|
 |
|
Through the terms of her will, Agnes Elmer Ober established what is know today as the Mardag Foundation. Since its beginning in 1969, the Mardag Foundation has become a vital member of Minnesota’s philanthropic community. Today, grants are made in the areas of arts and humanities, civic affairs, education, health and human services.
The work of the Mardag Foundation began with the birth of Agnes Maas on June 16, 1887, in Saint Paul Minnesota. This remarkable woman began her life in painful poverty and ended it as a wealthy, compassionate woman with a lifelong concern for children and the elderly. Her legacy continues today through the Mardag Foundation.
Mardag Foundation was established in 1969, as called for in the will of Agnes Dagmar Maas Elmer Ober. It was originally called the Ober Charitable Foundation, but the name was changed to Mardag Foundation in 1976 to move away from identifying the Foundation with one donor. Mardag is a reversal of the syllables in "Dagmar," Agnes' middle name.
In 1887, Agnes was born to two poor German immigrants: Hermann A.J. Maas and his wife, Catherina Moeller. Catherina died when Agnes was six. Hermann remarried to a woman who had three of her own children. The Maas family could not support itself, so Agnes was adopted at age 9 by Mr. and Mrs. James P. Elmer.
After flirting with nursing school in New York City, 22-year-old Agnes returned to Saint Paul to marry Edgar Ober, who was twice her age and a prominent businessman in the railroad industry. Ober helped Minnesota Mining, now known as 3M Company, find its financial feet when it was first based in Two Harbors, Minnesota. He helped move the company to Saint Paul and served as its president until his retirement.
Agnes and Edgar were heavily involved in helping Saint Paul community programs. Edgar served as a director of the St. Paul Union Gospel Mission and led fund drives for such Mission projects as boys' clubs for juvenile delinquents until his death in 1937. Agnes served on the board of directors for United Charities, now known as Family Service, for 40 years. The investments Agnes made, including stock in 3M, formed the basis of Mardag Foundation and the means for continuing the family's community service.
Agnes Ober died in 1969 and through her will instructed that a trust be formed to benefit religious, charitable, scientific, literary and educational purposes in Minnesota that served her interests in such fields as medical research and the welfare of children and seniors. Early grants were made to conduct studies of senior issues and to help senior centers. One of the Foundation's first priorities was helping the Protestant Home, a residence for seniors that began after the Civil War. Agnes and other family members served the home over the years, but by 1974 financial problems and new regulations threatened to make the home obsolete. The Ober family helped the residence merge with the Wilder Foundation, which had experience running senior homes. Other early priorities included education and medicine, with grants going to St. John's University in Collegeville for curriculum and program development, Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota for the Peace Education Program and the University of Minnesota Medical School's Minority Student Medical School Scholarship Program.
In 1979, the renamed Mardag Foundation became a client of The Saint Paul Foundation and gained access to more resources and advisory counsel. The focus of Mardag Foundation shifted from family interests to deeper social concerns and emergency needs. This was reflected in an increase in the number and size of grants. The Foundation began its first major special project in 1979. The Independent Secondary Schools project helped private school administrators learn to increase community support and market themselves more effectively. Grantmaking increased throughout the 1980s. In 1985, sixty-six grants were made totaling $885,234 a thirty-nine percent increase from the amount awarded in 1984.
To make administration of the Foundation more efficient, Mardag Foundation changed to a nonprofit corporation in 1987, with a board of directors instead of trustees. This change was completed in 1992. The new board decided to have a retreat to learn about each other and evaluate priorities. What came out of the meeting was a renewed commitment to Agnes, and a concern for those least able to help themselves, particularly poor children and their families. This renewed focus will continue to inform grantmaking decisions as Mardag Foundation enters a new era of changing needs, changing demographics and a changing Minnesota.
|
|
|
|
|
|
