The true measure of a man is not what he says but what he gives. In 1974, at the age of 95, R.B.Price Jr. gave his beloved community the Boone County Community Trust. With the initial capital investment totaling $650,000, R.B Price created a living, perpetual source of funding designed to aid Boone County’s local, charitable organizations – the ones who do the real work for those in need within the community.
R.B. wanted to give something back to the place that had enriched both his business and personal life. As a banker and community leader, R.B. had been involved in providing financial advice and services to businesses and individuals alike. His generosity was widely known and he felt compelled to share with others his good fortune and civic minded ideals. The Trust was the perfect opportunity to make this happen. With a board of three directors, R.B, Jerry Epple, trust officer with Boone County National Bank and his nephew, A.M Price, then President of Boone County National Bank, the Trust distributed the first of many, biannual donations to needy applicants.
In the intervening 43 years, the Trust has continued R.B.’s dream of community responsibility and charity by donating more than $3.6 million dollars to over 235 local organizations. Through prudent financial oversight and individual bequeaths of capital, the corpus of the Trust has grown from $650,000 to over $3.7 million dollars.
The Trust continues to be governed by a local board of directors who live and work in the community. The Board has grown from the initial 3 members to more diverse board of 5, all of whom are proud to share the same values and spirit of generosity espoused by R.B.Price Jr. True to his intent, a family member still sits on the Board with the inclusion of his namesake and great nephew, R.B. Price III.
The idea of helping others who are less fortunate is timeless. The Trust has accomplished much in the past 43 years but understands there is much more that should and can be done. The Trust donates 100% of the yearly income it generates to worthy projects but we wish it could be more. That is where individual and corporate contributions to the Trust are key to the future success of our community. By adding to the Trust, those donations ensure more applicants can received a program sustaining grant or repairs to a much needed building project. But all of these worthy pursuits require money. Without additions to the corpus of the Trust, we can’t give more to those who need it most.
With new technologies, the Trust can make it easier to apply for contributions. By highlighting the good work our applicant’s do, we hope others will become involved in giving back to our wonderful community. That is part of the reason this website was created, to educate the public on the benefit these local non-profit charities bring to our community. We want to help them make a difference.
You can make a difference to the Boone County community by considering a donation to the Trust. By increasing the assets of the Trust, you help it grow in its ability to reach more local organization, the ones you know and trust, to benefit those who need it most.