January Focus: Igniting Corporate Giving
Benefitting Business and Community
AS THE NEW YEAR SPARKS NEW GOALS and aspirations, finding connection in the goodwill of others inspires us to continue our own habits of generosity and community service.
While individual giving draws well-deserved attention in our stories, local changemakers are also harnessing the power of corporate giving. Mutual support is essential to growing local businesses, from a recent tech startup to one that has called Muncie home for over a century. Read on to hear about how four standout business owners are giving back to their loyal Delaware County community year-round.
Wil Davis and Ron Fauquher - Ontario Systems
“We must do well so we can do good,” say Wil Davis and Ron Fauquher, the co-founders of Ontario Systems. The software company, now called Finvi, is one of the largest and oldest in Indiana, with a legacy built right in Muncie’s backyard since 1980.
In November 2020, Ontario Systems executives presented a gift to honor their co-founders: the Ontario Systems – Wil Davis and Ron Fauquher Fund, an unrestricted fund. “Unrestricted doesn’t mean we have no idea where the money is going to go,” but rather “the Foundation has the necessary flexibility to decide how to best serve the community – well into the future,” said Casey Stanley, then VP of Marketing and Business Development for Ontario System. Casey now serves as the Foundation’s Board Chair.
This fund not only shows a lifetime of gratitude to the founders, but also preserves their mission to “do good” for years to come. “We know Wil and Ron will live on through this gift for many, many years,” said former Ontarion Systems CEO Jason Harrington.
Murray Family - Murray’s Jewelers
In 2010, Murray’s Jewelers, a staple of downtown Muncie’s retail district, celebrated its 125th anniversary. To mark the momentous occasion, the fourth- and fifth-generation owners established the Murray’s Jewelers Scholarship to benefit the community that’s supported them for over a century. Todd Murray said he felt the time was right “to start giving back to the community that has supported us.”
To grow the fund, the family conceptualized a “Scholarship Box” - each workday, the first $10 of income is placed into the box, and patrons are invited to supplement the family’s donation. “When you get the community involved, it’s a nice full circle,” says Todd, who hopes to inspire other Muncie retailers to begin funds of their own.
The Murray’s Jewelers Scholarship Fund supports seniors graduating from Delaware County high schools who have a 3.0 GPA and plan to study fine arts or business at an Indiana college or university. The Murrays appreciate the impact their fund will have for “a family and a student who could use some financial help” - perhaps even one of their own patrons or neighbors, says Todd.
Dustin Humm - eKeeper Systems
“Everything that I care about boils down to being extraordinary through service to others, and that’s what I’ve tried to embody in eKeeper Systems... We are here to serve our community, and The Community Foundation is a gateway to an enormous number of great things. I want to help that gate open a little wider,” says Dustin Humm, founder and President of eKeeper systems.
The Delaware County tech business offers self-proclaimed “IT consultants on steroids,” to their growing list of clients, but their growth does not mean that they’ve left behind their roots – in fact, quite the opposite. “This community is the one that raised me, and it’s the one that trained me, and it’s the one that supports me today. There’s no reason that it shouldn’t be a completely reflective relationship,” says Dustin.
In 2018, Dustin established the eKeeper Systems Unparalleled Excellence Scholarship Fund with the Foundation, which is granted to high school students who excel in their grades, extracurriculars, and community involvement – or in Dustin’s words, the “great people” of tomorrow.
Steve Smith - Mid-West Metal Products
As a third-generation businessman, Steve Smith understands the importance of community. Since opening as a hardware business in 1926, Mid-West Metal Products has called Muncie its home. Today, the company’s 90 years of experience has turned Mid-West Metal Products into a do-it-all metal fabricator, standing strong in the heart of Delaware County.
In 2013, Steve Smith, CEO and grandson of one of Mid-West Metal Products’ earliest founders, decided to establish a new way of giving back to the community that’s supported them for so long. After serving on the board of The Community Foundation, Steve established the Mid-West Metal Products Fund as an unrestricted fund to support ongoing community work.
From his time with the Foundation, Steve came to one major conclusion, saying “It comes down to this: We want to raise money, we want to grow money, and we want to distribute money. The Community Foundation is very good at all three.” As for his family’s legacy, “We’ve been here since 1921, and we want to be here a lot longer. We want to help the community along the way.”
Make a Difference
Caring, giving donors are key to developing an enduring source of charitable assets to benefit our community today, tomorrow, and always.