Mission of the Trust

Mission

The George and Louise J. Hauser Trust /Foundation came into being after the passing of Louise J. Hauser, on December 3, 2020. The main activity of the Trust/Foundation is the distribution of donations to charitable organizations.

The Trust/Foundation will operate in perpetuity as a private foundation, distributing 5% of its assets annually. It will distribute donations according to the wishes expressed in the will of the Hauser family and the founding document.

On a yearly basis:

• 2/3 will go to charitable social services organizations, 501 (c) 3, that serve the greater Newton Community, with a focus on those organizations that help individuals and families to help themselves. The Foundation anticipates that these will be fewer but larger donations.

• 1/3 will go to charitable organizations, 501 (c) 3, that address discrimination and other forms of social injustice, including organizations outside of the Greater Newton Community. The Trust/Foundation anticipates that these will be smaller and more numerous donations.

• An Emergency fund is under consideration for certain social organizations and agencies, for the immediate and fast relief arising in specific cases.

These distributions will reflect the values exemplified through the lives of the founders—Louise as a lifelong educator of young children in the Newton Community, and George who was forced to emigrate from Austria in 1939 and became a Harvard Medical School researcher and professor.

The Trust/Foundation pattern of donations will initially reflect the pattern of donations of the Hauser family during their life time. Selection of recipients in the first and second year of the Foundation/Trust’s life will draw on a list of past recipients of the Hauser family (although not exclusively). Over time, the Board will consider a limited and focused process of grant applications in response to Requests for Proposals (RFPs) within the two broad fields identified above.

Within the broad scope of activities outlined above, the Trust/Foundation will focus on supporting social programs that target those people most in need. Grants could be repeated over several years until other donations can carry the program forward. Where possible the Foundation/Trust will seek to cooperate with other similar Foundations.

In addition, in honor of Louise, the Board intends to provide funding for scholarships to Framingham State College, Louise’s Alma Mater. The scholarship monies will be available to those students most in need, to initiate and further their studies in Education. The Foundation/Trust will make the funds available to Framingham State on an annual basis, leaving the decision to them to determine the recipients.

The Trust’s board currently has five members: Wim Overmeer, Gwendoline Thornblade, Marion Pollock, Sara Pollock, and Andreas Overmeer.