About
History
Lou Austin, 1892-1976, a Philadelphia businessman, put a third mortgage on his house in 1932 and bought a dilapidated resort and mineral spring at Capon Springs, West Virginia.
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Austin failed in trying to sell the water, but ended up working with his wife Virginia and neighbors to renovate the resort. The business still makes a living for the Austin family and over 100 coworkers, and provides a cherished retreat for thousands of guests.
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Along the way, Lou Austin made many mistakes, but things started going right when he let an unseen Higher Power guide him in all aspects of his life. He shared his journey in his 1955 spiritual autobiography, You are Greater Than You Know.
Two years later he was guided to write a children’s book, The Little Me and the Great Me, which has sold several hundred thousand copies over the years.
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Lou and Virginia Austin and their children — the late Porter, Ted, Virginia-Lou, and Claire — formed the Partnership Foundation in 1949, to “promote the Partnership of Man and Maker” by making his writings and insights available to people world wide. Lou and Virginia’s grandchildren, along with several neighbors and guests, reorganized the foundation in 2022.
Purpose
The corporation is organized, and will be operated, exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, and literary purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (“the Code”), or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
More specifically, the purpose is to enable those of all ages, creeds and walks of life to adopt the simplest truth about human nature - the Partnership concept: that our Creator's spirit is within every person as an active Partner, eager to guide us to life's greatest treasures — an understanding heart, love of family and friends, work that serves, inner peace, natural and radiant health, a deeper and more satisfying life, and respect for all people and all Creation.
People
