What's new this month?
June 2024
Special Introduction
Vice Chair Merijn Boender
Netherland-America Friendship Gala
Silent Auction is Live
Shared Values
Monthly column from Merijn Boender
NAF-Fulbright in Focus
Music through the classics, the electronic, and the science
Meet this Summer's
DC Interns
Generously supported by the Ambassadors' Awards Dinner
Congratulations to Our Royal Patron
HRH Princess Margriet of the Netherlands
Ways to Give
Charitable Distribution from an IRA
Happening in the Chapters
M.C. Escher webinar
Save the Date
New England Gala
Greetings!

Willemijn Keizer, our Executive Director, is enjoying a well-deserved break. Therefore, it is my pleasure to provide the introduction to this month’s newsletter. 

We have barely caught our breath after a highly successful Ambassadors' Awards Dinner in Washington, DC last month. The new Organizing Committee chairs, Andrew Enschedé and Wendy Gowdey, delivered a beautiful dinner with not only two unique awardees, Francine Houben and Ben Mandemakers, but also with NAF Board Member Maureen Bunyan interviewing Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III of the Smithsonian Institution on screen. His deeply considered thoughts on the impact of the Dutch slavery history provided the dinner attendees with thoughts and inspiration on how to give this aspect of history a place as we build a shared future.

At the Members Meeting on May 16, Jurjan Wouda Kuipers was elected Chair of the NAF, succeeding Andy Bender, who was warmly thanked for his leadership of the Foundation and Board over the past four years. 

On June 15, the Royal IGC on Amsterdam’s Dam Square will be the stage for the Netherland-America Friendship Gala. The fourth edition of this black-tie NAF fundraiser in the Netherlands will be chaired by Axiom Partners, with a spectacular dinner prepared by 3-Michelin Star chef Jacob Jan Boerma and a Heineken-sponsored afterparty featuring The Three Degrees.

Tables and tickets for this event have sold out, thanks to the generosity of board members, members, and donors in the Netherlands and the United States.

But as with all of the NAF’s signature fundraisers, you can support these events remotely. Donations-in-lieu-of-attendance are typically fully tax deductible, also for US taxpayers. Another fun way to support these events is the silent auction [nafgala.nl]. The proceeds of your winning bid on one or more of the one-of-kind experiences, travel, and luxury items donated generously to the NAF, bring in much-needed funds for the NAF's educational and cultural exchange programs.

And of course, if you place the winning bid, you get both the joy of the item or experience and the feeling you are doing good. 

Thank you for your support and for being an integral part of our thriving Dutch-American community.

Merijn Boender
Vice Chair
Netherland-America Friendship Gala
Shared Values
Freedom of Fear
 
Closing his monumental Four Freedom address to U.S. Congress on January 6, 1941, Franklin Delano Roosevelt defended the necessity of Freedom from Fear to make the world secure.

More than 83 years later, let’s examine what he meant and explore if this essential freedom maintains its relevance in today’s turbulent world.

Having stated the profound belief in the Freedom of Speech, the Freedom of Worship, the Freedom from Want, Roosevelt said:

“The fourth is freedom from fear, which, translated into international terms, means a worldwide reduction in arms to such a point and in such a fashion that no nation anywhere will be in a position to commit an act of any aggression against any neighbor."
NAF-Fulbright in Focus
Hilda Huang
NAF-Fulbright Fellow
Conservatorium van Amsterdam
2023-24
Walker Smith
NAF-Fulbright Fellow
Institute of Sonology
2023-24
The NAF has supported hundreds of Fulbright fellows since 1989. For the 2023-2024 academic year, there are 11 students and researchers on exchange in the Netherlands and United States with funding from the NAF.

Hilda Huang and Walker Smith are NAF-Fulbright awardees in Amsterdam and the Hague, respectively. Both musicians and innovative thinkers, the NAF is proud to support them in their endeavors this year.
An Unforgettable Experience in Washington, DC
Six Dutch students are about to embark on a summer internship in Washington, DC, a notable hub for summer interns in the United States due to its proximity to lobbying firms, NGOs, and think tanks.

