The Lintilhac Foundation was established in 1975 by Claire Malcolm Lintilhac, mainly to support the pioneering development of a nurse-midwife program at what is today the UVM Medical Center.

Since her death in 1984, Crea and Phil Lintilhac have been the driving force behind the Foundation, with the third generation of family trusteeship - their children Louise M.S.'14, William '10, and Paul - now fully engaged in directing the organization's philanthropic efforts. Meeting quarterly, the five trustees, aided by long-time administrative assistant Nancy Brink, review and distribute award funding to numerous forward-looking institutions across Vermont.

The Lintilhac Foundation has been among the most generous and engaged supporters of UVM and the UVM Medical Center. Weaving together commitment to evidence-based decision making and passion to improve the world, they have invested themselves and their philanthropy in addressing several pressing challenges facing Vermont, the nation, and the world.

They have repeatedly supported research, programmatic initiatives, and facilities at UVM, driving real-world solutions in numerous areas, including climate change, water quality, maternal health, community journalism, environmental science, and basic research. The Lintilhacs have made gift s to UVM every year since 1976, supporting nearly 150 different funds in approximately 40 academic and administrative units.

Crea graduated from Skidmore College in 1975 and earned a Master of Science in Teaching with a concentration in geology from UVM in 1978. After additional post-graduate studies and research in New England and Scotland - and teaching at UVM and elsewhere - she became director of the Lintilhac Foundation in 1984.

Since then, she has built a reputation as a dedicated public servant, lending her energy and expertise to numerous nonprofit boards and advisory committees - including the Rubenstein School Board of Advisors and the Program Advisory Committee of the Lake Champlain Sea Grant Institute (a collaboration between UVM and SUNY-Plattsburgh). Crea has been recognized with an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Middlebury College (1998) and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from UVM (2014).

Phil graduated from UVM in 1963 with a Bachelor of Science in botany, an earned a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1971. He has served on the UVM faculty for over 45 years as a research professor specializing in plant development and the cellular architecture of plants. Phil has published extensively in leading peer reviewed journals, and his research excellence has been recognized by the Botanical Society of America with its Centennial Award. Phil and Crea reside in Shelburne, Vermont.

Since 2012, the UVM Foundation has presented this award to deserving individuals or couples who have demonstrated a passionate commitment to furthering the efforts of philanthropy at UVM through their leadership, vision, volunteerism, and personal philanthropy. Recipients of this award must be lifetime members of the Ira Allen Society with demonstrated impact promoting and expanding philanthropy that supports the University of Vermont.