Message from the Director

Emily Lowder Wootten.jpg

"The idea of a community taking care of its citizens, its landscape, its history, its future - it makes so much sense if you think about it.

We think about it a lot, and are grateful for the opportunity to work with others who are also dedicated to community. The relationships we have built, and hope to continue to build, mean so much to us. We believe in the greatness of our state, our country, and our world. We also recognize a need for improvement, and most importantly, we recognize that improvement is at our fingertips. Or, as Anne Frank put it, ‘How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world!

Growing up in a family business environment, I learned quickly that great things could be accomplished when people work together for a common goal. If our goal is to improve the world around us one grant at a time, then how can we possibly fail? Support doesn't end when the grant is made, but continues on in ways that we can't always capture in a report or on a website. Sometimes it's these "intangibles" that make the world a better place. You can't show it in a chart necessarily, but you can see it all around you. You know the good is there.

When I look back on my childhood, I am filled with a sense of community, of art, of a rich and vibrant culture, of family, of history and preservation, of change and progress. These things add a quality to life - something our foundation feels everyone should have.

Thank you for taking the time to visit our website, and for your interest in our foundation."

Emily Lowder Wootten