The Heisel family encouraged community involvement, service and generosity. Dr. Clifford Newell Heisel had a successful practice as an otolaryngologist in Covington, Kentucky and his wife, Elsa Groll Heisel, was actively involved in many community organizations. Their only daughter, Elsa Marie Heisel, followed their example throughout her life and in 2004 established a Charitable Trust that would continue to serve the community well into the future.
The purpose of the Elsa Heisel Sule Foundation is to make grants to qualified nonprofit organizations that administer programs and projects within Elsa’s guidelines of interest in the tri-state areas of Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. These programs should fall within the focus areas of Education, Health and Wellness, Children’s Programming, Arts & Cultural Vibrancy, Civic, environment, community vibrancy, and Animal Welfare.
The Foundation is governed by a Trustee, a Grants Manager/Program Officer, and a Board of Advisors. The staff and advisors review the changing needs and circumstances of children, adults, families and animals in the Greater Cincinnati and tri-state area. They actively assess the Foundation’s institutional constraints, traditions and values in order to use the Trust resources most effectively.
The Trustee, Program Officer and Board of Advisors meet quarterly and take an active role in reviewing grant requests, participating in research, continuing philanthropic practices education, making site visits, monitoring grant success, and exercising fiduciary responsibility. The Foundation members represent a wide range of perspectives, backgrounds and experience. Many members are actively engaged in national and regional nonprofit collaborative associations for philanthropic education and networking.
Our Grant Guidelines outline our giving parameters. The steps for grant applications and the timeline of the Grant Application process are described on this website. Please review this information carefully so that your application can be successfully submitted for consideration.