Driven by faith and a commitment to community and service, Truman W. Collins, Sr. takes the lead in establishing The Collins Foundation in honor of his late father E.S. Collins. Truman W. becomes a founding foundation trustee along with his mother, Mary L. Collins and siblings, Grace Collins Goudy and Alton L. Collins. The founding Articles of Incorporation set up the foundation to exist in perpetuity and to provide grants to Oregon nonprofit organizations.

Less than 20 years after it was formed, The Collins Foundation experiences a tragic loss when its president and founder, Truman W. Collins, Sr. dies suddenly. The impact is significant. Truman Collins played an influential role in the Foundation’s early years. By 1964, The Collins Foundation is the largest philanthropic organization in Oregon, a distinction held for several decades. 

Upon Truman’s death, Maribeth Collins is named the foundation’s president, a role she accepts reluctantly. Maribeth however, becomes a beloved friend to Oregon communities and esteemed leader of the foundation. After 40 years as the foundation’s president, Maribeth steps down in 2005. She remains active in the affairs of the foundation well into her 90s.

Cynthia Addams joins the Foundation as the director of programs, ultimately becoming CEO in 2007. Under Cynthia’s leadership, the Foundation distributes just over $155 million in grants and weathers major national and local events, including the 2008 housing crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and the racial reckoning after several public murders of Black people in the US by law enforcement.

The Foundation’s staff and trustees undertake a year-long discernment, training, and planning process focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). That work results in a multi-year plan to help guide the Foundation toward a vision of equitable, relevant, and responsive grantmaking in the 21st century. In 2019 and in alignment with the multi-year DEI plan, the Foundation’s bylaws are revised to increase the diversity of the board of trustees. Three community members- Jaime Arredondo, Serena Cruz, and Kimberlee Pierce-Sheng, are asked to join the board.

Cynthia Addams retires, leaving the Foundation on solid financial footing and prepared to dive deeper into DEI and racial justice. Carol Cheney joins the Foundation in 2021 to continue the work. In 2022, a new trustee, Latricia Tillman, is invited to join the board of trustees after Serena Cruz steps down.

The Foundation undergoes an in-depth strategic planning process, resulting in a deeper and more specific commitment to racial equity. New strategic priorities are set to address the root causes of inequity through responsive and relationship-based grantmaking.