The
Swedish Cultural Center was founded in 1882 in Seattle, as Svenska Klubben and later, Swedish Club. Although the name changed in 1998 to Swedish Cultural Center, its mission to support, promote, and celebrate Nordic—and particularly Swedish—culture has not changed.
In 2006, in light of falling memberships, the Board chartered a Strategic Planning Committee to develop a plan to revitalize the club. The Committee researched other organizations, some Nordic and some not, to identify what the strong ones were doing. They also held three focus groups: long-time supporters, new members, and non-members whom the Committee felt should be members, to learn what the Swedish Cultural Center was doing well and what the interviewees felt needed to change.
The Committee developed a plan. They determined that the Swedish Cultural Center needed to add more programs, to become more Swedish and to hire some marketing help. Consequently, the Board hired a Cultural Director to work alongside its Executive Director. Examples of new activities include lectures on a wide variety of topics and even a vintage Swedish auto show. Physical changes include an update to the Crown Room, the lounge open to Swedish Cultural Center members and their guests. Besides a stunning view of Lake Union, the Crown Room now features Nordic-designed furniture.
An important element of our plan was an effort to bring younger members into SCC. A consultant gave some tips for encouraging membership among the younger population. One suggestion was to focus on sports and music. For our organization, we have an easier time with music. We often invite musicians, either local or from a Nordic country, to perform at the SCC. Another suggestion was to carefully select the photographs that appear in the newsletter. When the option is available, we select photographs that feature the younger generation, especially for the front page of the newsletter. We are also encouraging young members to join our Board of Directors. In 2009, two women under 35 joined our Board, as well as a graduate student in the Department of Scandinavian Studies at the University of Washington. We now have a wider range of ages and a lower average age on the Board. We make our younger Board members visible; e.g., it is common for one of them to give a report at one of our monthly membership meetings.
The Board of Directors is pleased with the recent progress, and the organization has seen a 45% increase in membership over the past 18 months. Former membership dinners that attracted 30–40 attendees are bursting at the seams of the dining space with 100+ members in attendance. The Strategic Planning Committee continues to meet monthly, aware that more opportunities to improve the organization still exist.
Submitted by Brandon Benson, Immediate Past President, SCC
Edited by Kerstin Trowbridge
October 2009
