A foundation of Origin Utility · since 2014

Let her strength and perseverance be the light for others.

Named for Lillie Monsour, the LillieMon Foundation is how Origin Utility lends a hand in the communities where we work and play. We back students, families going through a hard stretch, and the causes our people and clients care about.

Apply or nominate How we give

How we give

Four doors into the foundation.

Each one gives Origin a different way to put the foundation's philosophy to work.

Employee designations

Origin employees nominate individuals or charities they have a personal connection with. Nominations are reviewed and awards made on the circumstances of each one.

For Origin employeesSee these awards

Client-sponsored charities

Our clients have charitable interests in the communities they serve. We support those from time to time, because investing where we work matters.

For Origin clientsSee these awards

III

Executive-directed awards

Origin's executive team is involved in organizations that help others. As requested, LillieMon directs support to them.

Executive teamSee these awards

Student support

Small scholarships and school programs for young people who need help pursuing their future goals. Awarded on need more than on grades. Everyone deserves a chance to prove what they can do.

For studentsSee these awards

Our philosophy

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

Our inspiration Lillie Monsour

Lillie Monsour was a daughter, a mother and a grandmother. Born in the Middle East in the early 1900s, she immigrated to the United States as a child. Her parents made a home in Meridian, Mississippi, where Lillie helped tend the family's small neighborhood grocery.

She was a very strong lady. Over time the family came up with an affectionate way of saying so. If someone's character reflected "LillieMon," they were strong, driven, self-sustaining and capable.

Origin's foundation carries her name for one reason: to help others become self-sustaining, reach their goals and find a path to the outcomes they want for themselves.

From the director

Lillie Monsour was my grandmother. She set an example for me as someone that persevered, had strength, and complained very little. While she didn’t have much, she gave what she had and was always motivated by lending a hand when she could.

Her essence lives on in her descendants, in generations beyond her own life. Lillie was a simple lady, but sometimes that is all it takes… simple, kind gestures in daily life.

Mark Black Founder and CEO, Origin Utility
Director, LillieMon Foundation

Awards

Where the gifts went.

The people and causes the foundation has supported over the years.

Tunnel to Towers FoundationA standing monthly gift to the foundation that pays off mortgages for the families of fallen first responders and builds homes for catastrophically injured veterans.Executive-directed

Light the Night, Blood Cancer UnitedSupported the Light the Night campaign led by a Spire colleague, funding research and patient services for blood cancer patients and their families.Client-sponsored

Artesian Golf Outing, DuPont Country ClubAnnual sponsor of the outing, which raises money for Delaware causes including Easterseals, Deep Roots, the Food Bank of Delaware, the Delaware Nature Society, Sussex County Habitat for Humanity and United Way of Delaware.Client-sponsored

Gaither High School Band, TampaGold-level sponsor of the marching band program, nominated by an Origin employee with a student in the band.Employee designation

A family in need, Odessa TXHelp for a family in the community of one of our Texas utility clients, through an employee nomination.Employee designation

Apply or nominate

Tell us about someone who needs a break.

Pick the option that fits and tell us a little about the person or cause. Every request goes straight to the foundation's director.

Contact

We like hearing from the communities we live in.

Feedback helps us learn where help is needed. Drop us a note at the address, or email our director, Mark Black.

LillieMon Foundation1930 Village Center Circle #3-704Las Vegas, NV 89134

DirectorMark Blackmblack@originutility.com