The Finnish Museum of Photography Foundation was established by the photographic associations on 1 May 1969. The purpose of the Foundation is to promote and foster Finnish photography and photographic culture.
Board of the Finnish Museum of Photography Foundation 2025-2027
Virva Salama (chairperson)
Heli Rekula (vice-chairperson)
Boris Fagertsröm
Katri Naukkarinen
Veli-Markus Tapio
Ulla Teräs
Statutes of the Foundation
Approved by the National Board of Patents and Registration on 4.10.2002
1 § Name of the Foundation
The name of the Foundation is the Foundation of the Finnish Museum of Photography, and its seat is the City of Helsinki.
2 § Purpose of the Foundation
The purpose of the Foundation is to promote and foster Finnish art and culture of photography.
3 § Realisation of the purpose of the Foundation
In order to achieve its purpose, the Foundation shall operate a museum with the mission of being an active cultural institution. The museum's mission is to collect, study, publish and exhibit photographic and related material. The museum promotes Finnish photography at home and abroad, as well as foreign photography in Finland. The museum may maintain such activities as it needs to carry out its mission.
4 § The Foundation's founding assets
The Foundation's founding assets shall consist of the ten thousand (10,000) marks in the foundation capital and other assets listed in the Foundation Charter of 6 May 1969.
5§ Determining the management of the Foundation's assets
The Foundation may receive grants, gifts and bequests and otherwise accumulate its assets in an appropriate manner. The Foundation shall have the right to acquire and own immovable property and shares and interests in companies. The assets of the Foundation shall be used to achieve its purpose and to generate income.
The assets of the Foundation shall be managed prudently and economically and shall be invested in a safe and profitable manner.
6§ Designation of the Foundation's governing bodies
The Foundation shall be managed and represented by a Governing board.
7§ Composition, election and quorum of the Foundation's Governing Board
The Foundation's Governing Board shall consist of seven members.
Two members are appointed by The State Art Museum, two by The Finnish Heritage Agency, two by Finnfoto and one by The Union of Photographic Artists. The Board must request the nomination at least three months before the end of the Board's term of office. The nomination of new Board members must be submitted in writing at least one month before the beginning of the new Board's term of office. If the entities entitled to nominate do not nominate their representatives, the Board may complete itself.
The members of the Governing Board shall be elected for a term of three calendar years. Any vacancy occurring during the term of office shall be filled until the end of the term of office in the same order as that in which the vacated member was elected.
At the beginning of its term of office, the Board elects a chairman and a vice-chairman from among its members. Their term of office shall be the term of office of the Board.
The Governing Board shall meet annually as required, but at least twice a year. The Governing Board shall be convened by its Chairperson or by the Director of the Museum by sending a certified invitation to each member to the address communicated to the Foundation at least seven days before the meeting. The notice shall state the business to be transacted at the meeting. The Governing Board may also meet when requested in writing by at least three of its members.
The Governing Board shall constitute a quorum when it meets on receipt of a formal invitation from the Chairperson or, in his absence, from the Vice-Chairperson, and when at least three other members are present in addition to the Chairperson or the Vice-Chairperson.
8§ Role of the Foundation's Governing Board
The role of the Foundation's Governing Board is to.
1) appoint and dismiss the museum director
2) manage and develop the activities of the Foundation and supervise the implementation of its activities
3) to be responsible for the careful and financial management of the Foundation's assets
4) to elect two auditors and their deputies: at least one of the auditors and his deputy must be an auditor approved by the Central Chamber of Commerce.
5) in April, the Governing Board shall approve the report on the Foundation's activities and accounts for the previous year and decide on any measures that may arise from the previous year's management, and shall consider the draft budget for the following year.
9§ Settlement of cases
Decisions of the Governing Board shall be taken by simple majority of votes. In the event of a tie, the election shall be decided by lot, in other matters by the vote of the chairman.
10§ Appointment and term of office of the Museum Director
The museum must have a director.
The term of office of the museum director shall not exceed five years at a time.
11§ Duties of the museum director
The duties of the Museum Director shall be, in accordance with the criteria laid down by the Governing Board
1) manage and develop the Foundation's activities and implement the decisions of the Governing Board.
2) recruit and dismiss the Foundation's staff.
3) to act as the representative of the Governing Board.
12§ Writing the name of the Foundation
The name of the Foundation shall be written by the Chairperson or the Vice-Chairperson of the Governing Board together with the Museum Director, or by them or by such other persons as the Governing Board may authorise from among its members. The Board may also authorise the Director of the Museum to write the name of the Museum alone.
13§ Foundation's accounts
The accounts of the Foundation are closed each calendar year.
The financial statements and the report of the Governing Board must be submitted by the beginning of March to the auditors, who must submit their audit report by the end of March. Certified copies of the profit and loss account and balance sheet with annexes, the balance sheet breakdown, the activity report and the auditor's report shall be submitted to the Patent and Registration Office by the end of June.
14§ Amendment of the Statutes and dissolution of the Foundation
The decision to amend the Statutes or to dissolve the Foundation shall be taken by the Governing Board. The amendment must be approved at two meetings of the Governing Board, with a period of two months between them.
15§ Conditions for the dissolution of the Foundation
If the Foundation is dissolved, its collections, assets and property are transferred to the Ministry of Education for use as a museum for the promotion of photography.
The assets mentioned in the foundation charter donated by the Finnish Federation of Camera Clubs shall be transferred to the Federation or, in accordance with the will of the Federation, together with the other assets of the Foundation, to the Ministry of Education.
