A new charitable foundation has been launched in Southwest Michigan, supporting non-profits throughout the region and into Indiana.

The Low Family Foundation was founded by Ohio State University professor John Low to honor Joseph and Rosemary Low as well as his mother, Wilma Low. Joseph was an attorney in Niles. John Low tells us he’s using money they left behind after the death of Rosemary, his stepmother, in 2020 to pursue the new foundation’s mission.

“Their combined income was about, well, right now the foundation’s assets are about $5 million,” Low said. “So, they were very frugal for themselves, but very generous towards others.”

Low says for 2024, the Low Family Foundation awarded $225,000 in grants to non-profits. He’s been guiding the donations based off the interests of Joseph, Rosemary, and Wilma.

“The focus of the foundation is on supporting good people doing great things or organizations doing great things in a 100-mile radius of Niles, Michigan, with a particular focus in Michiana.”

Among the groups that have received support from the Low Family Foundation in 2024 were the United Way of Southwest Michigan, Fernwood Botanical Garden in Niles, Fried’s Cat Shelter in Michigan City, and the Chicago History Museum. They each received $50,000. The Low Family Foundation also donated $25,000 to the University of Notre Dame, and smaller amounts to the Niles District Library and the Berrien County Historical Association.

Low says he wants to continually support key organizations his parents would have supported. He’s working on a new website for the foundation so it can become better known around the region.

Photo: Fernwood Botanical Garden celebrates a donation from the Low Foundation in 2023.