It’s
hard to believe that it’s been over five years since our dad/grandpa and
founder of this company, Leonard Astrup, passed away. That means it has also
been five years since we created the Astrup Family Foundation. The Foundation
continues to grow through private donations, market appreciation, and
contributions from company profits. This means that we are giving away more
money each year to worthwhile organizations, hoping to make a difference for
others.
This
past quarter, we received the most grant requests since our inception. In
addition, we have gone out to seek and learn about organizations that fit our
five key goal areas—Christian faith, family values, education, healthcare, and
strengthening the communities in which we do business. Most recently, we have
given grants in these areas: faith-based addiction/mental health program
support, homeless/transitional housing for women and children, community health
agencies that provide access to healthcare for those uninsured and in need of
free healthcare, campus mental health, healthcare needs of churches, pediatric
cancer family support and housing, epilepsy/seizure education in schools,
endowed college scholarships, healthcare research, and organizations that
provide support and assistance to families in times of crisis, just to name a
few. Almost all of these organizations are in the communities in which we do
business.
It’s
exciting to watch as the Austin Community Recreation Center is built. We
continue our gift of $500,000 over five years as the building is constructed in
Austin, Minnesota, where our company was founded.
In
October, our Sterling retail stores participated in a round-up fundraiser. Each
store selected a cancer-related 501(c)(3) organization within its community to
be the recipient of these round-up dollars. The Astrup Family Foundation then matched
those round-up donations—dollar for dollar—for a total of $17,000 going to
these organizations. Thank you to our stores for their participation in this
contest that involved our customers rounding up their purchases for such a good
cause.
Once
again, the Astrup family participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in the
Twin Cities. We donated the entire $15,000 match that we offered, raising a
total of $32,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association and all they do in the areas
of support and research. Thank you to many of you who donated to this important
cause. The number of people 65 years and older with Alzheimer’s disease is
expected to triple by 2050. We must find a cure to stop this relentless
disease.
The
Foundation’s board of directors meets quarterly, and we hope to hear from many
of you in 2020. We encourage all employees to consider requesting a grant for a
cause that’s important to you or one that you know is in need. To do so, visit AstrupFamilyFoundation.org
and click on “Donation Request.” Together we can make a big difference in our communities.
Posted: December 16, 2019 by alex.carlson
Winter 2019
It’s hard to believe that it’s been over five years since our dad/grandpa and founder of this company, Leonard Astrup, passed away. That means it has also been five years since we created the Astrup Family Foundation. The Foundation continues to grow through private donations, market appreciation, and contributions from company profits. This means that we are giving away more money each year to worthwhile organizations, hoping to make a difference for others.
This past quarter, we received the most grant requests since our inception. In addition, we have gone out to seek and learn about organizations that fit our five key goal areas—Christian faith, family values, education, healthcare, and strengthening the communities in which we do business. Most recently, we have given grants in these areas: faith-based addiction/mental health program support, homeless/transitional housing for women and children, community health agencies that provide access to healthcare for those uninsured and in need of free healthcare, campus mental health, healthcare needs of churches, pediatric cancer family support and housing, epilepsy/seizure education in schools, endowed college scholarships, healthcare research, and organizations that provide support and assistance to families in times of crisis, just to name a few. Almost all of these organizations are in the communities in which we do business.
It’s exciting to watch as the Austin Community Recreation Center is built. We continue our gift of $500,000 over five years as the building is constructed in Austin, Minnesota, where our company was founded.
In October, our Sterling retail stores participated in a round-up fundraiser. Each store selected a cancer-related 501(c)(3) organization within its community to be the recipient of these round-up dollars. The Astrup Family Foundation then matched those round-up donations—dollar for dollar—for a total of $17,000 going to these organizations. Thank you to our stores for their participation in this contest that involved our customers rounding up their purchases for such a good cause.
Once again, the Astrup family participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in the Twin Cities. We donated the entire $15,000 match that we offered, raising a total of $32,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association and all they do in the areas of support and research. Thank you to many of you who donated to this important cause. The number of people 65 years and older with Alzheimer’s disease is expected to triple by 2050. We must find a cure to stop this relentless disease.
The Foundation’s board of directors meets quarterly, and we hope to hear from many of you in 2020. We encourage all employees to consider requesting a grant for a cause that’s important to you or one that you know is in need. To do so, visit AstrupFamilyFoundation.org and click on “Donation Request.” Together we can make a big difference in our communities.
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