The Bollinger Foundation

The Bollinger Foundation raises funds for the education and support of children who have lost one or both parents. Priority is given toward families in which either the deceased parent worked - or the surviving parent continues to work - in the field of public or affordable housing, or community and economic development.

The Foundation - established in 1989 - is named after Steve Bollinger, former Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), from 1981 until his death in 1984. After his death, Steve's wife Lin and their four young children were left to cope with the emotional and financial devastation that only the loss of a spouse and parent can bring.

Before his death, Steve had created an annual golf tournament. For three years, HUD staff, business associates, friends, and families would gather for a day of golf, sunshine, and companionship. After 1984, the Bollinger Open continued. But now the tournament had an additional goal: to raise funds for the Bollinger children's education. To date, the Bollinger Foundation has given away over one million dollars in grants.

In 1989, the Labor Department awarded worker compensation benefits to the Bollinger family. This allowed the golf tournament to serve other families in need who suffered a similar loss of a parent. It was that year that the Foundation was launched, with Lin Bollinger herself providing a generous donation. 

“When I was six years old my dad was 2 minutes away from home when his car hit ice and he was killed. My mom has always been my strong-tower and I am so thankful for the relief that your scholarship offered to both her and I. I am excited about going onto graduate school next fall to receive a degree in Library Science.”  

We need your help!
There are so many more stories like this one, and you can continue to give them happier endings. Tragedy can strike a family in an instant. The death of a spouse or parent leaves the loved ones that are left behind in utter turmoil, as they are left to cope with not just the emotional impacts, but financial burdens of their loss as well. The Bollinger Foundation seeks to lighten at least one of those loads.  

 You can assist us in any one of three ways:

1)      Help us identify a family that qualifies for assistance.
2)      Support the foundation. Donations can be made via our website or through your Amazon purchases via Amazon smile. Go to smile.amazon.com and select The Bollinger Foundation as your charity.
3)      Sponsor or play in the biggest fundraising event of the year for the Bollinger Foundation – our annual golf outing.  We have a variety of sponsorship levels for you to become a member of, starting at $500. Each gives you an opportunity to promote your organization in addition to supporting our sponsored families. For more information on how to become a sponsor go to The Bollinger Foundation website at http://bollingerfoundation.org/Sponsorship.html or contact  Chanell Hasty at chanellh@iedconline.org

The golf outing has been the traditional lead fundraising event, but we have expanded to add additional ways to participate.  Golf began as an industry outing day in 1982 of folks who worked for HUD, the Congressional Committee staff who worked with HUD and the various trade associations who interacted with both the agency and the Hill.     Over the years we have been heralded for our work in the Congressional Record in a tribute from Congressman French Hill who worked with Steve Bollinger in the 80’s.  We hope you will join us, contribute to the cause or pass on the word as the work of the Bollinger Foundation impacts the lives of many people. Let me give you one additional example: “Funds were given to the family of a woman who worked for the Snohomish County Grants Administration and was responsible for distributing HUD grants. She died of cancer, leaving behind seven children. A grant was given to the youngest child, who wanted to attend a local vocational technical school. The money helped fulfill her dream of studying to become a dental assistant.”