Our History

Rooted in Maine

Fritz and Susan grew up in Farmington, a small town in the western foothills of Maine, which instilled in them a passion for rural community and access to local art and music. They carried these ideals with them when creating the foundation, aspiring to improve the collective quality of life in Maine by focusing on community, sustainability, and equity.

In 2004, Fritz and three colleagues founded Pluralsight, a company dedicated to teaching technology skills to practicing software engineers. As Pluralsight grew, it provided the means to further fund the foundation. Fritz and Susan continue to serve on the advisory board of Pluralsight One, the philanthropic branch that strives to increase access to technology skill development and promote diversity in the technology workforce.

Letting Values Guide the Way

The values Fritz and Susan adopted while living rurally and growing Pluralsight forged the cornerstones of what would become the Onion Foundation in 2014. Initially including a focus on STEM education and literacy, the foundation later narrowed its focus to two of the original program areas: the environment and the arts. In its first ten years, the foundation awarded more than 1,800 grants to organizations across all 16 Maine counties.

A Foundation for a Better Future

Today, Fritz, Susan, and the Onion Foundation team work to ensure that everyone has access to meaningful experiences in the arts and the natural environment. While the foundation’s areas of focus have shifted slightly throughout the last decade, the core values behind the work haven’t. Access, equity, and learning continue to form the bedrock of everything the foundation supports — all in service to Maine and its people.