History

Mike & Gillian Goodrich Foundation History

Mike and Gillian Goodrich had a deep connection with Birmingham, Alabama long before they established the Mike & Gillian Goodrich Foundation. Mike had spent most of his life in Birmingham where he had a successful career with the engineering and construction firm BE&K, Inc., rising to the position of Chairman and CEO. Gillian also spent much of her life in Birmingham, devoting a great deal of time in the nonprofit sector as a community volunteer and head of a corporate giving program. Upon the sale of BE&K in 2008, Mike and Gillian decided to create a family foundation that would mirror the strong values each experienced in their work and family lives.

The creation of a family foundation allows them to join with their children to look for long term sustainable solutions to complicated issues facing the Birmingham community. The complex web of problems that families and communities face should be addressed with long term solutions that would bring about systemic changes.

They believe in helping the Birmingham region grow and prosper. Through the arts and culture, excellent greenspaces and natural resources, a strong entrepreneurial economic system and support for many of Birmingham’s institutions, they hope to attract great talent to Birmingham that will keep it healthy and vibrant. Their goal is to be a catalyst for civic transformation and for the transfer of innovative ideas.

Because of their connections to and love for west Alabama, and due to a lack of resources available in that area, they dedicate a portion of the Foundation’s resources to supporting that area of the state.

The overarching purpose is to help others build a better life for themselves—in Birmingham, in the Black Belt and in the State of Alabama. At the Foundation, we believe in helping provide a level playing field where every person has the opportunity to develop his or her talents to their full potential. We believe that education can and should provide the means by which those born into less fortunate circumstances can create a better life for themselves.