Karen Phelps ’87 is a passionate and tireless advocate for children, widely recognized for her philanthropic work in grief, addiction, and suicide prevention.

Co-founder of 22-year-old Eluna Network, Karen created national camps for kids who deal with grief and addiction at home. The Emmy Award-winning HBO documentary One Last Hug chronicles her humanitarian work. Her leadership and commitment inspired the inception of Eluna’s National Center for Resources and Support which provides resources, support, and referrals for families with at-risk children impacted by grief and/or family addiction.

As a founding executive committee member of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, Karen co-led the task force that created the national guidance for survivors of suicide loss, and she continues to work on changing the conversation through the NAASP. 

Karen has been an entrepreneur for decades. She most recently launched the Golden Touch Collective and Golden Minds, which mutually support student-athletes in the NIL space within the tri-campus community in Notre Dame, along with mental health and wellness through education and other resources. 

Her vision for this endeavor stems from the alarming rise in rates of anxiety and depression in college sport—including the tragic number of national suicides and the abrupt retirement of student-athletes over their mental health. The momentum of both entities excites Karen in hopes that this movement in mental health leads the way for others. 

Karen has received many honors for her leadership and efforts to improve the lives of children, including the Pearl S. Buck International Woman of the Year Award and the National Hospice Foundation’s Humanitarian Leadership Award. She was also recognized as one of the top 100 women pioneers in Washington State with the Helen H. Jackson “Women of Valor” Award.

She is a devoted mother of eight children, including two daughters from Guatemala. A 1987 Notre Dame graduate, she is the daughter of Digger Phelps and Teresa Godwin Phelps and sister to Rick Phelps and Jennifer Phelps Caringi, ND ’91.

Karen says she is humbled and honored to receive the Rockne Humanitarian Award. 

“My roots started at the age of five at Notre Dame when my family arrived in South Bend,” says Karen. “It is here where I was taught compassion for others and that giving back is something we all owe to our communities. With it, we can make a difference!”

The Phelps family has owned Knute Rockne’s house in Michigan since 1978, and Karen feels this connection and the Rockne Humanitarian Award both hold the spirit of Knute.