Martha-Ellen Tye Foundation Background

Martha-Ellen Tye established the Foundation in 1976. From the beginning, the Foundation became the base of Martha-Ellen's on-going, very personal approach to philanthropy. Her generosity was available to almost any good cause, and the annual list of recipient organizations and projects reflected this very broad-based personal philanthropy. Favorite areas of giving were education, theater, music and libraries.

Shortly before her death in 1998, Martha-Ellen instructed that the Foundation should become a professionally managed operation with the major emphasis on helping Marshalltown and the surrounding area continue to grow and prosper.

Since that time the Foundation has initiated the Marshall County Arts and Culture Alliance and the Marshalltown Education Partnership. The Foundation helped to bring the Non-Profit Management Academy to the area and facilitated the origin of the Community Foundation of Marshall County. Most recently the Foundation initiated a youth philanthropy program at Marshalltown High School. For information about STEP (Students Teaching and Empowering Philanthropy), click here.

The board now consists of ten members: five are family members and five are from the Marshalltown community. The complete board meets twice a year in Marshalltown and individual board committees meet up to four times a year.

Board of Directors
Denny O’Toole, family member - President
Joel Greer, community member - Secretary/Treasurer
Matt Fisher, family member
John Hermanson, community member
Jim Lowrance, community member
Betsy Macke, community member
Tom O’Toole, family member
David Tank, family member
Steven Tye, family member
Deb Vogeler, community member

Terry Buzbee, Emeritus
Russ Fisher, Emeritus
Maureen Lyons, Emeritus
Loras Neuroth, Emeritus
Joe B. Tye, Jr., Emeritus
Rex Ryden, Emeritus
Bill Tank (1928-2008), Emeritus

Staff
Sue Martin, Executive Director
Heidi Pierson, Program Manager

Mission Statement
The mission of the Martha-Ellen Tye Foundation is to perpetuate the generosity and giving philosophy of Martha-Ellen Tye by providing support for and working with programs, projects, and organizations that are striving to make a better life for the people of Marshalltown, Iowa and San Antonio, Texas and their surrounding areas.

The Martha-Ellen Tye Foundation particularly seeks to address the educational, artistic, cultural, youth, and human services needs of communities in these geographic areas, and prefers to support initiatives that enable recipient organizations to build their own capacities to produce significant, measurable, change.

Fields of Interest
Arts and Culture
Education
Human Services
Community Betterment

Assets for 2011
$24.9 million

Total Gifts in 2011
$895,170 in Marshall County, Iowa
$108,000 in San Antonio, Texas
$43,260 Nationally

Click here to view our most recent grants list.