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

Our founder, Helene Foellinger, believed that the responsibility to uplift Allen County residents doesn’t lie solely with government services, or even nonprofit organizations—but that individuals have a personal and economic responsibility to one another and the communities in which they live.

She said, “Whatever may be said about human beings, they are as a whole, a family.” And thus, the family and the individual have a duty to one another.

This personal and economic responsibility—philanthropy—is how the Foundation came to be. Helene Foellinger was a philanthropist, serving on nonprofit boards and committees, and, of course, investing her financial resources in these organizations, too. She and her mother, Esther, founded Foellinger Foundation to carry forward their family’s philanthropic interests.

The Foundation is funded by these lifetime gifts from Helene, proceeds from Helene and Esther’s estates, and contributions from The News Publishing Company.

Individual philanthropy also gives people the opportunity to directly support causes they care about. Helene and Esther were passionate about childhood and family development, the arts, parks, and more—and their philanthropy supported these opportunities for each person to access in our community.

Since 1958, as a result of Helene’s philanthropic interests, Foellinger Foundation has invested more than $243,000,000 in Allen County.

“There's a great satisfaction to seeing the good [our funding] has brought to people and the good I think it has done in the community." – Helene Foellinger

Today, the Foundation takes an active interest in encouraging individual philanthropy and sharing resources and guidance on best practices. It’s our basis as a foundation, and we advocate for individuals to identify the causes they care about—and exercise those interests philanthropically in our community.