Investing in Social Outcomes

When David Hoover took a job working for a commercial disability insurance company, he thought he would be helping people. Instead, he found he was spending most of his time arguing contract language, which was no fun.

So when presented the opportunity, Hoover accepted the role as president of the Hoover Family Foundation, which was established by his parents. In that role, he now finds fulfillment investing in social outcomes that make a difference for others.

“All kinds of people have issues that prevent them from doing very well. So we look to partner with qualified organizations that can help individuals improve their situation with measurable outcomes,” he said.

The Hoover Family Foundation is the recipient of CICOA’s 2018 Impact Award for supporting its Safe at Home program with grants totaling $67,500 since 2011. The Impact Award is presented to an individual or institutional donor whose contributions to CICOA have made a significant and positive impact on program service delivery.

Grant funding from the Hoover Family Foundation provides home safety and accessibility modifications for low- income seniors with the goals of reducing falls and allowing homeowners to remain independently at home for as long as possible.

The goal of the foundation is to support non-profit organizations that foster the development of individual self-sufficiency. This intent is based on the community interest and volunteer involvement of the founders and major funders, who believed that private sector groups could help the growth of individuals through values-infused education and human service support activities.

“Improving quality of life and independence can look different by age group and ability,” Hoover said, “But we look to fund organizations that empower people to take better care of themselves than they would otherwise. CICOA has experienced staff who know what works, and we think there is a spot in there where we can help make an impact.”

The Hoover Family Foundation was founded in 1992 by James and Katherine Hoover. Significant additional funding was provided in 1995 through the estate of James’ mother Mildred Mickel Hoover, whose husband, Truman Hoover, had been an executive in the pharmaceutical industry. For many years, members of the Hoover family in Indiana have volunteered with and contributed to non-profit organizations dedicated to improving the quality of life of individuals.