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Editor’s Note: This article has been updated since its original publication.
The Pennington family has shifted its attention away from the longtime Irene W. and C. B. Pennington Foundation and toward a new foundation—the Pennington Family Foundation—established last year.
According to a statement on its website, the Pennington Family Foundation was established in 2023 by Paula Pennington de la Bretonne.
“For nearly four decades, the Irene W. and C. B. Pennington Foundation set the blueprint for giving,” Pennington de la Bretonne writes. “That legacy continues through the Pennington Family Foundation.”
Lori Bertman, who served as president and CEO of the Irene W. and C. B. Pennington Foundation for over 22 years, exited her role in January, according to her LinkedIn profile.
The Irene W. and C.B. Pennington Foundation was established in 1982 by Pennington de la Bretonne’s grandparents, Irene W. and C. B. “Doc” Pennington. The foundation donated over $300 million over the years.
The Pennington Family Foundation’s stated mission is to follow in the footsteps of Pennington de la Bretonne’s grandparents with philanthropic giving focused on “the arts, health and chronic diseases, social and emotional learning, and accessibility and inclusion for all.”
The Pennington family’s transition to a new foundation shortly follows its withdrawal of support for Pennington Cancer Center at Baton Rouge General after 23 years. In a letter to the Baton Rouge General board of trustees, Pennington de la Bretonne cited Baton Rouge General’s partnership with Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center as part of the reason for withdrawing support.
The Pennington family’s foundation donated $130,000 to the Baton Rouge General Foundation’s Arts in Medicine program in December, just weeks after withdrawing its support for Pennington Cancer Center.
Representatives from the Pennington Family Foundation were unable to be reached for comment before this morning’s publication deadline.
