Benefitting Business and Community

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. 

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.

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.