Partnering for Greater Impact: Opus Foundation Supports St. Mary’s Child Center

The Opus Foundation looks to our project and community partners to find new ways to help strengthen our communities through giving. Recently, the Opus Foundation® awarded a $50,000 Impact Fund grant to St. Mary's Child Center. Pete Quinn, SIOR, National Director for Colliers International, recommended the nonprofit.

By Pete Quinn

If given the opportunity, I believe that most people are very generous. Learning about the opportunity for a nonprofit I highly value to receive funds from the Opus Foundation affirmed this for me.

Founded in 1961, St. Mary's Child Center (SMCC) has two early childhood initiatives. The Preschool Program focuses their efforts on three- to five-year-old children, 93% of whom live in poverty. Studies show that children living in poverty are read to only 25 hours before entering first grade compared to an average of 1,400 hours for children from the middle class. Children in poverty typically enter kindergarten 1.5 to 2 years behind the other children, and that gap tends to widen as they progress through school. SMCC has five locations in Indianapolis that prepare children for kindergarten, and the results have been outstanding.

Before Doug introduced me to the Opus Foundation, I wasn't aware of this great opportunity. Doug and his team came to our office and shared their goals and objectives, future plans and current portfolio. Then, he introduced us to the Opus Foundation. When Doug mentioned the Foundation was very interested in supporting education initiatives, I immediately thought of SMCC.

The Opus Foundation has enabled St. Mary's Child Center to continue to expand their outreach to children living in poverty. Not only will additional children benefit, but the community benefits greatly as well. For every $1 invested in preschool, the future society saves $17. Not only do you positively impact the life of the child and their family, you benefit the entire community.

As a member of the board of directors, I know we will always keep St. Mary's Child Center's mission moving forward. The Opus Foundation has expanded our reach and allows us to continue to grow. The fact that Doug included information about the Opus Foundation in his presentation was incredible. The fact that they were willing and able to help us on our mission made a strong impression with me and I will never look at Opus as just another company that I do business with.

The Opus Foundation has changed lives for the better.

The Opus Foundation, the corporate foundation for Opus, is building community for a better tomorrow by supporting projects and programs that make our communities better places to live, work and raise families. The Foundation is committed to improving conditions that disproportionately affect historically underinvested individuals and communities by focusing on early childhood education, youth development, workforce development and community revitalization. Read more about the Foundation's work. The Opus Foundation is a separate entity from The Opus Group and is led by its own Board of Directors.