“If you assume the responsibility of stewardship for an organization, you have to believe in it believe in it and be willing to contribute yourself. The Foundation’s impact, reach, and ability to enhance the well-being of Rhode Islanders is without parallel.”

"It feels good to help"

Lois W. and George Graboys Family Fund

George and Lois Graboys have given back to the community throughout their adult lives. Countless charitable acts for numerous nonprofits, including leading dozens of fundraising campaigns for worthy organizations during the past 30 years, have shaped the Graboys’ philanthropic legacy.

Their new donor advised fund at the Foundation will afford them the opportunity to respond to the community needs they see as critical. “We truly feel that if others are hurting, we hurt,” says Lois. “And to be honest, there is a selfish component to our giving; it feels good to help.”

As immediate past chairman of the Foundation, George, who served as acting president from November 2007 through August 2008, is in a unique position to judge the organization. “If you assume the responsibility of stewardship for an organization, you have to believe in it and be willing to contribute yourself. And the Foundation has always impressed me as a powerful vehicle for giving, unlike any other in the state. Its impact, reach, and ability to enhance the well-being of Rhode Islanders is without parallel.”

Married for 50 years, proud parents of three grown children and grandparents of five, the Graboys have enjoyed rewarding careers. Lois, a visual artist, art therapist, and art reviewer for many years in Rhode Island, continues to paint and now teaches art to senior citizens close to their home in nearby Massachusetts. George retired in 1992 as president, chairman, and chief executive officer of Citizens Bank. He served as chair of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education from 1995 to 1998 and was the state’s acting commissioner of higher education in 1996.

Natives of Fall River, Massachusetts, George and Lois raised their family in Barrington, where they lived for 40 years. They still feel strong ties to Rhode Island and especially value their affiliation with the University of Rhode Island, where George taught in the College of Business, and where they have established a scholarship endowment for minority students. George also now serves as chairman of the URI Foundation, a position that cements his lifelong commitment to public education. “Public universities are a vital resource for the community,” he notes. “In that way, the work of the URI Foundation and The Rhode Island Foundation is quite similar.”

The Graboys’ passion for service is mirrored in the paths their children have taken. One son is a major overseeing the Juvenile Division in the Montgomery, Alabama, police department. Another runs a health care consulting business that donates a portion of its earnings and its employees’ time to provide healthcare for underserved populations. And their daughter, an ordained rabbi, is a social worker for at-risk youth in Baltimore. “We have been blessed,” Lois reflects, “and one of our greatest blessings is that our children feel strongly about helping others. It’s a responsibility we all share.”