In the early 1990’s, Peter Mennen, the Postmaster in St. Helena, CA, was about to receive a life changing letter…

“Peter Mennen read the letter again. In a rush of elation and rage, he realized that stock in the family company had been left to him by his dear grandfather and hidden for years. Mennen, Inc had recently been acquired by Colgate-Palmolive, rendering all stock public. In the dispersion process Peter’s stock had surfaced.” (Paraphrased from, ‘The Far Side of Edan’ by Jim Conoway)

Peter was entranced by all he could now have. Yet with the support of his wife Carlene, he realized that a life focused on wealth, status, and possessions, like the one he had left, would not make him happy. Rather, partnered with Carlene’s innate ability to make big things happen, they chose to do good.

Beginning with Carlene’s instrumental role in the Utah Wilderness Inventory,  Carlene & Peter and the Mennen Environmental Foundation have used “ground-truth” and donated millions of dollars to environmental causes in the areas of conservation, rehabilitation, climate action, research, education and more. To this day, with its emphasis on partnership, collaboration, volunteerism, and measurable results, the Mennen Environmental Foundation continues to have an extremely meaningful impact!