Don Bauters

Don Bauters joined Edward Lowe Industries (ELI) and the Edward Lowe Foundation in 1986. He has held a variety of financial positions and was promoted to director of finance and treasurer in 1990. During that year, he assisted with the sale of ELI’s cat-litter business to Golden Cat, a South Bend, Ind.-based company. (Golden Cat was later bought by Ralston Purina, which was acquired by Nestlé SA in 2001.) Bauters also helped divest remaining for-profit businesses following Ed Lowe’s death in 1995, with proceeds transferring to the foundation.

In his current role, Bauters is gatekeeper for all fiscal activities at the foundation, overseeing any agreements involving financial obligations and managing the organization’s cash-flow position. He assists the directors of physical resources and programs to develop cost and capital investment plans for their respective areas. He makes recommendations to the foundation’s investment committee and tracks investment performance. Bauters also administrates the organization’s 401(k) plan and maintains all records and reports required by government regulation for private foundations.

Prior to ELI and the foundation, Bauters worked at Crowe Chizek in South Bend, Ind., where he was a manager of the CPA firm’s audit group. During his nine-year tenure at Crowe, Bauters also consulted with closely held businesses, assisted with tax planning and was a member of Crowe’s healthcare group.

Bauters graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor’s degree in business. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Indiana CPA Society. He has also been active in a number of not-for-profit organizations, including St. Joe County Habitat for Humanity, where he was treasurer, and the board of Notre Dame Credit Union, where he was chairman of the audit committee.