Cornelia Eaton lived in a modest house in Pasadena in the path of what is now the 210 freeway. At her death in 1995, she left her entire estate to the Pasadena Community Foundation, a bequest valued at $816,225. She specified that the funds would be used to support charitable organizations that serve seniors in the City of Pasadena. PCF created a permanently endowed fund to ensure that her intentions were honored in perpetuity, the Cornelia L. Eaton Endowment for Assistance to the Elderly. The total amount of grants made from Cornelia Eaton’s endowment has now far exceeded the amount of her original bequest.
The Eaton Endowment supports PCF’s Senior Grants Program in the area of human services, which funds organizations that serve the needs of the Pasadena’s older adults. Grants are awarded for both program and capital needs. Local organizations funded through this program have included
Armenian Relief Society
Huntington Memorial Hospital – Senior Care Network
Pacific Clinics
Pasadena Meals on Wheels
Pasadena Senior Center
Pasadena Village
The Power of Endowment
Endowments are the cornerstone of PCF’s mission to build hometown legacies. The corpus of each endowed fund is invested with PCF’s portfolio for long-term growth. Each year, the endowments generate the funds that support PCF’s local grantmaking, which enriches the arts community, protects our environment, provides health care and critical social services, and bolsters public education in Pasadena. Endowments are permanent legacies for our community; these funds will continue to grow and provide philanthropic support forever. Learn more about creating an endowment at PCF.