Short history of Kone Foundation

Kone Foundation was founded in 1956 by Heikki H. Herlin and Pekka Herlin. The founders were simultaneously in charge of Kone Foundation and Kone Ltd., and hence there was a close relationship between the organizations.

Nowadays Kone Foundation is an independent and unaffiliated organization, the aim of which is to promote Finnish academic research, arts and culture.

From a modest start in the early years, Kone Foundation began to award grants for academic research, with a specific focus on the humanities, the social sciences and environmental sciences.

During the 2000s the Foundation has made an active effort to find new ways to support academic work, arts and culture. One outcome of this is Saari Residence for artists and researchers, founded by Kone Foundation in 2006.

Awarded funding

The amount of funding provided annually has increased steadily, as the following figures show:

1980 74 340 €
1985 172 964 €
1990 367 420 €
1995 530 742 €
2000 801 039 €
2005 2 407 500 €
2006 4 559 950 €
2007 5 090 839 €
2008 7 261 004 €
2009 7 111 940 €
2010 9 107 450 €
2011 9 142 302 €

The board of the foundation

Current Board of Kone Foundation:

• Executive Director Hanna Nurminen, chairperson, 1987–
• Docent Ilona Herlin, vice chairperson, 1995–
• Professor Risto Alapuro, 1995–
• Master of Economic Sciences Minna Nurminen, 2005–
• Professor Maria Lähteenmäki 2011–
• Professor Janne Kotiaho 2011–
• Docent Vesa Koivisto, deputy member, 2005–

Previous members of the Board:

• Heikki H. Herlin, 1956–1989
• Pekka Herlin, 1956–2002
• Academician Kustaa Vilkuna, 1956–1980
• Bank Manager Kaarlo Kalliala, 1956–1979
• Professor Kauko Sipponen, 1980–1997
• Professor, Academician Erik Allardt, 1981–1995
• Doctor Gerhard Wendt, 1989–1994
• Chief Executive Matti Matinpalo, 1987–1989
• Professor Erkki Haukioja, 1994–2011

Council of Finnish Foundations

Kone Foundation is a member of Council of Finnish Foundations, a co-operation body for Finnish foundations.