The Charles
T. Beaird Foundation was established on December 28, 1960, in
Shreveport, Louisiana. At the time, the foundation's primary
purpose was to facilitate the philanthropic interests of the
Beaird-Poulan Corporation. It is now a stand-alone family foundation
with no affiliation to any business, and its assets consist
of contributions made by the Beaird family.
Dr. Charles T.
Beaird (Ph.D. in Philosophy, Columbia University) was an industrialist,
a newspaper owner/publisher, an investor, a college professor,
a collector and a philanthropist who was a life-long resident
of Shreveport. He and his wife, Carolyn Williams Beaird, were
widely recognized, locally and nationally, for their civic and
charitable work. The foundation they established continues their
work to this day under the direction of their family's second
and third generations.
While most foundations
have a Board of Directors, as do we, the Beaird Foundation also has a separate
designation called Members. Any descendant -- or spouse of a descendant -- of Carolyn W. and Charles T. Beaird who has reached the age
of 18 may become a Member if he or she chooses. The Members elect
up to nine of their own to serve on the Board of Directors, and
the Board elects the foundation's officers. The entire Membership
meets annually, and the Board has at least two other meetings
during the year to consider requests for grants. Day-to-day operations
are the duties of the foundation's executive
director.
The foundation
awards grants to qualified nonprofit organizations, mostly in
the Shreveport-Bossier City region of northwest Louisiana. It
has supported a wide range of interests, including education, health care,
social services, the arts and community development.
From its small
beginnings in 1960, the Charles T. Beaird Foundation has grown
so that today it awards about $400,000 in grants each year.
