Downing Charitable Trust commits $5 million to support new Purdue Extension endowment

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Jean and Bernas Downing Charitable Trust has committed $5 million to Purdue Extension to establish the Downing Endowment for Community Vitality.

The mission of the endowment is to cultivate thriving Indiana communities by delivering research-based education and resources that strengthen economic opportunity, enhance personal and family well-being, foster environmental stewardship, and build inclusive leadership capacity.

“We are forever grateful to the people at the Downing Charitable Trust for their generous gift, which will make a significant impact throughout Indiana,” said Angela Abbott, interim associate dean of the College of Agriculture and director of Purdue Extension. “This contribution will enable us to offer programming focused on improving community development and empowering community members — while also helping to secure the future of Purdue Extension in perpetuity.”

Support from the endowment will be tailored to the needs of the communities being served and could take the form of capacity-building, needs assessments, technical assistance, community implementation grants and investments in enhanced programming. Initiatives that could immediately benefit from endowment support include:

• Enhancement of public spaces
• Strengthening of community health coalitions
• Grant writing workshops
• Community donation gardens
• Improved substance-use recovery pathways
• Nutrition education and meal-kit programs
• Development of stronger nonprofit boards

Purdue Extension has delivered practical, research-based information that enhances the lives and livelihoods of Indiana communities for more than 110 years. With staff in all 92 counties, Purdue Extension exemplifies excellence at scale through direct engagement with communities and partners, generating positive results at the individual, family, farm, firm and community levels.

“By combining Purdue Extension’s research-based approaches with the Downing Charitable Trust’s vision, we’re providing a platform where communities can access the resources they need to thrive and generate ripples of positive impact that create vibrant communities where all residents can flourish for generations to come,” said Michael Wilcox, assistant director and program leader for community development at Purdue Extension. “We also love that this gift is part of Purdue Day of Giving because Purdue Extension and Purdue Day of Giving both thrive on community participation and empowerment.”

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 107,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 58,000 at our main campus in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its comprehensive urban expansion, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.

About the Purdue for Life Foundation

The Purdue for Life Foundation helps friends and alumni of Purdue University stay connected, get involved and give back. Created on March 11, 2020, the foundation deepens alumni ties to Purdue, drives and coordinates all alumni-related activities across the Purdue family’s postgraduation lives and works with alumni and friends to garner support for the university. Our organization combines the alumni engagement function of the Purdue Alumni Association and the University Development Office, and it includes President’s Council and the John Purdue Club, as well as alumni lifelong learning programs and on-campus residential opportunities. Learn more at https://purdueforlife.org/.