Spreading Morgan's smile by furthering her passions of dance, education and service.
Mission
The Morgan Judd Foundation's mission is simple - to advance the causes that mattered most to Morgan. She left an impact on many during her life, and we strive to continue that legacy of warmth, compassion, and care in the areas where she made the largest difference. We identify, support, and partner with charities, schools and other organizations that are furthering Morgan's passions of dance, education, and service.
History & Vision
Morgan’s tragic and unexpected passing on December 6, 2011 left an unbearable hole in our hearts. Morgan had so much goodness to offer the world, and suddenly we were forced to reckon with what that world would look like without Morgan’s light. At the moment of our most intense grieving, Morgan’s funeral, Father Jack offered us a poignant message that struck a profound chord: “Joy and Sorrow can sit at the same table.”
With this notion in mind, we established the Morgan Judd Memorial Fund to unite the community around her passing and both honor and extend Morgan’s legacy by promoting the causes that she cared most about. For the last 10 years, generous donations have allowed us to support charities and organizations that Morgan was passionate about and we know she would be proud of (more detail on the Impact page).
This past summer, ahead of the 10-year anniversary of Morgan’s passing, we established the Morgan Judd Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that gives us more structure and latitude to make an impact in the areas of Morgan’s passions – dance, education, and service. We are amplifying our fundraising efforts, and exploring creative new partnerships and formats to make a more targeted impact. We miss Morgan every day, but continue to be inspired by her example and the opportunity we have to bring her light to the world.
Dance
Dance was everything to Morgan. You could watch her perform for just a moment and recognize her gift. Her lifelong passion began at the age of 4 at the Metropolitan Academy of Dance in Denver, Colorado. Upon returning to Cincinnati in 2005, she found her home at The Studio for Dance. She enjoyed all forms of dance, including jazz, contemporary, clogging and tap, but her greatest love was ballet. Morgan truly excelled, performing with the Cincinnati Pops, the Cincinnati Ballet, Ursuline school musicals, cruise ships and King’s Island, and competing in countless regional and national competitions. She continued to pursue her passion as a Dance Minor and Dance Team Member at Wake Forest University.
And though Morgan enjoyed the technical craft, it was dance’s intangible qualities that mattered the most to her. Every Sunday of high school, Morgan volunteered for 8 hours at her local studio teaching the junior students. She truly loved seeing other young women develop the confidence, focus, and friendships that dance had given to her over the years. The Foundation is so proud to partner with organizations that mirror this commitment to dance’s life-changing capabilities.
Education
Education was central to Morgan’s life. Her academic accomplishments speak for themselves, though Morgan was too humble to admit them herself. She repeatedly and thoroughly beat her twin brother Michael in all performance comparisons, though Michael was the only one who was actually interested in the result. She was a consistent Honor Roll student at St. Mary & Ursuline, and was thriving in her first semester at Wake Forest University.
But more than scholastic achievement, Morgan viewed her schooling as an education of the mind and the heart. She was the recipient of the St. Mary Citizenship Award her 8th grade year, a peer-voted designation for the student that most embodies the principles of dependability, cooperation, and leadership. Morgan was as dedicated to her studies as she was to being a thoughtful student, kind classmate, and loyal friend. Morgan’s education fostered her well-rounded academic and personal development, and The Foundation honors this legacy by providing these same opportunities to young men and women.
Service
Morgan was always serving others. In addition to her teaching commitments on Sundays, she was involved in several of Ursuline’s community service organizations, and was a regular participant in any school-wide attempt to help those in need via food and donation drives.
Yet beyond structured channels, Morgan’s entire disposition was service-oriented. Morgan was selfless in the truest sense of the word. Morgan never had pretense or ulterior motives – she genuinely wanted to help, and often did so when no one was watching. When her brother Connor was hospitalized for several weeks in 2009 with complications from Crohn’s Disease, Morgan spent virtually every moment at his bedside. Her silent presence and light attitude helped Connor as he dealt with a life-changing disease. What mattered most to Morgan was impact, and she used her talents and time to make a difference the best way she knew how. The Foundation actively supports organizations and causes that carry forward that light of service that burned so brightly in Morgan.