Shinkle Society

What is the Shinkle Society?

Established in 1882 by Covington entrepreneur Colonel Amos Shinkle, Children’s Home of Northern Kentucky is the result of one man’s vision to provide a safe haven for children in need. Now, generations later, CHNK continues to provide safety and care for thousands of youth who are grappling with mental health disorders, addiction, and other serious trauma. In the summer of 2011, as CHNK experienced a renewal of mission, focus, and energy, the CHNK team followed in Shinkle’s footsteps by launching the Shinkle Society, a premier giving circle for the agency that focuses on CHNK’s most significant and urgent needs.

Shinkle was not born into money. One of ten children in a typical working class family, he left home at the age of 18 to become a riverboat cook on the Ohio River. That experience led Amos to become an entrepreneur – and one of the wealthiest men in Northern Kentucky during the 1800s. Shinkle made his fortune through a variety of avenues – coal, riverboats, real estate, and banking, to name a few – and similarly, he divided his wealth among numerous philanthropic endeavors in the Covington area, including the establishment of CHNK.

Even though Shinkle could have financed the home on his own, he knew the power and importance of community engagement and ownership. So he brought in 12 of his closest friends and colleagues to help make his vision for the home a reality … a home that had dignity both in its physical appearance and in the services it offered to the children in its care. Likewise, the Shinkle Society is geared towards community partners with a heart for service and the financial stability to make a dramatic positive impact on youth served by CHNK.

Membership in the society is awarded to Individuals or businesses making monetary gifts totaling $5,000 or more to CHNK over the course of a fiscal year (July 1 through June 30).  Members receive advance notice of major agency accomplishments, access to special VIP events, complimentary attendance to – and recognition at – CHNK’s Annual Dinner of the Board of Trustees, and the sense of purpose that comes with knowing the investment has a direct, immediate impact on youth and families in crisis.

Shinkle worked on the beautiful Ohio River all his life and is perhaps best known for financing the construction of the iconic Suspension Bridge connecting Covington and Cincinnati, but the philanthropy he offered throughout his time in Covington was his true bridge-building legacy. CHNK encourages the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati community to continue building bridges to better futures for the abused, neglected, and at-risk children in CHNK’s care by joining the Shinkle Society.

Interested in joining the Shinkle Society at CHNK Behavioral Health? Make your tax-deductible gift today at www.chnk.org/donate.