Prince Paisley Park Alumni Launch Charitable Foundation in His Honor
6/9/2017 by Gail Mitchell – Billboard.com
As Prince’s birthday week (June 7) comes to a close, a new foundation is being launched in his honor. The nonprofit PRN (Prince Rogers Nelson) Alumni Foundation — whose board of directors is comprised of former Paisley Park employees — is dedicated to aiding the various causes and charities that Prince supported over the years.
In a statement announcing the establishment of the PRN Alumni Foundation, former Paisley Park Enterprises president (1989-1993) Craig Rice said, “Prince’s philanthropic activities are an important component of his legacy. Therefore, our goal is to continue supporting the charitable initiatives that were important to him. His financial generosity, most often anonymous, helped provide opportunities for underprivileged youth to pursue their dreams in music, the arts and education.”
Rice serves as secretary for the foundation’s board of directors. His fellow officers are president Jacqui Thompson and treasurer Harlan Austin. Currently working on future events and programs that will be announced over the coming months, the foundation has also launched the e-commerce website PRNalumni.org. The site features an array of items available for purchase, including hoodies, T-shirts and mugs.
Susan Rogers, a PRN board member and Paisley Park’s engineer/studio recordings (1983-1988) told Billboard, “Prince’s [work] team shared a common core: dedicated, loyal professionalism with an instinct to look out for one another. Through the PRN Alumni Foundation, those who knew his generosity of spirit toward communities and children can carry on the kind of work that helped define Prince.”