Community Foundation Secures Largest Gift
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Wabash Valley Community Foundation says it has received its largest individual gift ever. Walt Kindrick's $1.2 million donation will support several Catholic organizations and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. April 7, 2015
News Release
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (March 31, 2015) – The Wabash Valley Community Foundation has received its largest gift ever from an individual donor. Walter L. “Walt” Kindrick, who upon his death in early 2014, gave more than $1.2 million to the Mary Kindrick Memorial Fund.
The fund, established in 1995 through the Community Foundation by Walt to honor his late wife Mary, recently received the remainder of a charitable trust. In 1997, the Wabash Community Foundation was taking part in the second phase of Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT), an initiative of Lilly Endowment Inc. As a result of GIFT, Walt leveraged matching unrestricted endowment funds for use in Vigo County for the good of the community.
Walt and Mary's sons, Charles and Steven, emphasized that their father set up the Mary Kindrick Memorial Fund to honor their mother and to continue to support the organizations dear to their parents’ hearts.
“My father was a man of strong faith who recognized how richly he had been blessed by the Lord,” Charles said. “During his life he gave freely of his time and treasure, serving our church, the Kiwanis Club of Greater Terre Haute, the United Way and many other needs.”
Steven Kindrick regards his father's life as a marvelous, silent story. “He was 19 years old on June 10, 1944 when he landed in Normandy, and he spent the next 10 months doing his duty for our country,” Steve said. “He came home, got a degree, married, and became a father and a successful businessman.”
Steven explained that his father's success as a businessman allowed him to become a humble, multi-millionaire philanthropist. “It is not at all surprising that he chose to leave a substantial portion of his wealth to two entities he had come to love: the Catholic Church and the Wabash Valley Community Foundation,” Steven said. “Similarly, it is not surprising that he allowed his children to become self-sufficient. That was certainly the way he lived his life. He led a life that we should all be thankful for and that we should try to emulate.”
“He has always been an example of good stewardship for me to live up to,” echoed Charles. “I hope that others will choose to follow that example and leave a legacy.”
Walt's legacy is one that will forever live on in the Wabash Valley. According to the fund agreement, a total of five entities will benefit by means of annual grants:
-St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Terre Haute, Indiana;
-United Catholic Appeal of the Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis;
-Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology;
-Sisters of Providence at St. Mary-of-the-Woods; and
-St. Meinrad School of Theology in St. Meinrad, Indiana
Those who knew Walt and Mary Kindrick are grateful but not surprised by the generosity as the couple were community-centered individuals. “Walt was a member of the Community Chest of Terre Haute,” said Krista Grange, trust manager of Old National Wealth Management. “It was important to him to have a strong charitable community foundation.”
“We are appreciative that Walt chose to create a fund during the GIFT II initiative,” said Beth Tevlin, executive director of the Wabash Valley Community Foundation. “As a result of his commitment to community, not only will he forever be able to assist his five chosen charitable organizations, but his generosity will forever benefit the community by means of matching leveraged unrestricted funds from GIFT II.”
Fred Nation, board president for the Wabash Valley Community Foundation, also expressed his appreciation for Walt. “It was my pleasure to work with Walt on projects for economic development in Terre Haute in one of his post-retirement careers,” he said. “Walt's commitment to his and Mary's adopted community and to their church will do good forever through the Wabash Valley Community Foundation.”
The grants from the Mary Kindrick Memorial Fund will undoubtedly be used for good. The Rev. Rick Ginther of St. Margaret Mary Church said, “Walter and Mary loved this community. This grant will allow us, through some small part due to the generosity of Walter, to continue the life of community.”
He went on to explain the annual grant will allow St. Margaret Mary Church to continue to serve the larger community whether be it Catholic, ecumenical or civic.
For the Sisters of Providence, the annual grants will be used to assist with the General Operating Fund, which includes maintenance of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, a place where Walt joined the sisters on several occasions to celebrate Mass.
Dr. Jim Conwell, president of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, said that Rose-Hulman was honored to receive the grant from the Mary Kindrick Memorial Fund. “Walter Kindrick was a long-time friend of the institute,” he said. “His generous gift will help us continue to fulfill our mission to provide students with the world's best undergraduate science, engineering and mathematics education.”
The Rev. Denis Robinson, president-rector of St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology, was pleased to learn Walt had chosen to continue his legacy of generosity with the endowment in memory of Mary.
“Walter was a long-time supporter,” said Robinson. “His gift will enable St. Meinrad to continue its longstanding mission of educating future ministers for the church.”
Walt's commitment to community can be felt not only in the Wabash Valley, but also throughout the state of Indiana. Jolinda Moore, director of stewardship and development at the Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis, expressed that she was grateful that so many would benefit because of Walter's generosity. Annual grants for the United Catholic Appeal will focus on three primary areas within the Archdiocese of Indianapolis including proclaiming the word of God, celebrating the sacraments and exercising ministries of charity, Moore said.
“He was extremely generous and kind to the Archdiocese,” she said. “At his core he was a good man.”
For more information on the Mary Kindrick Memorial Fund, please contact the Wabash Valley Community Foundation at 812.232.2234.
About the Wabash Valley Community Foundation
The mission of the Wabash Valley Community Foundation is to enrich and enhance the quality of life in the Wabash Valley by receiving and investing contributions to build a permanent endowment for the charitable needs of the Wabash Valley community; providing a flexible and convenient giving vehicle for donors having a variety of charitable goals and needs; and, assisting community leaders in identifying important needs and concerns, addressing serious problems and shaping effective responses and solution.
It is now easier than ever to enrich and enhance the quality of life in the Wabash Valley. Thanks to Lilly Endowment's GIFT VI initiative, it is possible to emulate Walt Kindrick and double your gift to the Wabash Valley Community Foundation. Now through March 31, 2016, gifts made to the Vigo County Community Grant Fund or any other new or existing Unrestricted Endowment Fund in the Community Foundation will be matched $1-for-$1 by Lilly Endowment Inc., up to $1 million total!
Source: The Wabash County Community Foundation