Thanks to our partnership with The Fund for American Studies, these students will receive funding to live and work in DC this summer, along with access to networking events, guest lectures, and site briefings.

Pictured from top left, clockwise: Roosmarijn Eenkema van Dijk, Niek Franzen, Ben Juurlink, Sam van den Boogaard, Alfons Hooft, and Akhi Bansidhar
Funding for the Washington, DC Internship Program is provided through the generous supportors of the Ambassadors' Awards Dinner.

The NAF hosted this annual event in the iconic Watergate Hotel on May 15, 2024. The awardees, Ms. Francine Houben and Mr. Ben Mandemakers (pictured above, left) were celebrated for their meaningful contributions to Dutch-American relations.
Congratulations HRH Princess Margriet of the Netherlands
The Netherland-America Foundation (NAF) congratulates its Royal Patron, HRH Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, on being awarded the BeNeLux Europe Award 2024 on May 16, 2024. The Award was issued by the Benelux Universitair Centrum voor wetenschap, cultuur en humaniteit (Benelux-universitair-centrum.org) for Princess Margriet’s lifelong contribution to health organizations, such as the International Red Cross. Minister of State Professor Jan Peter Balkenende presented the Award, referencing the importance of artificial intelligence in the healthcare sector.

In recent years, the NAF has concentrated its programming on global healthcare as one of its focus areas. In November 2022, Princess Margriet delivered a highly acclaimed keynote speech at the NAF Seminar in New York City on the topic of Global Health. The NAF Ball the following day celebrated Dutch-American collaboration on global health initiatives such the overuse of antibiotics, nutrition, cancer care and other initiatives. The Ball was chaired by Dr. Marnix and Mary Heersink, long time global healthcare advocates and generous supporters of the NAF. 

Also last month, the University of Maastricht and the University of Alabama at Birmingham held a successful symposium in Maastricht on “Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Healthcare”. The NAF’s Vice-Chair, Merijn Boender, attended part of the symposium. The challenges of providing sustainable healthcare, in the Netherlands, the United States, and globally are immense. A group of thought leaders of both universities brought together this new brain trust from the medical and computer science world to mobilize artificial intelligence as a force of change and progress. The NAF is proud to be associated with this new academic bridge between the United States and the Netherlands. It is a direct result of the encouragement and support of Dr. Marnix and Mary Heersink.

The NAF’s internship programs currently include the Heersink Family Global Health Internship Grant, the Peter Grootenhuis Life Sciences Internship Grant, the Dutch2USA and USA2Holland Internship Grants, the Washington DC Internship Program, and the Internships in the Valley Program. They provide many grants and opportunities every year, including to students in the medical, biosciences, and health care sector. The NAF aims to strengthen and expand these initiatives over the coming years.
Ways to Give
Qualified Charitable Distribution from an IRA Account
 
Did you know people who are age 70 ½ or older can contribute up to $100,000 from their IRA directly to a charity and avoid paying income taxes on the distribution? This is known as a qualified charitable distribution. 
 
It is always possible to donate retirement assets, including IRAs, 401(k)s and 403(b)s,1 by cashing them out, paying the income tax attributable to the distribution and then contributing the proceeds to charity. In many cases, though, there is little to no tax benefit associated with this type of donation. However, a direct contribution of retirement assets to charity as part of an estate planning strategy can be very tax efficient. In some situations, it can mean more funds for charities and heirs alike.
 
Source: Fidelity Charitable
Happening in the Chapters
Webinar on Escher
Combining a look at the cultural history of the Netherlands with astonishing artwork, "M. C. Escher: Amazing Images" presents a unique view of one of the twentieth century's most unusual artists. The NAF New England Chapter invites you to join us for this webinar with presenter Jeffrey Price.
Save the Date
As a member of the Netherland-America Foundation, you’re part of a premier community of leaders in the cultural, business, and political sectors with access to our network across the Dutch American community.

JOIN TODAY to help support the many programs and activities of the NAF and connect to your local NAF chapter.

If you are a current member of the NAF and wish to renew your membership, click here.


The Netherland-America Foundation