The Northern Lights Foundation was founded by Ken Larson, DDS, in 2006. Ken’s commitment to giving back started in the early 80s as a long-time champion and supporter of many national children’s charities, including the Make a Wish and March of Dimes. But it was after the loss of his newborn daughter Nicole in 1993 that Ken began to envision a children’s charity in Duluth, Minnesota, to financially support local families with children facing life-threatening illnesses.

Ken chose the name Northern Lights Foundation (NLF) for this new non-profit organization because his vision was to bring some much-needed light into the lives of children and families who were experiencing a dark time.

Ken has served as Volunteer President of NLF since the beginning, and his son Michael established a second chapter for the Twin Cities area in Minnesota. Over the past 19 years, NLF has raised more than $1,500,000 and issued grants to more than 300 families. The foundation’s grants are unrestricted, which means families can use the funds for any needs at their discretion.