Grants and initiatives

Grants are donated to projects throughout Norway, but the foundation´s Statutes stipulate that when allocating gifts, reasonable consideration should be given to the national origins of such funds, i.e. Eastern Norway.

We support initiatives in cities and towns in Norway that promote activities and a sense of belonging and pride in the local community. Deadlines for applying for funding for local projects in the foundation’s region of origin (Østlandet) fall twice a year.

We also support national projects. This implies large projects that have significance for the nation, such as our contribution to the decoration of the Oslo Opera House. In addition we contribute to projects that are distributed to many participants all over the country. Examples of this type of donation are chess games for Norwegian schools via the Norwegian Chess Foundation (Norges Sjakkforbund) and funding for the Norwegian Trekking Association’s (Den Norske Turistforenings) programmes for young adults.

We contribute to initiatives that increase public awareness about the visual arts by being a significant patron, supporter and catalyst in the Norwegian art world. The foundation makes contributions via its subsidiary, Dextra Artes, among other things to supplement the collections of Norwegian museums with both Norwegian and international art, and by acquiring works that the museums are not in a position to procure themselves. The artworks are deposited in museums and other exhibiting venues on a long-term basis.

View the art works

Via our subsidiary company, Dextra Musica, the foundation acquires valuable string instruments and lends them to talented Norwegian musicians. In return, the musicians perform at concerts and serve as instructors and sources of inspiration for young students of music. Our aim is to stimulate an interest in, and improve the standard of the Norwegian music scene.

View the string instruments

The foundation has fully financed the transformation of an old bank building in the center of Oslo into Sentralen; a performance venue and centre for culture and innovation. Sentralen, in Øvre Slottsgate 3, was opened to the public in 2016. The building originally served as the headquarters for Christiania Sparebank, which the Savings Bank Foundation DNB sprung out of. Sentralen contains several stages and production spaces as well as a restaurant and café. Close to 350 cultural and social innovators have their offices at Sentralen.

Sentralen

A large collection of photographs has been entrusted to the Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology to be managed and made available to the general public. The collection has the brand name Dextra Photo.

The photo collection Dextra Photo in the Digital Museum

In the project Skulpturstopp (Sculpture Stop) recognised artists are invited to create a sculpture in one of the communities of Eastern Norway (Østlandet). The artists are given full artistic freedom to create a site-specific sculpture for the location that is chosen. The goal is to contribute to increasing the number of sculptures of high international standard in Østlandet.

More about the sculpture project at skulpturstopp.no

The aim of the two-year Cultural Education Programme (Dannelsesprogrammet) is to provide young talents with a solid foundation to prepare them for greater leadership positions. The leadership programme is provided by the DNB Savings Bank Foundation as a form of recognition and inspiration for individuals who have served or have a job in the voluntary work sector, and have used a large part of their leisure time to help and assist others.

The Norwegian Internet encyclopedia Store norske leksikon (snl.no), which once excisted as a printed version, became a free online encyclopedia in 2009, initiated and funded by The Fritt Ord foundation and Sparebankstiftelsen DNB. Until 2015, we were part owners with Fritt Ord, the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and the Norwegian Literary Authors Association. While today, the encyclopedia is an association, with universities and colleges as members and participants.

The intention of the DNB Savings Bank Foundation’s artist grant in the amount of NOK 150.000 is to encourage artists at the beginning of their career to continue their endeavours to become independent artists. The grant has been awarded annually since 2008. As an integral part of the grant, the artist is offered the opportunity to mount a solo exhibition in Oslo Kunstforening.

From 2011 the foundation has granted a donation to a chosen art institution with the purpose of acquiring young Norwegian contemporary art during a three year period. The first receiver was the Henie Onstad art center, while from 2015 to 2017, the receiver is Punkt Ø.  

In 2016 the foundation entered into an agreement to purchase Amedia, Norway’s largest publisher of local media titles, and established an independent foundation called Amediastiftelsen as owner of the media group. Amediastiftelsen was established to ensure long-term and stable ownership of Norwegian local newspapers.