Arthur and Sarah Ludwick
/SOURCE OF WEALTH: Rain Bird Corporation
FUNDING AREAS: Education & Youth, Youth Civic Participation, Health & Human Services, Animals, Global, Arts & Culture
OVERVIEW: Arthur and Sarah Ludwick move their philanthropy through the Ludwick Family Foundation, which is committed to assisting a broad array of groups that are working to make a positive difference in the world. Los Angeles and its San Gabriel Valley is an important region of giving.
BACKGROUND: Arthur Ludwick graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, as well as a master's in civil engineering administration. He held executive positions at Rain Bird Corporation, a family-owned company known for its iconic sprinkler and numerous other irrigation innovations.
Sarah earned a master's degree in child development from the University of La Verne. She serves as president of the Ludwick Family Foundation.
ISSUES:
EDUCATION & YOUTH: The Ludwicks are strong patrons of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Ludwick collaborated with the university's College of Science to develop the K-12 BioTrek Rainforest Teaching Curriculum, designed to be an educational tool for all educators, students and parents. The outcome was the Rain Bird BioTrek Rainforest Learning Center, the Rain Bird BioTrek Ethnobotany Learning Center and the Rain Bird BioTrek Aquatic Biology Learning Center, which allow students to study the complexities and diversity of a tropical rainforest as well as terrestrial and aquatic habitats of California and the tropics.
The family also support Citrus College and the University of La Verne, home to the Ludwick Center for Spirituality, Cultural Understanding, and Community Engagement. Other grantees have included Glendora Unified School District; Children's Fund; Fairplex Child Development Center; and School on Wheels, a nonprofit dedicated to tutoring children experiencing homelessness in California.
YOUTH CIVIC AND DEMOCRACY: The Ludwicks founded Arsalyn, a program of the foundation that was created to “encourage young Americans to become informed and active participants in the electoral process.” Arsalyn's Democracy in Action civic education project brings high school students trained by their teachers into elementary schools to teach students about democracy and voting. Citizens, Not Spectators, meanwhile is a partnership between Arsalyn and the Center for Civic Education aim to increase the voting rate among young Americans by providing engaging voter education to students in grades 4-12.
PUBLIC HEALTH: Foothill Presbyterian Hospital in Glendora is home to the Arthur & Sarah Ludwick Emergency Care Pavilion. Sarah has sat on the board of the hospital. Other grantees have included Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare, and Friends of Malibu Urgent Care Center.
ANIMALS AND WILDLIFE: Grantees have included A Purposeful Rescue, America's VetDogs, American Friends of Bird Life International Inc., Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, and Black Hills Raptor Center.
GLOBAL: The foundation also earmarks funds for global organizations like African Centres for Lightning and Electromagnetics Network, and March to the Top - Africa, which serves the “critical needs of the people and lands of Africa through the initiatives in health, education, and conservation.” Organizations that work for/in Africa appear to be of focus.
ARTS & CULTURE: Ludwick launched “Music in the Park” summer concert series serving on the Glendora Parks and Recreation Commission. Grantees have included Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA), Los Angeles Live Steamer's Railroad Museum, and National Weather Museum & Science Center.
LOOKING FORWARD: Expect the family’s steady giving to continue, tracking with established interest areas.
