AJ Frank Family Foundation

Amandus J. and Louise D. Frank

were born in the 1910s. Both came from humble beginnings and as young adults experienced the Great Depression. They married in 1937 and started their lives together. AJ (Amandus) supported his family working long hours running a sawmill. It was his dream to run a successful business and be able to help others. He and Louise never forgot the financial struggles of raising a family and operating a business. They were also grateful to their local employees and appreciated their contribution to helping make AJ's vision of operating a successful sawmill a reality. Employees and the communities they lived in were Family.

Born out of gratitude and the desire to “pay it forward”

Born out of gratitude and the desire to “pay it forward”, The A.J. Frank Family Foundation was founded in 1959 by Amandus and Louise. Their primary focus was to support the needs and endeavors of the local communities in which they lived and worked. That is still is the case today as their children Carole M. Carey, Dennis D. Frank, and James T. Frank are successors. They are actively involved in reviewing grant requests and often meet with local prospective and on-going grant recipients.

Amandus J. and Louise D. Frank portraits

Contributions Have Been Given

Contributions have been given to medical facilities, food banks, local missions, elementary and high schools, community support services, scholarship funds, and affordable housing projects. The A.J. Frank Family Foundation reached a milestone in 2015 when donations since inception reached eight figures, with a significant portion being to support needs in the North Santiam Canyon, Sublimity, Stayton, Shaw, and Mt. Angel areas. Notable recipients are the Santiam Hospital in Stayton for their emergency room expansion, Canyon Crisis Center in Mill City for support services, and Habitat for Humanity to build homes in Stayton.

Acknowledging the importance of employees and local community members

The AJ Frank Family Foundation sponsors three memorial scholarships awarded to High School seniors honoring two employees and a local logger. The Randy J. Walker and Tom Hirons Memorial Scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors at Santiam High School, and the Clement A. Frank Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a graduating senior at Regis High School.