A statement from Amir Pasic, the Eugene R. Tempel Dean of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy is saddened by the passing of our friend and community leader Robert H. McKinney. An attorney, banker, entrepreneur, civic leader, public servant and philanthropist, Bob was dedicated throughout his life to helping and serving others, giving back extensively and meaningfully to his home city and state, the country, and the world, as well as to Indiana University and the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Environmental causes were among Bob’s many interests. In 2010, he and his five children established the McKinney Family Foundation, which is committed to building an environmentally sustainable future for every Hoosier through three focus areas: supporting a just transition to a clean energy economy, equitable climate change solutions, and empowering Indiana communities to live in a healthier, more prosperous, and more sustainable manner.
In 2017, the McKinney Family Foundation created the McKinney Family Philanthropic Fellowships with an initial gift to the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. As a result, graduate students at the school who are passionate about protecting the environment and are pursuing careers with nonprofit environmental organizations have the opportunity to prepare to become Indiana’s environmental leaders.
The foundation’s support enables these McKinney Family Philanthropic Fellows to earn a master’s degree in Philanthropic Studies and serve in graduate assistantships with Indiana environmental nonprofits for two years, learning first-hand how these organizations operate while also sharing new information and the latest best practices with the nonprofits where they work. These Fellows are also able to earn a Certificate in Fund Raising Management through The Fund Raising School at the school.
The foundation’s partnership with IU and the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy was expanded in 2018 with an additional generous gift that included creation of the McKinney Professor of Environmental Resilience and Philanthropy at the school. IU’s first professorship specializing in philanthropy and the environment, it is believed to be one of the first such professorships in the world. The position increases research and understanding about how philanthropy can play an integral role in addressing environmental challenges and equips philanthropic institutions and individuals with the research, education and training they need to make a lasting impact.
The fellowships and professorship at our school complement other transformative gifts to advance the work of environmental resilience and adaptation made to Indiana University by the McKinney Family Foundation. We are thankful that Bob and his family will be honored by their service, and we are pleased that they will carry Bob’s legacy forward, strengthening and safeguarding Indiana’s environment for future generations of Hoosiers.