About Us
William E. Schmidt's immediate family comprise the foundation's board of directors, which meets at least twice per year. The foundation considers grants to organizations to promote artistic and educational development throughout the United States. Grants are predominantly one- to three-year commitments, and the foundation requires regular tracking and status reports from its grantees.
Mr. Schmidt has a long-standing interest in creative approaches to community improvement. Born in Irvine, Kentucky, to a very gifted family, Mr. Schmidt received his bachelor of arts degree from Depauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, and his master's degree in business administration from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. After serving as an Air Force fighter pilot, Mr. Schmidt returned to Indiana where he raised three children. A private man with a tremendous sense of community giving, his entrepreneurial spirit produced a very successful career in various business enterprises. The foundation captures this spirit in the initiatives and projects it selects to fund - always grounded in innovation.
Casiana Schmidt, Mr. Schmidt's wife, was born in Mexico but has lived most of her life in the suburbs of Philadelphia. She received a degree from the University of Mexico, as well as a Master's degree from Glasboro State College. After teaching languages for many years in private Quaker schools, she pursued a career in nursing and graduated with a BSN degree from Thomas Jefferson University. Mrs. Schmidt is a world traveler and derives great joy from music in all its forms. She believes in education and helping others to attain their academic potential, just as she, herself, was helped. To this purpose, she has established scholarship programs at various colleges and universities.