1995
The Trust was formed by Virginia Galvin Piper. Mrs. Piper was the sole Trustee, and she appointed four lifetime trustees to direct the Trust following her death: James D. Bruner, Paul N. Critchfield, Laura R. Grafman and Robert A. Williams, Jr. Mr. Williams died in 2000.
July 1999-July 2000
Following Mrs. Piper's death in June 1999, the successor trustees began the formal work of the Trust. The Trust received $589 million when Mrs. Piper's estate was settled in 2000, making it one of the 100 largest foundations in the nation and the largest foundation in Arizona.
April 2000
After Mr. Williams' death, the remaining lifetime trustees elected Arthur W. DeCabooter as a lifetime trustee.
September 1, 2000
The trustees officially opened the doors of the Trust with a staff of three including Judy Jolley Mohraz, Ph.D., the first president and CEO.
Fall & Winter 2000
The staff and trustees listened to more than 200 nonprofit leaders during more than a dozen Community Conversations about the Trust's future grantmaking focus and strategies.
December 7, 2000
The trustees awarded eight Cornerstone Grants totaling $41 million. Awarded on Virginia Piper's birthday, they honored her and a select group of organizations that she historically supported.
Summer 2001
A new program, The Piper Fellows, was launched to enable exceptional nonprofit leaders to design sabbaticals providing professional development and personal renewal. This program was the first of many investments the Trust has made to strengthen nonprofit organizations across the Valley.
August 2001
The Trust announced its guidelines at public meetings throughout the Valley with the goal of creating openness, transparency and partnerships with nonprofit organizations. The Trust invited proposals focusing on four initiative areas: early childhood, youth, older adults, and arts and culture.
February 14, 2002
The Trust awarded 68 organizations nearly $11.5 million in its first round of competitive grantmaking.
April 2002 to March 2003
196 grants were awarded totaling more than $15.1 million, including $5 million for the public-private partnership in bioscience known as T-Gen. The Trust began to play a larger role in communitywide public-private investments.
Summmer 2002
Along with The Flinn Foundation, the J.W. Kieckhefer Foundation and the Margaret T. Morris Foundation, the Piper Trust commissioned a study to examine the future of the arts in Arizona. The bleak picture that emerged from the report prompted the formation of the Maricopa Arts and Culture Task Force in September 2003.
April 2003 to March 2004
233 grants were awarded totaling nearly $30 million. Several trust-directed initiatives were launched including four Next Chapter centers for retiring baby boomers and the pilot of the New 3R's reading remediation program.
August 2003
The Trust awarded a $10 million grant to support the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University.
December 2003
Sharon C. Harper was appointed the fifth member of the Board of Trustees.
April 2004 to March 2005
300 grants were awarded totaling more than $30.1 million. The Trust supported an initiative to integrate child development practices into all Maricopa County medical residency training programs. Additionally, the Piper Trust supported the formation of Alliance for Audience and ShowUp.com to promote arts offerings to the community.
May 2004
The Piper Trust in partnership with the BHHS Legacy Foundation, St. Luke's Health Initiatives and the Arizona Governor's Office implemented Benefits CheckUp, a Web-based tool that helps people 55 years and older determine whether they are eligible for public and private benefits.
September 2004
Four Next Chapter projects were established in Maricopa County to help people in the second half of life set a course, connect with peers, and find pathways to significant service. Each project – Chandler Boomerang, Mesa Life Options, Scottsdale Boomerz and Tempe Connections – combines the resources of community colleges, libraries, city departments and senior service organizations as well as community advisory committees and boomer volunteers to create programs that help transitioning boomers explore new possibilities for their next chapter of life.
March 2005
Two trustees, José A. Cárdenas and Stephen J. Zabilski, joined the board, bringing the total number of trustees to seven.
January 2006
The Trust launched The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Initiative in Personalized Medical Science and Technology by committing to invest $50 million in the next five years to attract 10 of the world’s most distinguished scientists, engineers and clinicians who are leaders in the development of personalized medicine. The funding will establish 10 Piper Chairs at recognized research institutions in Maricopa County.
April 2005 to March 2006
337 grants were awarded totaling $13.0 million. In addition to committing $50 million to the Initiative in Personalized Medical Science and Technology, the Trust launched a pilot to enhance curricula in 20 Catholic preschools, piloted the Arizona Parents Kit project, awarded $425,000 to 95 Valley elementary schools for back-to-school clothing and awarded a challenge grant to help build pool fences for low-income families.
From its inception through June 12, 2006, the Trust has invested nearly $148 million in programs that serve Maricopa County residents.