OUR MISSION: We believe that it is knowledge and education combined with compassion that are the tools needed to positively enrich one’s community.
The Heymann Foundation is a 501 C3 charitable organization that was founded in 1976 in Lafayette, La by siblings Herbert and Jaqueline Heymann. The pair wanted to honor their father Maurice and his brother, their uncle, Henry Heymann for their service to the community and continue their family’s philanthropic legacy.
The Foundation was originally created to help fund scholarship opportunities to local students ranging from primary to college level educations. The goal of the foundation was to help enrich the lives of those less fortunate individuals and provide aid to the community of Lafayette and its surrounding areas.
With the next generation of family members, The Heymann Foundation has not only continued to have a strong charitable presence in Lafayette but has grown and expanded its causes throughout the state of Louisiana and beyond. With offices in both Lafayette and New Orleans the foundation has recognized the importance of continuing its family legacy by providing assistance to those residents in need by supporting a variety of organizations that provide diversified social programs.
In 2005 following the statewide devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the foundation made some significant contributions to the local chapters of the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army to help rebuild the communities most affected by those horrific natural disasters. The Heymann Foundation provided the Dryades YMCA in New Orleans with the funding to revitalize its successful Midnight Basketball program. The Foundation financed solely the buildings of two new homes in the newly constructed Musicians village annex on Spain street for the New Orleans based Habitat for Humanity. Additional benefactors from the Heymann Foundation include the NOPD Foundation, Stomp the Violence, The Make it Right Foundation and The Tipitina’s Foundation. Donations were additionally made to the Nola WWII Museum, The Children’s Museum of Acadiana the Boy Scouts of America, The American Legion, and The Paralyzed Veterans of America and Second Harvest Food Bank.
The Heymann Foundation is one of the largest supporters of the Louisiana chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. With a deep personal interest the Heymann Foundation was entirely responsible for the Alzheimer’s Association ability to reopen its office in New Orleans post Katrina. With a growing number of people being diagnosed with this devastating disease it was integral to the community that this office be functioning and able to continue to educate the public and offer a variety of assistance programs. The Foundation also provided the Acadiana area with an Alzheimer’s Caregiver program for those who needed help with caring for a loved one affected by the disease. The La Chapter of Alzheimer’s Association holds its statewide Memory Walks which combined are the largest annual fundraising event for the association. Team Carolyn which consists of the Heymann Foundations family, friends and supporters has been recognized nationally in the last two years as a top team for its fundraising efforts.
Internationally, The Heymann Foundation made donations specified to aid those affected by the tsunami in Thailand and the earthquake in Haiti through the Jewish World Congress. The Foundation also made a donation to the Robin Hood Fund to help those directly affected by Hurricane Sandy and is an annual supporter of the LSPCA. For a complete list of all the organizations those Heymann Foundation supports please contact our office at (337)232-4343.