As longtime residents of the Baltimore metropolitan area, Lucy and Vernon Wright are keenly aware of the many needs of Baltimore’s inner city. “From an early age, my family — especially my father — instilled in me the importance of giving back to the community. It is Lucy’s and my intention to continue that spirit of giving.”
In 2000, the Wright Family Foundation was established to offer financial support to pre-selected organizations. The Wrights are committed to funding education institutions and nonprofit organizations that provide cultural, educational, and enrichment programs.
The work of the Wright Family Foundation has given Vernon H.C. Wright and Lucy B. Wright the opportunity to become active members of Baltimore’s philanthropic community. Due to their wide-range of personal interests, the Wrights have long supported a variety of charitable organizations both nationally and locally.
As the retired vice-chairman and chief corporate finance officer for MBNA America Bank, Vernon Wright remains active in the banking and securitization industry to this day. He is also an active alumnus of the University of Baltimore, serving as the Chair of the University of Baltimore Foundation as well as the Center for Global Business Studies’ Steering Committee.
Lucy Wright began volunteering in Baltimore’s inner city as a College of Notre Dame student in the 1960s. She then worked as a peer counselor at Clifton Park Junior High, and chose to work as a Parole Officer, seeing it as an opportunity to support women and their children. More recently, in conjunction with the Trust for Public Land, Lucy established the Prettyboy Watershed Alliance to advocate for the protection and restoration of this important Baltimore reservoir.
Ever mindful of involving the next generation, in 2005 the Trustees appointed their daughter, Katherine B. Wright, to the position of Executive Director. With this appointment, the Foundation has been able to expand its geographic reach to include Austin, Texas, where Katherine lives with her three children. Under Katherine’s leadership, the Foundation re-committed itself to providing educational and cultural opportunities for inner-city children, both in Baltimore and Austin.
In an effort to streamline procedures for Baltimore grantees, in 2007, the Foundation’s Trustees added Baltimore-based Mari Beth C. Moulton as Associate Executive Director. Mari Beth’s presence will allow the foundation to interact more consistently with educational funders in the area and provide local support for our grantees. Mari Beth has been with the Foundation as Staff Administrator since 2003.
