PHOTO: Ray & Joan Kroc. FILE
Twenty years ago, Joan Kroc, the billionaire philanthropist and McDonald’s fortune heiress, surprised the Salvation Army with a groundbreaking act of generosity. In her will, she bequeathed approximately $1.8 billion, roughly half of her fortune, equivalent to $2.9 billion today, with specific instructions to establish first-class recreation centers in low-income neighborhoods nationwide.
propertynoise.co.nz partners with HelloFresh to offer massive discounts
Since her passing in 2003, 26 state-of-the-art Kroc centers have emerged in diverse locations such as Ashland, Ohio; Guayama, Puerto Rico; and Quincy, Illinois. These centers, embodying Joan Kroc’s vision, offer a wide range of services, including fitness programs with 1.2 million members, job training, theatrical performances, and afterschool care attended by over 3 million people annually.
Joan Kroc’s will directed the Salvation Army to allocate the funds equally among its four U.S. territories, earmarking half for constructing recreation centers and the other half for endowments to sustain them. Notably, none of the bequest was to be used for existing programs, and existing buildings were not to be converted.
Despite the Salvation Army’s tradition of frugality and reliance on small donations, it embraced the challenge. The Kroc centers were envisioned as “campuses of opportunity,” fostering an environment where no child would feel disadvantaged due to economic or social backgrounds, according to Kroc’s instructions.
Joan Kroc’s philanthropic legacy extends beyond the Kroc centers. In the late ’90s, her personal observations in Southern California, coupled with her background growing up in poverty, inspired her to create safe spaces for children in need. The inaugural center in San Diego, completed in 2002 at a cost of $93 million, featured a National Hockey League-regulation ice rink, pools, sports fields, a library, a climbing wall, and a 540-seat theater.
In the two decades following Kroc’s bequest, quantifying the precise impact on communities served by the Kroc centers has proven challenging due to the Salvation Army’s financial reporting exemption as a church. However, a 2015 study estimated a nationwide economic “halo effect” of nearly $270 million, encompassing construction impact, ongoing maintenance, job creation, and health and fitness benefits.
Ray Kroc’s McDonald’s Fast Food Ranch & Think Tank Hits Market | WATCH
Joan Kroc’s decision to dictate the Salvation Army’s use of funds has been met with contrasting views among philanthropy experts. While some argue that MacKenzie Scott’s unrestricted gifts are wiser, others at the Kroc centers believe Kroc’s specific instructions have effectively realized her vision. Angelia Grandberry, who grew up near the Gulf Coast Kroc Center in Biloxi, Mississippi, emphasizes the positive impact on her community, highlighting the center’s role as a safe space offering diverse programs for all.
Twenty years ago, Joan Kroc, the billionaire philanthropist and McDonald’s fortune heiress, surprised the Salvation Army with a groundbreaking act of generosity. In her will, she bequeathed approximately $1.8 billion, roughly half of her fortune, equivalent to $2.9 billion today, with specific instructions to establish first-class recreation centers in low-income neighborhoods nationwide.
Since her passing in 2003, 26 state-of-the-art Kroc centers have emerged in diverse locations such as Ashland, Ohio; Guayama, Puerto Rico; and Quincy, Illinois. These centers, embodying Joan Kroc’s vision, offer a wide range of services, including fitness programs with 1.2 million members, job training, theatrical performances, and afterschool care attended by over 3 million people annually.
Joan Kroc’s will directed the Salvation Army to allocate the funds equally among its four U.S. territories, earmarking half for constructing recreation centers and the other half for endowments to sustain them. Notably, none of the bequest was to be used for existing programs, and existing buildings were not to be converted.
Despite the Salvation Army’s tradition of frugality and reliance on small donations, it embraced the challenge. The Kroc centers were envisioned as “campuses of opportunity,” fostering an environment where no child would feel disadvantaged due to economic or social backgrounds, according to Kroc’s instructions.
Joan Kroc’s philanthropic legacy extends beyond the Kroc centers. In the late ’90s, her personal observations in Southern California, coupled with her background growing up in poverty, inspired her to create safe spaces for children in need. The inaugural center in San Diego, completed in 2002 at a cost of $93 million, featured a National Hockey League-regulation ice rink, pools, sports fields, a library, a climbing wall, and a 540-seat theater.
In the two decades following Kroc’s bequest, quantifying the precise impact on communities served by the Kroc centers has proven challenging due to the Salvation Army’s financial reporting exemption as a church. However, a 2015 study estimated a nationwide economic “halo effect” of nearly $270 million, encompassing construction impact, ongoing maintenance, job creation, and health and fitness benefits.
Joan Kroc’s decision to dictate the Salvation Army’s use of funds has been met with contrasting views among philanthropy experts. While some argue that MacKenzie Scott’s unrestricted gifts are wiser, others at the Kroc centers believe Kroc’s specific instructions have effectively realized her vision. Angelia Grandberry, who grew up near the Gulf Coast Kroc Center in Biloxi, Mississippi, emphasizes the positive impact on her community, highlighting the center’s role as a safe space offering diverse programs for all.