WASHINGTON, D.C. — Truett Cathy, founder of the Chick-fil-A chain, has been named winner of the 2008 William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership, the Philanthropy Roundtable announced today. Cathy will receive a $250,000 cash award, payable to the charity of his choice:
- Southwest Christian Care, to support the Hope House Children's Respite Center, which provides respite care services for families with medically fragile children, and
- Christian City, to support The Children's Village, which provides a safe haven for children ages 5-17 who have been victims of abuse, neglect or abandonment.
The award presentation will take place Nov. 7 in Naples, Fla., at the Philanthropy Roundtable's annual meeting.
Established by the William E. Simon Foundation and administered by the Washington, D.C.-based Philanthropy Roundtable, the annual prize — created in honor of the late U.S. Treasury Secretary and U.S. Olympic Committee President — honors living philanthropists who have shown exemplary leadership through their charitable giving. The Philanthropy Roundtable is a national association of individual donors, foundation trustees and staff, and corporate giving officers,
"Truett Cathy has touched thousands with his generosity and his heart," said Philanthropy Roundtable president Adam Meyerson. "He works as hard at his philanthropy as he has worked to build a successful business."
Cathy started the Chick-fil-A chain in 1967 with a single store in Atlanta's Greenbriar Mall. Today the privately-held chain has more than 1,400 locations and annual sales of more than $2.6 billion.
Cathy's philanthropic activities over the years have focused largely on young people. A company scholarship program, established in 1973, has provided more than $24 million in scholarships to more than 23,000 restaurant employees. The program emphasizes community service and leadership skills. This year, Chick-fil-A expects to contribute an additional $1.4 million to the program. And the S. Truett Cathy Scholarship Awards program offers an additional $1,000 to the top 25 scholarship recipients.
In 1984, Cathy established the WinShape Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports a network of foster homes, summer camps, a wilderness camp, college scholarships and marriage retreats. WinShape, whose objective is "shaping individuals to become winners," in Cathy's words, spent $18 million last year.
