Grant Highlights

Morrison Knudsen Foundation has provided some special gifts to our
MK communities that immortalize Morrison Knudsen Company,
one of the greatest engineering and construction industry giants in the world.

Veterans Parkway

Morrison Knudsen Foundation funded a Wake Island flag and pole for Veterans Memorial Park (Veterans Parkway). The new flag commemorates the bravery of hundreds of Idahoans who fought against Japanese forces on Wake Island during World War II. On Dec. 8, 1941, U.S. Marines and a group of civilian workers from Morrison-Knudsen Co. building a naval air base on Wake Island were attacked by Japanese forces. Under harrowing conditions, they resisted repeated enemy attacks. On Dec. 23, the Japanese captured the island and survivors were taken prisoner. At the end of the war, the Japanese surrendered the atoll and the American flag flew again. Sadly, 336 men who defended the island — including 250 civilian MK contractors — died on Wake or in prison camps.

Wake Island flag and pole

Girl Scouts bridge

Morrison Knudsen Foundation funds programs and projects that benefit the public at large by unifying the community, solving problems, and enhancing the quality of life with social activities. A permanent 14- foot outdoor bridge at the Girl Scouts Leadership Center was dedicated to company co-founder Ann Morrison for bridging ceremonies and events.

Girl Scouts

One of our four grant-funding priorities is to fund innovative, high-impact programs that further math, science, environment, and technology thus helping to build the workforce of the future. In that respect, the credo of Girl Scouts aligns closely with the priorities of the foundation.

Boise Depot

In 1990 Morrison Knudsen purchased the Boise depot that had closed its doors in 1981 and renovated it to pristine condition. The Foundation was headquartered at the depot for several years. The original Barkalow Brothers newsstand which had been built when the station opened in 1925 was discovered behind a false wall and was in such good condition that it required little restoration. Other historical exhibits related to the history of rail travel in Idaho and history of the depot graced the walls and alcoves. The Foundation operated the museum and offered it to the public for special events and tours until 1996 when the City of Boise took it over. Thousands turned out in April 1925 for the grand opening as Boise’s first transcontinental train, The Portland Rose, rolled into town. The restoration ensured that the depot will continue to marvel the public as a prominent monument of great historical significance for our community.

Boise River Whitewater Park

The Foundation contributed to the Boise River Whitewater Park with funding to help construct the Harry W. Morrison Dam. Of all the many dams that Morrison Knudsen built world-wide under the direction of Mr. Morrison, this would be the first dam that was named to honor the company founder.

The World Trade Center

They shall never be forgotten…Thirteen employees lost their lives at the company offices in The World Trade Center–victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack. The Foundation initiated an employee fundraising drive receiving overwhelming generous donations from employees. The Foundation matched all the employee donations for a combined total of nearly $170,000 to help the families of the fallen co-workers and others.

Natural Disasters

The Foundation was there to help employees and their communities when disasters occurred. Morrison Knudsen was an international construction engineering company with project offices and sites spanning the globe. Whenever tragedy struck an MK community, fellow co-workers and employees selflessly joined together to lend a helping hand or to make donations. On many occasions, the Foundation was able to match employee gifts to generate impressive funding to help fellow Emkayans and others who fell victim to natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the S. E. Asia Tsunami. No longer having an international presence, funding is now focused within the Boise/Treasure Valley community.

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An  important word about our grant-making decisions…..

The Board of Directors of Morrison Knudsen Foundation is dedicated to making informed unbiased funding decisions. It takes dedication to improve communities and help people live more fulfilling lives. Similarly, we strive to support initiatives and programs that help to promote the foundation’s ideals and validate the message in our mission statement.  We feel fortunate to be part of a very giving community where there are so many great charitable funding opportunities available that match our grant-making policy. The Foundation supports the efforts of non-profit organizations that excel in meeting the specific needs of Boise/Treasure Valley by providing grants to those programs and partnerships that foster diversity, demonstrate accountability, and have a positive impact on society and the environment.

We recognize our contributions are an investment in the economic and social viability of the community and our funding decisions have a lasting effect just as any other investment opportunity. In our efforts to fairly balance funding among the many opportunities that are presented to us, given our limited resources, the focus of our grant-making policy, and the extent of our current commitments, it is just not possible for us to offer our support to all the organizations that apply for funding–so, we direct our contributions to those areas where we feel the most critical needs exist and where our support will have the greatest impact.  We are proud of the many sound philanthropic investments that the foundation has made over the past 65-plus years and strive to continue to make those tough choices and share our assets to help achieve the continued health and vitality of our community in meaningful ways.  We hope you will continue to enjoy learning about a few of our most recent gifts to the community. Please visit us again soon.