The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust was established upon the death of Nina Mason Pulliam on March 26, 1997, to support for 50 years the causes she loved in her home states of Arizona and Indiana. The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust seeks to help people in need, especially women, children and families; to protect animals and nature; and to enrich community life primarily in metropolitan Phoenix and Indianapolis.
In 2001, the Trust established the Nina Mason Pulliam Legacy Scholars program in tribute to the life and values of its benefactress. Participating schools are Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Ivy Tech State College-Indianapolis Campus, Arizona State University (ASU), and Maricopa Community Colleges (MCC).
In 2009, IUPUI University College recognized the Trust for its partnership with IUPUI by nominating it for an IUPUI Spirit of Philanthropy Award. The Trust has developed support systems for IUPUI undergraduates transitioning through life and college by establishing the Nina Pulliam Legacy Scholars Program. The College stated that, "the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust enriches community life by impacting and nurturing lives toward educational success. Truly, the Trust understands the importance of building and sustaining 'excellence in learning' environments that impact our retention and, in turn, the social and economic lifestyles of Indiana."
In 2016, The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust and the School of Informatics and Computing have joined forces to provide real-world applications of informatics and computing to high school students with a goal of filling the critical IT workforce shortage.
The Informatics Diversity-Enhanced Workforce initiative -- a year-round collaborative and project-based learning program focused on underrepresented minorities -- kicked off in fall 2015 at Providence Cristo Rey, Pike and Arsenal Technical high schools. Through innovative learning modules, informatics and computing faculty introduce participants to societal problems so students can create their own solutions using technology. The program also includes dual credit, incentives, mentorship and internships and prepares students to seek two- and four-year IT training programs.
