A philanthropic family that prefers to remain low-key is making a high-profile statement to help underserved communities and St. Louis-area youth.
The family of Enterprise Holdings Founder Jack Taylor is donating $22 million to several charitable and educational organizations throughout the region.
The largest gifts - $5 million each – are going to Ranken Technical College for low-income student scholarships and the St. Louis Public Schools Foundation to help with early-childhood education initiatives.
The Taylor family does not publicly announce all of the donations it makes to community groups.
Along with its Crawford Taylor Foundation and the Enterprise Holdings Foundation, the family has donated nearly $60 million to underserved communities and youth over the past three decades.
“These donations complement past contributions we’ve made to organizations that meet many community needs and expand opportunities for youth,” Enterprise Holdings Foundation President Jo Ann Taylor Kindle said in a statement.
She is the daughter of the rental car company’s founder.
“We see an even greater need today to continue supporting organizations that make life better in our underserved communities – especially for the young people in those communities who are St. Louis’s future.”
Here is a list of recipients for the most recent round of contributions:
- $5 million to the St. Louis Public Schools Foundation, to support early-childhood education
- $5 million to Ranken Technical College, to fund scholarships for low-income students
- $2 million to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis, for ongoing operations
- $2 million to the Roman Catholic Foundation of Eastern Missouri, to provide scholarships designated for North City/County Catholic schools
- $2 million to St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation, which helps provide dental services for underserved youth and includes support for its Raising St. Louis early-childhood program
- $1.5 million to KIPP St. Louis, to support charter schools
- $1 million to City Academy, for scholarships
- $1 million to the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, to fund technology infrastructure, software and staffing for its “Ferguson Community Empowerment Center” building
- $1 million to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri, to support its ABCToday!® initiative, which helps students succeed in school and improve reading and math skills
- $1 million to Our Little Haven, for additional staff resources and facility upgrades
- $500,000 to the Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis, to fund scholarships for low-income students in North City/County
Taylor founded Enterprise in 1957 and the company says it has become the largest car rental business in the world with more than 86,000 employees in roughly 70 countries. More than 5,000 of the company’s workers are in the St. Louis area.
Six generations of Taylors have grown up in the region.
Forbes ranks Jack Taylor as the richest person in Missouri. The publication says the family’s net worth is $12.7 billion.
