Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation

Mr. C.W. Moore migrated west to Washington in a covered wagon in 1851. In 1860, he partnered with B.M. DuRell to carry merchandise to the outlying country. The business prospered and the men followed the gold strikes to the Idaho Territory. Mr. Moore eventually set up shop in Ruby City where he met and married Catherine Minear. The Moores moved to Boise when Moore and DuRell chartered the First National Bank of Idaho, the first such charter in the northwest and only the second west of the Mississippi River. Mr. Moore actively participated in the early business and civic development of Boise, where his family and the Bank grew and prospered.
Laura, the Moores’ second child, was born and raised in Boise. She married J.W. Cunningham, who served as president of the Bank. Laura Moore Cunningham was dedicated to her community. She served as a director of the Children’s Home Society for over thirty years, was active in the Boise Red Cross, and strongly supported Boise Junior College.
Mrs. Cunningham continues to serve the Idaho community through this foundation, founded in 1963. Her family’s subsequent gifts and continued volunteer leadership have augmented and sustained the Foundation. The Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation is one of Idaho’s oldest and largest charitable foundations. The Foundation provides over four hundred fifty scholarships to Idaho students at community colleges, technical colleges and universities every year. The Foundation also funds nonprofit organizations throughout the State of Idaho through a competitive grant process every year, strengthening our communities and the state as a whole.