Our Story
Gerry & Hanky at the Tiger Homecoming DanceGHR Foundation’s purpose is to be of service to people and their limitless potential for good.
Inspired by the Catholic social values and entrepreneurial spirit of our founders, Gerald and Henrietta Rauenhorst, we form deep connections with a focused set of partners that have the capabilities for transformational impact through our programs — Alzheimer’s Prevention, Global Church Vitality and Thriving Local Community.
Gerald (Gerry) Rauenhorst was born in Olivia, MN, one of eight children and the son of tenant farmers. He began his business career at age six, selling sweet corn on the highway. It was at this young age, Gerry learned practical lessons on the necessity of hard work and faith.
As a student at St. Thomas College in St. Paul, Gerry invited Henrietta (Hanky) Schmoll, a girl from the College of St. Catherine, to a homecoming dance – a date that launched a lifetime together. The couple was married in 1950 and spent the next six decades raising seven children and living out their shared commitment to Catholic social values.
Three years after they married, Gerry used their $354 in savings to start the business that would become the Opus Group, where he pioneered the design-build approach to construction. By providing both architecture and construction services, he found he could design solutions faster and more efficiently while absorbing risk for his clients. This groundbreaking approach was later recognized by the Design-Build Institute of America with a lifetime achievement award.
Ever-mindful of the inextricable link between business and community, Gerry and Hanky started GHR Foundation just 15 years after launching Opus. Based on what Gerry learned from the construction business, they shaped the Foundation with a unique approach to philanthropy – apply a design-build method for helping others. A powerful approach that has resulted in a ripple effect of good across the globe.