Carolyn and Kip’s philanthropy spans decades, and their generosity has impacted communities in our state, in our country and around the world. They have dedicated their personal and professional lives to the service and inspiration of others.

Carolyn is the former owner of Doerle Food Services, LLC, a company founded in 1950 by Carolyn’s late father, Paul A. Doerle, Sr. Paul played an important role in Carolyn’s life, guiding and mentoring her professionally and philanthropically. Having served as the Chief Executive Officer and President since 1988, Carolyn purchased the company in 2003. Over the years, Carolyn has proven herself a top business leader, receiving numerous awards for her entrepreneurship, professionalism, civic involvement and community leadership.

Dr. William “Kip” Schumacher, M.D., FACEP is the Founder and Executive Chairman of SCP-Health (formerly Schumacher Group and Schumacher Clinical Partners). The company was established in 1994. Kip is board certified emergency medicine physician who has been honored as a Hero of Emergency Medicine by the American College of Emergency Physicians in 2007. He is also a national leader in the political and policy arenas, having served as Chairman and a Founding Member of both the Emergency Department Practice Management Association and the Physicians for Fair Coverage association. Over the years, Kip has spoken about and published articles on the challenges faced by the healthcare industry.

Both Kip and Carolyn have also served on countless boards and advisory councils. They have done so in service to the community, our state and the country. They have led and inspired others to serve.

In 2018, Kip and Carolyn founded the William C. Schumacher Family Foundation, establishing the foundation as a Supporting Organization of Community Foundation of Acadiana. The foundation focuses on groundbreaking initiatives executed through cooperative endeavors and strategic partnerships. Through the foundation and for years before, the Schumachers have advanced philanthropic initiatives in a number of areas – most notably as to disaster relief, mission aid and educational support.

For years, the Schumachers have been involved with the Kobonal Project in Haiti. Through their generosity and efforts, the Schumachers have helped to expand the reach of the Kobonal Project. Carolyn first became involved with Cross Catholic and Kobonal by volunteering Doerle Food Services, LLC to serve as a collection point in the Lafayette area for donations to the mission. Both Kip and Carolyn have visited the mission in Haiti where they helped to build homes, feed the needy and promote the microenterprise program.

In times of natural disaster, the Schumachers have led the way. Partnering with Eight Days of Hope, Kip and Carolyn were instrumental in accelerating the growth of Eight Days of Hope, expanding the organization’s capacity and geographical reach. Since then, tens of thousands impacted by natural disaster have been served through the Schumachers’ partnership with Eight Days of Hope.

The Schumachers’ vision also led them to invest in Leader in Me throughout Acadiana, doing so in partnership with United Way of Acadiana. The Leader in Me program fosters student-led learning, promotes student responsibility and teaches the social-emotional skills necessary for a student to be life-ready. Already, their contribution has positively impacted thousands of students throughout Acadiana.

The couple has also supported the development of Moncus Park by helping to raise substantial funding. Through their efforts, the construction of the Farmers’ Market Pavilion has been fully funded, and it will be named after Carolyn’s father, the late Paul A. Doerle, Sr.

Carolyn and Kip have partnered to give kids from low-income households a cause for hope. Through a matching grant to Bridge Ministry of Acadiana, they raised funds to empower lives through “spiritual transformation, education, and neighborhood revitalization” in Lafayette neighborhoods.

They support Leadworthy, a national program focused on building the leaders of tomorrow. Leadworthy is a teen leadership organization that is changing the way students take on personal responsibility, express themselves and make good decisions when problems arise.

The Schumacher’s philanthropic reach has gone as far as India, through the Pratham Education Foundation. Pratham is an innovative learning organization created to improve the quality of education in India. As one of the largest non-governmental organizations in the country, Pratham focuses on high-quality, low-cost, and replicable interventions to address gaps in the education system. Pratham is also the first major organization to achieve lasting, wide-scale success in India’s educational landscape.

And finally, in 2019, the William C. Schumacher Family Foundation partnered with Love Acadiana to create Love Our Schools. Love Our Schools raised over $1M to fund over 100 service projects performed at eight schools in Lafayette Parish. Additionally, nearly 3,000 volunteers renovated school campuses, five-thousand students received backpacks filled with school supplies, and 750 faculty and staff members were provided resources to purchase necessary supplies. Love Our Schools was created to raise awareness around public education, encouraging the community and our state to rise in support of improved academic outcomes.

The Schumachers have also supported organizations such as Solomon House, Academy of the Sacred Heart, Iberia Cultural Resources, Bayou Teche Museum, Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, Acadiana Center for the Arts, ACE Scholarships Louisiana LLC, Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana, and the fund for fallen officer Corporal Michael Middlebrook.