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!

Nonprofits in Allen County uplift our residents, empowering them to move from dependence to independence. But what enables our citizens to succeed isn’t just their self-reliance. Individuals need to recognize their interdependence—understanding that as family, friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens, they are dependent upon one another’s successes, too. When individuals help others help themselves, our entire community thrives.

An organization in Fort Wayne that demonstrates this impact is the Euell A. Wilson Center. Founded in honor of Euell A. Wilson, a standout athlete at Bishop Dwenger High School who passed away at 19, the Center serves youth and families through education, engagement, and empowerment programs and services that nurture the whole person.

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 invites individuals to share their stories of its founder, Helene Foellinger, during an open call for video interviews on Friday, February 25 at the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory.

Between the pandemic and the cold weather, our community’s most vulnerable populations have a greater accessibility challenge than usual. But out of that challenge, a creative partnership was formed.

When they brought their services and resources together, The League for the Blind and Disabled (The League), Community Harvest Food Bank, Community Transportation Network (CTN), and Wellspring Interfaith Social Services were able to serve more individuals during a crucial time of year. These organizations leveraged separate funding sources that, together, helped protect the health and promote independence of Allen County citizens.

Foellinger Foundation launches its Thrive Initiative with a nearly $900,000 initial investment in Southeast Fort Wayne nonprofits. It's purpose is to invest in community-identified neighborhoods by investing in nonprofits that provide resources such as education, housing, jobs, childcare, and more. The initial phase will focus on supporting the Southeast Fort Wayne community. 

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.