Honoring Mrs. Parson’s Legacy
The history of The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation began in 1988 with Richmond native Mary Morton Parsons and her friend Clinton Webb. Mrs. Parsons began the Foundation with the belief that by working together, we can improve the personal and professional lives of all Richmond residents.
Using funds from her father’s Home Beneficial Life Insurance holdings, Mrs. Parsons established the Foundation to support a variety of philanthropic purposes, from the arts to historic preservation to fundamental community needs. To honor their friendship, Mrs. Parsons made Webb the first president of The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation, a position he held until his death in 2000.
Since 1988, Board members have been appointed to The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation to perpetuate Mrs. Parsons’ legacy. Mrs. Parsons demonstrated that when we all work together, we can make our community a better place to live and work and that by doing so, we preserve the related traditions and history of our Commonwealth.
The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation typically awards between $5-7 million annually in grants to support capital projects, mostly on a challenge or matching basis. The Foundation has found that matching grants help organizations raise additional gifts they may not have otherwise received, thus leveraging the impact of the grant to benefit worthy causes.