Foellinger Foundation Announces Grant to Courageous Healing to Honor Janae McCullough-Boyd

News Release
Media Contact: Sarah Strimmenos, Foellinger Foundation President

Foellinger Foundation has announced a $125,000 five-year program grant to Courageous Healing in honor of late Foellinger Foundation board member, Janae McCullough-Boyd. The grant will support counseling and/or coaching for African American women in Allen County.

Janae tragically passed away on the morning of December 1, 2022. She joined our Board of Directors in 2019, and became Vice Chair in 2022. Foellinger Foundation’s Board of Directors had elected Janae as the Foundation’s next Board Chair. In a term that would have started on January 1, 2023, McCullough-Boyd would have been the first African American woman to serve in this role.

“Living life at the intersection of two minoritized populations, being both African American and female, means navigating compound layers of barriers that frequently present themselves,” explained Janell Lane, Co-founder of Courageous Healing.

“This has serious repercussions on our mental health, particularly as we attempt to continuously stand in the gap or show up for our friends, neighbors, and loved ones. We are grateful to Foellinger Foundation for honoring Janae through this grant, and for supporting the wellbeing of women as they continue serving in so many selfless ways, while making an immeasurable impact on our community.”

In 2023, under its national theme of “Soaring to Greater Heights of Service and Sisterhood,” Central Region graduate and undergraduate members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® (AKA) logged 51,873 volunteer hours by bringing awareness to a number of national and local issues impacting their communities.

Before joining our Board of Directors, Janae McCullough-Boyd served on our Audit Committee in 2015 and 2016, our Investment and Finance Committee in 2017 and 2018, and our LAI Committee in 2018.

In an interview for the documentary, 'An Influence for Good,' Janae said: “When I was asked to join the board, tears came to my eyes. Helene Foellinger was an absolute trailblazer, and like her, I have been in many rooms where I am the only one in the room that looks like me. That can be very intimidating. You have to have grit, and you have to muster confidence to show that you deserve to be there. Helene was an inspiration to me. I am proud to be a steward of Foellinger Foundation’s resources, and to help fulfill what Helene and her family set out to do."

“Yes, you can give money to different charities and organizations, but the question is, are you making an impact? Are you making an impact in people's lives?”

“Janae’s generosity impacted not only the Foundation, but also our grantees and the Allen County residents they serve,” said Sarah Strimmenos, Foellinger Foundation President and CEO. “Courageous Healing provides crucial, culturally responsive care that will carry forward Janae’s legacy, benefitting African American women as current and future leaders in our community.”