Home to the skylark - The Velux Foundations

Photo: Ole Haupt
Background and purpose
Civil engineer Villum Kann Rasmussen (1909-1993) set up the current
VILLUM FOUNDATION in 1971 by transferring the majority of his
shares to the newly formed foundation. Ten years later he founded the
VELUX FOUNDATION with a cash donation.
The VKR Group, which Villum Kann Rasmussen founded in 1941,
develops, manufactures and markets VELUX roof windows and other in-
dustrial building components, which bring daylight, fresh air and a bet-
ter environment into people’s everyday lives. The VKR Group employs
a workforce of around 15,000 in over 40 countries and achieved a net
turnover of DKK 16,8 billion in 2010. VKR Holding A/S is the VKR
Group’s parent company, which still has the VILLUM FOUNDATION
as its main shareholder.
Donations are allocated for a number of public purposes, taken from re-
venue in the form of dividends from the VKR Group and from the return
on the foundations’ basic capital.
Both foundations have a broad non-profit purpose, supporting scientific,
artistic, cultural, environmental and social purposes. The foundations can
also award honorary prizes to people who have made a particular contri-
bution to the understanding of the value and importance of daylight or
a similar contribution with regard to industrially manufactured building
components.
In addition one of the VELUX FOUNDATION’s particular objectives
is to provide support for activities involving elderly people, along with
research in the fields of gerontology, geriatrics and ophthalmology.
One of the VILLUM FOUNDATION’s particular objectives is further-
more to present an annual award for technical and scientific research. This
annual award bears the founder’s name and is presented in recognition of
an outstanding contribution within these areas.
For more information, visit www.veluxfondene.dk
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