INDIANAPOLIS—Russell G. and Lou Ann Mawby will be honored by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University today during the Spirit of Philanthropy Awards at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
Dr. Mawby served for 25 years as the CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, one of the world’s largest grant making institutions, and he was integral to building the field of philanthropic and nonprofit studies. A former member of the Center on Philanthropy’s Board of Visitors, he was instrumental in developing the Center on Philanthropy and remains a trusted advisor.
Dr. and Mrs. Mawby have dedicated their lives to nurturing young people and encouraging the next generation of nonprofit leaders. They recently established five Russell G. and Lou Ann Mawby RISE Scholarships at the Center on Philanthropy to prepare students to work in the nonprofit sector and help guide philanthropy’s future.
“Through their dynamic leadership and their personal example, Russ and Lou Ann have inspired and improved the lives of countless young people,” said Patrick M. Rooney, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy. “They have helped provide nonprofit organizations across the country with thoughtful, effective, ethical leaders, and have permanently enriched philanthropy.”
During his tenure at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Dr. Mawby earned a global reputation as a thoughtful and visionary leader in effective philanthropy. Under his path-breaking leadership, the foundation established philanthropy and volunteerism as a major focus in its grant making, one of the first foundations to do so, and created the Kellogg National Fellowship Program.
Dr. Mawby led the formation of the Michigan Nonprofit Association and the Council of Michigan Foundations, where he helped lead a movement to ensure that every community in Michigan would have access to a community foundation. He was a founder of the Learning to Give program, a national educational initiative providing opportunities to explore, experience and understand volunteerism, philanthropy and the nonprofit sector.
A graduate of Michigan State University, Dr. Mawby also earned a master’s degree at Purdue University and a doctorate from Michigan State. He has received more than 20 honorary doctorates, including from Indiana University and Grand Valley State University, as well as more than 60 awards and citations.
The annual IUPUI Spirit of Philanthropy luncheon and ceremony will be hosted by Chancellor Charles R. Bantz at the IUPUI Campus Center. More than 300 people including IUPUI students, administrators, deans, directors, faculty, staff, honorees and community members are expected to attend. Angela Cain, Community Affairs Director at WTHR Channel 13 in Indianapolis, will serve as the emcee. The event is sponsored by IUPUI, the Indiana University Foundation, and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.