Deanna Thompson
Paul Pribenow
Anthony Priest+
Ed Rauk
Audrey Riddle	In honor of Elizabeth Egger, Michelle Gehrz, Joseph Kemper, Ann Williams
Kathy Romey+
Martha Valen Rossing
Ron Rydell	In memory of Paul Brandvik, Paul J. Christiansen, Murrae Freng, Curt Hansen In honor of Bruce W. Becker, Steven Boehlke, Philip Brunelle, Erik Christiansen, René Clausen, Matthew Culloton, Michael Culloton, Janice Gillbertson, Dale Lammi, Joe Osowski
Karen Sagedahl
Michael & Judy Sagen Atherton	In honor of Bruce W. Becker
Carol Schneider+
Cora Scholz
Ann Schrooten
Janet Seim*
Michael Selheim
Sheila Shusterich
Diane Steen-Hinderlie
Doug & Kari Strandell
Axel Theimer
Daryl Timmer	In honor of Richard Edstrom
Gary Debele & Kimberly Tolman
Linda Johnson Toso
Richard Trapp
Jerome Upton
Janet Wagnild
Lynne Waldeland+
Michael Walsh	In memory of Dr. Paul Brandvik
Kari Werdahl+
Chris Westermeyer
Eldri Wittkamper+	In memory of Trudie Roe Anderson
Philip Wold
James Wolter
Rebecca Wyffels+	In memory of Alice T. Larsen, Margaret Boehlke, Robert Scholz In honor of Janice Gilbertson, Dwight Jilek
Susan Zemlin

+ In support of the Alice T. Larsen Memorial Scholarship Fund

* in support of the IDEA Fund

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.

For more information or to make an online contribution by credit card click: 

Or mail your contribution to:

FMC Endowment Fund

Jamie Andrews

4445 44^th 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
• Jon Habermann
• Jon Kietzer
• Anne Klus
• Kathryn Larson
• Teri Larson
• David Menneicke
• Karla Miller
• Mark Nelson 
• Melanie Payne
• Andrew Parr
• Ron Rydell
• Randy Schafer
• Daryl Timmer
• Jerry Upton
• Paula Holmberg, 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