2008 marks the 50th anniversary of The Carpenter Foundation. In addition to being a time of celebration, a milestone birthday is a time for reflection on the past. The major focus of the Foundation has remained constant over the past half century and that is to strengthen the local community by meeting social and human needs. To this end, the Foundation has given a myriad of grants to nonprofit organizations over the past 50 years. An additional early core component of Foundation giving has been scholarships to high school students to attend college; another function that continue today.

The Carpenter Foundation makes grants in four areas: human services, education, the arts and certain public interest issues. The Foundation limits funding to these activities and to the geographic area of Jackson and Josephine Counties in order to make more effective and focused use of limited resources.

The Carpenter Foundation is a private family foundation governed by a Board which includes family members and public trustees who represent a wide range of experience and interests. Trustees make policy, grant, and financial management decisions.

The Foundation is deeply concerned with the well-being of children and families and their relationship to their neighborhoods and communities. A parallel concern is the health of the web of agencies and organizations which serve them. It is vital that these agencies, public and private, work together to assist with the broad array of complexities that face families and communities today.

Of keen interest to the Carpenter Foundation are the nature and the characteristics of community life. These are evidenced by the opportunities offered low-income citizens, the quality of education, the breadth of experience in the arts, and such public policy issues as the environment and community planning, with emphasis on the long-range view.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Carpenter Foundation is to add opportunity, choice, inclusiveness, enrichment and a climate for change for those living in the Rogue Valley. The Foundation works in partnership with other agencies, organizations and public entities.

HISTORY

The Carpenter Foundation was established by Alfred S.V. Carpenter and Helen Bundy Carpenter in 1942. It was then called the Jackson County Recreation Agency and provided recreational activities for servicemen at Camp White. The Foundation was reorganized in 1958, evolving from a personal vehicle for charitable giving to a general purpose family foundation. In 1972, four public trustees were added to the family members on the Board to achieve a broader base of experience for decision making.

The above picture was
created by a student at
Lake Creek Learning Center,
Eagle Point Oregon.