Remembering Charles Johnson, the Johnny Appleseed of Community Foundations
With great sadness, we inform you that Charles Johnson (Past Lilly Endowment Vice President for Development) has passed away at age 90 on March 12th. Charles played a pivotal role in creating and leading the Lilly Endowment’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) initiative in the 1990s. Charles was an extraordinary leader, a true gentleman, and will be remembered as an important figure in the history of philanthropy and Indiana community foundations.
When the GIFT initiative began, there were fewer than a dozen community foundations in Indiana, and their aggregate asset value was $70 million. At the end of 2014, there were 94 community foundations, and each of Indiana’s 92 counties is served by at least one of them. Their total assets were nearly $3 billion at the end of 2014. Of that amount, Lilly Endowment has provided $323 million; therefore, as Charles had hoped, most of the giving has come from local communities. It’s no wonder that Charles has been called the Johnny Appleseed of Indiana community foundations.
Charles also played a significant role as a visionary leader in the development of the field of ethical fundraising. He counseled scores of development officers of charitable and educational organizations throughout the country, and was a key proponent of the establishment of the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy in 1987 (now Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy). Charles will also be remembered for helping establish the National Committee on Planned Giving.
Editors note: This article is an excerpt from an announcement provided by Lilly Endowment Inc., and is used by permission.