Taylor Family Contributes $92.5M to Cultural, Educational and Historical Causes

ST. LOUIS, June 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second time in as many weeks, Enterprise Holdings founder Jack C. Taylor and his family have given back to their community in a very big way, announcing $92.5 million in donations to an array of cultural, educational and historical institutions, predominantly in St. Louis. Recipients range from such well-established civic assets as Forest Park and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra to such forward-looking efforts as CityArchRiver 2015.

The announcement comes on the heels of a recent $22 million in contributions made by the family to a wide variety of charitable and educational organizations that support underserved communities and youth in the St. Louis region. 

"We've been privileged to form lasting partnerships with fabulous institutions that contribute so much to the quality of life in our community," said Jo Ann Taylor Kindle, Jack Taylor's daughter and president of the Enterprise Holdings Foundation. "This is a way for our family to reinforce those partnerships and strengthen those institutions for many years to come."

The contributions will benefit the following organizations:

• $30 million to Forest Park Forever's endowment fund
• $25 million to the City Arch River 2015 Foundation for improvements to the Old Courthouse and to support the Foundation's endowment fund
• $10 million to the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra's endowment fund
• $6 million to the Fisher House Foundation for construction of new homes in Charleston, S.C., and Portland, Ore., that provide accommodations for military families during medical treatment
• $5 million to the American Red Cross of Eastern Missouri to meet capital and program needs
• $5 million to the Saint Louis Art Museum Foundation's endowment fund
• $5 million to St. Luke's Hospital to support its endowment fund
• $2 million to the Missouri Botanical Garden to support its capital campaign
• $1 million to the Better Angels Society to underwrite filmmaker Ken Burns' upcoming documentary on baseball legend Jackie Robinson
• $1 million to the Everglades Foundation to support its End Point Restoration Project to restore America's Everglades and sustain South Florida's water supply
• $1 million to Friends of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., to fund its World War II education programs
• $1 million to the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis to provide operational support for the services of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
• $500,000 to the Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis (The Muny) to support its endowment fund and multiple capital needs

"St. Louis offers an amazing number of cultural, educational and historical treasures that are truly world-class, especially for a city our size," said Kindle. "Nurturing and sustaining these assets isn't just about ensuring that we all continue to enjoy them, it's an important way to attract new businesses, entrepreneurs and young people to a community that is such a great place to live, work and raise a family. It's certainly been all that and more for our family."

Jack Taylor and his family have always placed a heavy emphasis on supporting worthy causes in their home town. The family's local roots run deep, with six generations of Taylors calling St. Louis home. Jack Taylor grew up in St. Louis and attended University City and Clayton public schools before enlisting in the U.S. Navy in World War II. He served his country as a decorated Navy fighter pilot in the skies over the Pacific, then – like so many members of the "Greatest Generation" – he returned to his home town to start a family and go into business.

In 1957, Taylor founded Enterprise Holdings in the lower level of the Forest Cadillac dealership in Clayton. In the decades to come, he grew his tiny start-up into the world's largest car rental company. As the business has grown and prospered, he and his family have placed an ever-increasing emphasis on supporting not-for-profit organizations in the communities the company serves.

"I can't think of anybody who has honored St. Louis's past while seeing to its future as wisely or as generously as Jack Taylor and his family," said Lesley Hoffarth, president and executive director of Forest Park Forever. "These contributions and the many gifts that came before them will enrich the life of our community for future generations. We are very lucky that the Taylors call St. Louis home."

SOURCE The Taylor Family