Noma Meyers Eaton Fund 

For the Eatons, giving back is a family affair. Two endowment funds bear the Eaton family name at the Community Foundation.

The Noma Meyers Eaton Fund originated during a Christmas gathering. A group of friends were reminiscing about Noma who died in April of 1999.

“She was a very close friend of all of ours,” said Tony Crane, who along with Ralph Oakley, invited friends to establish an Acorn Fund honoring Noma. “It’s great you can memorialize and recognize someone in this way,” Tony said.

Laura Eaton Rodgers, Noma’s oldest child, was overwhelmed when she informed that a fund was being set up in honor of her mother.

“It had been eight years since she’d died,” Laura said. “It speaks volumes of how close she was to her friends.”

The Noma Meyers Eaton Fund provides grants in the areas of art and education.

The arts were always a favorite of Noma’s. She and her daughter Molly enjoyed participating in theater activities together. “They loved to perform,” Laura said. “It was their thing together.”

Laura also wants her mom’s fund to benefit education. “She was committed to having a good education for us,” she said. “If she could give anyone a hand up to further his or her education, she’d have wanted that.”

Ralph Oakley emphasized the flexibility for donors provided by the Community Foundation. “That’s the beauty of the organization,” he said. “People can be philanthropic in many ways.”

The Harry Channon Eaton Family Endowment, established by Harry ‘Bo’ and Jan Eaton, is an unrestricted endowment. The Noma Meyers Eaton Fund, established as a memorial by friends and family, supports art and education.