Welcome

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Dear Friends,

2018 was a monumental year for the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. We completed our 21st full year of grantmaking and surpassed $300 million in giving. Several projects we invested in during previous years came to fruition. As we reflect on 2018 and these milestones, our most pressing question is: Are we helping change our communities?

We see change in measurable ways, thanks to strategic investments with nonprofit agencies on the front lines in our communities. The facts tell the story:

• Euthanasia rates for cats and dogs are down 75 percent in Indianapolis and 87 percent in Phoenix.
• Nina Scholars’ graduation rates are twice that of college students facing similar challenges.
• 350 million gallons of water are restored or retained annually in Arizona’s Verde River.
• Community, business, policy and conservation leaders are turning more attention than ever to the White River in Indiana.
• There are more voices for children in the foster care system.

Here are some impacts we celebrated in 2018.

From left: Trustees Lisa Shover Kackley and Kent E. Agness, Chair Carol Peden Schilling and President and CEO Gene D’Adamo

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HELPING PEOPLE IN NEED

Our largest focus by far is on helping people in need, primarily in the areas of gaining greater self-sufficiency, crisis intervention, foster care and education. In 2018, we supported organizations, including Indianapolis Legal Aid Society, Kids’ Voice of Indiana and Child Advocates, which deliver a greater voice for children caught in the legal system and help youth avoid entering the foster care system in the first place.

We also welcomed Class 18 of the Nina Mason Pulliam Legacy Scholars, the Trust’s flagship program that helps individuals build a better future for themselves and their families through higher education. A recent study of Nina Scholars found their overall success rate was 76.4 percent, outpacing the graduation rates of traditional student peers. Hear in alum Liz Wilson’s own words how the Nina Scholars program transformed her life.

See how the Trust’s investments in the Bridging Success and THRIVE programs help former foster students obtain education so they can achieve greater self-sufficiency and how St. Joseph the Worker employs a two-generation approach to poverty, addressing the needs of both parents and children.

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PROTECTING ANIMALS AND NATURE

Environment

The Trust’s second year of intensive investment in the Verde River and the White River yielded measurable and meaningful results. Read about:

• Partners for the White River activities that increase emphasis on waterway protection and water-use planning, including the Trust’s investment in the White River Vision Plan and the Indiana Water Summit
• the Park Central Farm conservation easement that protects more than three miles of the Verde River, streamside forest and wildlife habitat
• how Trust-supported projects led by The Nature Conservancy in Arizona reduce consumption of, or restore to the Verde River, more than 350 million gallons of water each year

Beyond water issues, you can find out more about the Trust’s efforts to advance regional open space planning in Maricopa County.

Animal Welfare

Nina Mason Pulliam loved animals of all kinds and gave generously to animal welfare causes in her lifetime. At the Trust, we honor her legacy with a focus on improving the welfare of companion animals in Nina’s home communities. In 2012, the Trust took the bold step to create and fund collaborative animal welfare initiatives in Indianapolis and Phoenix. Our efforts are focused on reducing the number of unwanted dogs and cats in those cities and surrounding communities by increasing spay and neuter surgeries, adoptions and public education on responsible pet ownership. From 2012 to 2018, euthanasia has fallen 87 percent in Maricopa County and 75 percent in Marion County. The Trust’s aim is to see these percentages continue to climb, further reducing pet overpopulation, so we continue to invest in organizations improving the plight of our communities’ companion animals.

In 2018, Indiana grantee FACE Low-Cost Animal Clinic unveiled its $3 million medical facility expansion and the Trust welcomed Midwestern University as a new animal welfare partner in Arizona. Learn more here.

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ENRICHING COMMUNITY LIFE

The Trust’s enriching community life giving area focuses on enhancing overall civic, cultural and economic vitality. Aiming for long-term impact, in 2018, we granted $1 million to the Phoenix Zoo for a new 1-acre African lion and hyena habitat, to enhance this cherished community attraction, but even more critically, to aid in species preservation for the African lion. Three permanent museum gallery projects the Trust funded in previous years, including the Frozen Reign Ice Age exhibit at the Indiana State Museum, came to fruition in 2018; and we partnered with philanthropic peer and community organizations to support a community-wide initiative aimed at keeping youth safe online. Read about these projects here.

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As we close out our 21st year of grantmaking, we feel immense gratitude for the many nonprofit organizations and community partners we worked with to effect lasting change in our communities. We look forward to the work we will accomplish together in the years ahead.

For a printable PDF, click here.