Foundation
On March 23, 1911, O.F. Nilson sent the editor of Rockford’s Swedish newspaper one dollar for the construction of a Swedish hospital. From that one dollar donation, SwedishAmerican has grown to a health system that serves hundreds of thousands of patients every year.
In 1981, 70 years after that first donation, SwedishAmerican established the SwedishAmerican Foundation to continue the health system’s philanthropic tradition. Today, SwedishAmerican Foundation raises funds to promote SwedishAmerican’s mission: through excellence in healthcare and compassionate service, we care for our community. Through SwedishAmerican Foundation, our donors invest in our hospital, clinics, and our community.
If you’re interested in donating to SwedishAmerican Foundation, or have any questions, call us at (779) 696-2496, email us at Foundation@SwedishAmerican.org, or donate online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tribute gifts are a very meaningful way to recognize special people in your life. We send a card to the person you designate, informing them of the gift and acknowledge the gift to you.
We make certain to direct your gift as you wish. You may choose to support:
- Unrestricted: Unrestricted gifts permit the SwedishAmerican Foundation to use the contribution where the need is greatest.
- Restricted: Restricted gifts support our services in a specific area. Oncology, cardiology, pediatrics and women's and children's health are just a few of the areas from which you may choose.
- Neighborhood revitalization: These gifts help restore the neighborhood surrounding SwedishAmerican. Funds may be used to renovate homes, offer financial assistance to homebuyers or purchase property to be improved.
- Uncompensated patient care: These gifts allow SwedishAmerican to continue providing service to everyone, regardless of financial ability.
Contributions are deductible for personal or corporate tax purposes to the fullest extent of the law.
Not one penny. Thanks to the historical and generous support of past generations of benefactors, and through the diligent stewardship of the Foundation's resources, every dollar contributed to the SwedishAmerican Foundation is used to impact the health and well-being of the Rockford community. No gift dollars are used for administrative or operational purposes.