The Wolfe Family Foundation has established a new endowment to support the Toledo Symphony - the Frederic D. Wolfe Endowment Fund. This new $1M endowment was created with a $500,000 donation from the Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation and a $500,000 gift from the estate of Frederic “Fritz” Wolfe.
The new endowment will provide support for the Toledo Symphony’s ongoing service to the community, with support for Toledo Symphony performances, education, and outreach. Areas of special interest include the Symphony’s Young People’s Concerts, its ongoing education and outreach programs, along with its classical performances and special guest artists.
The endowment honors Fritz Wolfe’s lasting impact on the arts in Toledo. A visionary business leader who created multiple national companies in the health care and nursing home industries, including what is now Welltower, Fritz and his wife Mary were dedicated patrons of the arts in Toledo. Fritz served for more than 25 years on the Toledo Symphony Board.
“We are grateful for this permanent legacy honoring Fritz Wolfe’s generous support for the arts in Toledo and his long service to the Symphony,” said TAPA President and CEO Zak Vassar. “The Wolfe family’s generosity has helped the Toledo Symphony bring great performances, outstanding educational opportunities, and extensive community outreach to our region for many, many years. This new endowment is a wonderful investment in the Toledo’s Symphony’s future.”
TAPA’s education and outreach programs reach more than 15,000 children annually throughout Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. This includes partnerships with more than 25 other nonprofit organizations, including Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo, Imagination Station, Toledo/Lucas County Public Libraries, Toledo Public Schools, and many more community partners. Proceeds from this endowment will strengthen and enrich these efforts.
“We are happy to continue our family’s support for the arts in Toledo. We have great memories of Toledo Symphony performances, including the Young People’s Concerts. We are excited to see how the Symphony (and TAPA) have expanded their outreach into the community,” said Christine Wolfe-Nichols.
The upcoming season includes seven Young People’s Performances, continuing the Symphony’s more than 60-year tradition of Young People’s concerts as well as student performances of three Toledo Ballet productions.
“We look forward to seeing how this endowment will support the Symphony’s ongoing outreach and great performances,” said Frederica Wolfe. “Our parents had wonderful memories of the Symphony’s concerts, and they loved seeing the impact of the Young People’s Concerts on generations of children.”
“Providing lasting and ongoing support for the Symphony’s work in our region is a wonderful legacy that will impact generations of Toledoans and will help preserve this great cultural treasure in this region. We are deeply appreciative of the Wolfe family’s generous support for the creation of this endowment,” said Brett Loney, TAPA’s Vice President of Development.
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ABOUT TAPA
The Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) is a collective consisting of the Toledo Symphony, Toledo Ballet, Toledo Symphony School of Music, Toledo Symphony Youth Orchestras, and most recently, The Toledo Jazz Orchestra. TAPA strives to establish meaningful partnerships with individuals and organizations that fundamentally impact the cultural life of our region. As a vibrant and growing arts organization, TAPA empowers all in our region to experience the performing arts through concerts, recitals, education programs, community engagement and activation, private lessons, fully staged productions, and more.
In the fall of 2024, TAPA will move its headquarters to the former Masonic Temple adjacent to the Stranahan Theater on Heatherdowns Blvd. This new facility will serve as the artistic hub for all of TAPA's administrative offices, education programs, private lessons and group classes, some performances, and community programming.
