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Osborne Family Gives $100,000 to The Community Foundation

The Osborne’s have a history of charitable giving. When they finally had the opportunity to give for the future, they established a family Endowment with the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi with an initial donation of $100,000. 

“In 1994 when we relocated to Mississippi from New Jersey, our children Johnny and Flo were only 3 and 1.   Trying to familiarize yourself with a new area can be very stressful.  But the people of Mississippi and especially Hernando could not have been kinder or more hospitable.  Harvey and Deanna Ferguson introduced us to so many of their friends who have remained our friends as well.  Charlie and Ellen Williams of Senatobia reached out to us almost as soon as we arrived with friendship and advice that continues to express the warmth and sincerity of true Southern hospitality.  There were so many that extended their assistance and friendship: Bill and Brenda Ballard, Sam and Jan Lauderdale, of course Tom and Cindy Pittman, Milton Kuykendall and Bobby and Darlene Thompson to name just a few.  The endowment is a way for us to pay forward and to help the people of the area that have been so kind to us.   One day we won’t be around, but our Endowment will still be helping people,” John Osborne of Hernando said on behalf of his wife Janet and their two children. 

The Maddox Foundation will match his family’s $100,000 contribution with an equal donation to the Community Foundation’s Endowment as part of its $10 million matching grant program.  

“What we can do is only part of what can be done in our community, thanks to the Maddox match.  The Maddox Foundation, under the direction of Robin Costa, is a fabulous organization that has enriched everyone in the DeSoto County area,” Osborne said.   The Osborne’s moved to Hernando 14 years ago from New Jersey when John transferred from Atlantic City to open the Hollywood Casino.  Starting as the Chief Financial Officer, John was promoted to General Manager for the Hollywood Casino in 1998.  “Our parent company, Penn National Gaming, has a strong commitment to giving back to the community which we believe has added to our Company’s success.”

The John and Janet Osborne Family Endowment Fund allow the Osborne’s and then their children, Johnny and Flo, to advise where charitable grants are made from their fund.  

“With the donor advised fund, we’ll be able to direct where the funds are given,” Osborne said.

One day recently, Hollywood Casino sponsored an event to bring the area Leaders together.   John was in the audience and listened intently to a presentation by Community Foundation President Tom Pittman on donor advised endowments.  John was particularly impressed with the example of the Phil Hardin Foundation endowment in Meridian. That businessman left his entire estate of $6.9 million as an endowment to improve education in Mississippi. After 30 years, the endowment has made grants of $42 million while increasing in value to $42 million.  

That evening, John mentioned the endowment concept to Janet.  She stopped him in mid-sentence and unfolded a copy of the DeSoto Times Today containing an article on the Hardin Foundation.  They were both sold on the idea.  The Osborne’s wanted to be able to help their community in a bigger, longer-lasting way.  They desired to see that kind of multiplying effect as the Community Foundation manages the investment of their Endowment—increasing its value while using part of the earnings each year for charitable grants. 

“We appreciate the Osborne family’s thoughtful generosity”, Community Foundation President Tom Pittman said.  “This is a wonderful way that they are giving back to their community.  We are grateful for the trust they have placed in the Community Foundation.” 

The Community Foundation is a nonprofit 501.c.3 community-based charitable organization that serves eight counties in Northwest Mississippi. Incorporated in 2002, its assets have grown to more than $5 million and it has granted $2 million over the last four years for charitable causes.

 John’s background in business and finance helped him do the necessary research to get comfortable with an endowment.  But his first stop was learning more about the Community Foundation.  “There are dozens of donor advised funds available through brokerage firms and other financial institutions.  When we researched the Community Foundation and realized that the Board was made up of neighbors and friends that we trust and respect and that the Foundation was generous with community needs while keeping their overhead costs low, we were ready to sign.  The $100,000 match by the Maddox Foundation made it a no-brainer.”  The Osborne’s donated appreciated securities at full market value without any taxes deducted which enabled them to give a larger amount. 

The Osborne’s charitable and community endeavors has touched dozens of organizations and many, many people.  John is most proud of sharing the stage 5 years ago with Michael Heisley, owner of the Memphis Grizzlies, when they each received St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s highest recognition with its Healing Rose Humanitarian Award for their charitable work. Gov. Haley Barbour appointed John to the Delta Revitalization Task Force, where he serves as vice-chairman and to Momentum Mississippi. Earlier, then-Gov. Ronnie Musgrove appointed him to the state task force that placed an online computer in every public classroom in Mississippi.  

Janet is a clear testament to the phrase that “behind every hard-working, successful man there is an even harder-working, more successful woman”.  In addition to keeping after her family and being the best homemaker that she can be, she has been leading scout troops for more than 11 years and is recognized as the “the longest-serving Girl Scout leader in Hernando.”   Her commitment to education and young people led to her election to the DeSoto County School Board, which oversees all the county’s public schools.   Recently, the State Superintendent of Education, Hank Bounds recognized Janet’s vast knowledge and commitment to education by appointing her to a newly created, state wide committee reviewing the curriculum and rating systems for grades K though 12. 

She also has served on the Board of Directors for the Hernando Chamber of Commerce and volunteers countless hours on public service gardening projects in the County with the local Mississippi Extension Service.  Janet is a USDA Master Gardener.  

Carrying on the family tradition, Johnny and Flo, practically since birth have been influenced by Luke 12:48 that states: “to those that much is given, much is expected in return”.  Their Son Johnny created a community service project that collected thousands of video tapes for children at the House of Grace shelter.  A senior at Hernando High School, he also put together a no-cost summer program last year for Hernando’s youth to learn and play ultimate Frisbee. 

Flo, a 10^th grader at Hernando High School, developed her own community service project to collect art supplies for the children at St. Jude’s Target House.   Once completed, more than a truckload of paper, paints, markers, pencils and art-working tools were given to the children and families at the Target House to help make their time there a little more pleasant.  Flo is also working toward her Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouts. 

“The more you get involved in the community, the more you see the needs,” Janet Osborne said.

“When John and I got married, we started from scratch.  Our bedroom set consisted of an igloo cooler for the TV to sit on, a 20 year old mattress and box spring, a $5 lamp we found in a yard sale and a chest of drawers that all 4 legs had been broken off.  And that was the most completely furnished room that we had!  We can appreciate the challenges that life throws at you, because we’ve lived most of them” she said. “We know that a little bit can go a long way to help, and our Family endowment is our way of giving back to the community that has given us so much.”