The Eleanor Kagi Foundation – A Lynn M. Bennett Legacy

The Eleanor Kagi Foundation – A Lynn M. Bennett Legacy carries on the important philanthropy of the late Lynn Bennett, widow of Sahara Hotel and Casino owner William (Bill) Bennett. Lynn had a special fondness for education and animal welfare. She passed away in 2006.

The Lynn M. Bennett Early Childhood Development Center at UNLV is an example of her thoughtful generosity. In 2004, Lynn was awarded the President’s Medal for her extensive contributions to the university.

The Kagi Foundation is named in memory of Lynn’s mother, Eleanor Kagi, a woman of modest means, whose kindness enriched and inspired those around her. Eleanor was born in Switzerland in 1917 and moved to the New York area as a child. After high school, she worked in retail and later became a secretary. Eleanor also married and had three children, Lynn being the eldest. The family eventually moved to Arizona where they met William Bennett. Lynn and Bill took great pride in the operations of the Sahara, but also loved to travel and invite friends to visit them on their yacht. Eleanor passed away in 1981.

The Kagi Foundation has supported a host of charitable organizations in Southern Nevada. Their focus at UNLV has included the Black Mountain Institute, the Military and Veterans Service Center, the Lynn M. Bennett Mental Health Fellowship in the Partnership for Research, Assessment, Counseling, Therapy, and Innovative Clinical Education (The PRACTICE), and the Women’s Research Institute of Nevada.