Andrea Kendall, MLK Montessori School's Board Chair, was recognized as this year's recipient of our David A. Bobilya Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership Award. The 17th leadership award ceremony took place on October 23rd, 2024. Congratulations Andrea!

We are pleased to share with you that the Foellinger Foundation has announced Sarah Strimmenos as its next President and CEO.

Linda Jackson, Board Chair of Erin’s House, was recognized as the 2023 David A. Bobilya Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership Award recipient at a ceremony on September 27, 2023. Congratulations, Linda!

Foellinger Foundation announces a search for its next President and CEO. The Foundation will begin accepting applications June 16, 2023, and plans to announce its next President and CEO in fall 2023.

Foellinger Foundation announces the reopening of its building after a renovation. Meeting spaces are available for use by Allen County nonprofits at no cost.

‘An Influence for Good’ documentary is now available online. The film can be viewed at foellinger.org/documentary.

Foellinger Foundation will premiere a documentary film, ‘An Influence for Good,’ on March 16, 2023 at the Arts United Center.

Foellinger Foundation Board of Directors and staff extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Janae McCullough-Boyd.

Please join us in welcoming David Bennett as Foellinger Foundation’s interim President and CEO.

Gail Doran, Board Chair of Super Shot, was recognized as the 2022 David A. Bobilya Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership Award recipient at an award ceremony on September 28, 2022. Congratulations, Gail!

Centered in successful communities, are successful families, whose structures vary greatly. By providing families with access to resources that help them move from dependence to independence, our nonprofit organizations help Allen County residents thrive.

Foellinger Foundation rallies around community partners, programs, and initiatives that enable Allen County residents to thrive. Our investments in community interests and development stem from well-informed research and best practices. Community development efforts have been part of philanthropy since the mid-1990’s, when the asset-based community development model was developed by John L. McKnight and John P. Kretzmann at the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University.

As part of our Five with Foellinger series, we’re proud to introduce new videos that highlight important leadership topics.

Nonprofit leaders and board members are encouraged to share these videos directly with board members or watch together during a meeting. Each video has a complementary PDF with follow-up prompts and exercises for reflection. Check back for more videos as they become available!

Foellinger Foundation announces a renovation to their building, which will include more collaborative meeting spaces that will be open to the nonprofit community in Allen County.

Philanthropy, simply put, is the desire to do good in a community. And philanthropy comes to life in myriad ways—volunteering and giving, at the individual level and at the organizational level.

Foellinger Foundation Board Chair Michael Moellering shares his reflections and insights.

Foellinger Foundation established the David A. Bobilya Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership Award to recognize the importance of individual board members in nonprofit organizations. Each year, this award is given to an Allen County nonprofit board member who exemplifies four focus areas: governance, leadership, financial sustainability, and program impact. The award recipient’s nominating organization receives a $25,000 operating grant.

The Foellinger family’s sense of responsibility was intertwined in their personal and professional lives. As a family, they upheld the belief that they had a responsibility not only to themselves, but to the community as a whole.

The founding of Foellinger Foundation was an act of accountability by Helene and Esther, too. It ensured their legacy—that should anything ever happen to them on their travels, or after they passed away, their dollars would be stewarded in the way they had always intended them to be. That children and families in Allen County would be uplifted, especially those with the greatest economic need and least opportunity. The board of directors would—and still do to this day—make decisions that are true to our donor’s intent.

Foellinger Foundation’s grantmaking reflects our founders’ interest in encouraging a community of self-reliant citizens, with a commitment to their values and principles: integrity, accountability, responsibility, and results.

The Foellinger family was community-minded and hard-working—always acting with the greater good in mind. They carried this commitment to integrity throughout their personal lives, but it also showed up in their professions and extracurricular activities.