A note from our President
My parents, J. Warren “Mac” and Lois McClure, founded the McClure Foundation at the Vermont Community Foundation in 2005, following decades of generous giving in Vermont and beyond.
They met in Vermont in 1952 and worked here until 1971, when their shares of The Burlington Free Press were exchanged for shares of Gannett Newspapers. From there, they moved to New York and later to Florida, before returning to Vermont in 2002 to retire at Wake Robin in Shelburne.
Even during the years they lived elsewhere, they remained deeply connected to Vermont. As summer residents through the latter part of the 20th century, they devoted significant time and resources to serving the state they loved. The growth of their Gannett shares gave them the means to think big, to support Vermont institutions in creative ways and, ultimately, to establish this Foundation.
Mac was known for collecting a set of principles and sayings that we heard countless times growing up. These values guided our family and, over time, became part of the Foundation’s identity. Today, these sayings continue to shape the work of our board of directors — an inspiring group of community leaders and thoughtful Vermonters dedicated to advancing the Foundation’s mission:
My parents believed in the power of community and cared deeply for Vermont. They saw themselves as stewards of their resources and often spoke publicly about how their wealth was rooted in Vermont and how it should continue to serve Vermonters.