Across three decades, our mission has sought to connect change makers with resources to build momentum through education initiatives, social justice, and creative expression across the globe.
Our Mission
The Wilson Foundation follows our founder’s vision of investing in the best social entrepreneurs with proven models that help people reach their full potential by breaking down barriers to Education, Criminal Justice, Medicine and the Arts.
Our Guiding Philosophy
We are committed to the principle that all people are created equal and that our social economic and political structures should support the self-sufficiency of all individuals and families.
Our History
The Wilson Foundation was founded in 1990 by Gary Wilson with the original vision of enhancing the lives of others through education.
Gary was born in Alliance, Ohio, to Fern and Elvin Wilson and lived a simple, small town life. Elvin was a self-made, local printing entrepreneur. Gary had a successful newspaper business and played high school football. His life changed when he received a full football scholarship to Duke University in 1958.
Gary’s Duke degree was the hand up that allowed him to go on to become a successful international businessman. As a result, he has valued the power of access to education as an economic equalizer and vowed to give back when he was able.
When he started The Wilson Foundation, his first major gift was to Duke University for the building of The Wilson Center. His second gift was creating a Duke Scholarship at Alliance High School in the honor of his father. The Scholarship pays for the full tuition of any qualified student who gets accepted to Duke. To date, the Elvin Wilson Scholarship has graduated 16 students
Over the last three decades, the Foundation has stayed true to Gary’s belief in hard work and free market principals to continue providing education to those in need. But the scope has expanded to support successful social entrepreneurs with proven models to help people reach their full potential.
