NEENAH — The J.J. Keller Foundation recently produced its first annual report. But unless you go online, you probably won’t see it.

“We’re not going to waste money printing it. It’s just not who we are,” said Mary Harp-Jirschele who became the foundation’s first full-time executive director in January 2008.

As a leader in philanthropic giving, the Keller Foundation — whose gifts to the community have totaled $21.2 million — is receiving special recognition from The Post-Crescent for making a difference to so many organizations in the Fox Valley.

The need to help people with basic necessities — such as food, shelter and clothing — has never been more critical. And it is the mission of the J.J. Keller Foundation.

Family patriarch John “Jack” Keller established the foundation in 1991 in celebration of wife Ethel’s 70th birthday. Ethel passed away in 2004, and Jack followed in 2007. The settlement of the Kellers’ personal estate, which was valued at more than $80 million at the time, was given to the foundation.

The influx of money required the board of directors to establish a more formalized structure, which began at the start of 2008 and necessitated the need for an executive director, an online grant application system and a gift-matching program for employees of J.J. Keller & Associates.

More than $15.7 million in funds had been distributed through the John J. and Ethel D. Keller Donor Advised Fund at the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region during the past 15 years. And since 1991, more than $5.58 million was gifted by the J.J. Keller Foundation.

But in 2008 alone, more than $3.5 million was distributed to the community through the two organizations.

Each of the five board members of the foundation last year also received an additional $100,000 to gift to whatever 501-C3 charities they designate. Foundation co-director Marne Keller-Krikava, for example, teamed up last year with Cathie Tierney, president and CEO of Community First Credit Union. Each of the women offered to match $30,000 in community giving and, in the end, $40,947 was contributed through a community challenge for the Women’s Financial Literacy Program.

Two years ago, the Keller Foundation partnered with the U.S. Oil Open Fund resulting in the Basic Needs Giving partnership, and last year matched grants totaling $750,000. The giving partnership, which yearly distributes more than $1 million to organizations fighting to resolve poverty issues in Green Bay and the Fox Cities, expanded to Oshkosh this year.

The foundation also joined forces with The P-C to help other donors make a tremendous difference in the lives of people in the Fox Valley, said Dan Flannery, executive editor of The P-C.

“The J.J. Keller Foundation has been a strong partner in many key ways. Not only did they put our Do It campaign for the Community Emergency Prescription Drug Fund over the top last summer, but their matching grant for the Stock The Shelves campaign helped us set a donation record we never thought was possible.

“The Stock The Shelves campaign’s previous record was in 2007, when we collected $28,300 to help food pantries and programs around the Valley. A year later, thanks in large part to the Keller Foundation’s $35,000 matching grant, we collected more than $73,000, well more than double the previous year’s donations.”

Although Appleton’s St. Joseph Food Program was among the food pantries receiving money from the campaign, it fell short of its year-end fundraising goal, and it was announced the distribution of milk and produce would be drastically cut. Again, the Keller Foundation stepped up to the plate.

“We said, ‘We’ll give you $25,000 check to St. Joe’s but we’ll challenge the community to give the other $25,000,’” Harp-Jirschele said. Within 48 hours, more than $100,000 was raised. “It’s that kind of philosophy that the family has that they’re going to give until there isn’t a need anymore.”

“We were exceptionally grateful for that because it kept us from having to cut our milk program,” said St. Joseph’s operations manager Monica Clare. “So it was help right when we needed it.”

Before 2008, Keller-Krikava ran the foundation with her grandmother, Ethel Keller. Harp-Jirschele was brought aboard to facilitate grant making, board relations, communications, publicity and community engagement, operations, governance and planning.

“The first day I started, Bob (Keller) said to me ‘I need my daughter’s head in J.J. Keller Associates, but she can keep her heart in the foundation.’ That’s a wonderful message to carry through,” said Harp-Jirschele who occupies Grandma Keller’s office.

Passing the $20 million mark wasn’t something the family set out to do, but rather the continuation of a tradition carried on in memory of Jack and Ethel Keller.

“We have made a significant impact on local nonprofits thanks to their vision and philanthropic philosophy,” said their son Robert Keller, president of the J.J. Keller Foundation board of directors, chairman and chief executive officer of J.J. Keller & Associates.