Huron County Community Foundation 2023 Annual Report

THE DAVI S FAMI LY ENDOWMENT FUND Stepping Up for the Future of the Community Married for 17 years, Bradley and Sarah Davis share an appreciation for giving back to their community—something they generally prefer to do quietly and frombehind the scenes. Born Bornand raised inNorwalk, Brad is afinancial advisor in the local officeof Edward Jones Investments. Sarah serves as a school volunteer andco-director of theNorwalkClothingBank. Together, they’re commi… ed to instillinga senseof philanthropy andgivingback in their sons, Hudson (13) andWeston (11), whilemakingadifference in theworldaround them. Shortly aŒer Brad joined theBoardof Directors atHuronCounty Community Foundation, where he now serves as Vice President, he and Sarah established the Davis Family Endowment Fund, which focuses on Huron County non-profits. “Combining strong leadershipwith pooled resources can create something special,” Brad says. “I’vewitnessed howwell-managed capital can positivelyimpact a community for many years to come, and a Donor-Advised Fund offers the flexibility to respond to emerging needs as they arise.” Grants from the Davis Family Endowment Fund have provided funding for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Paul’s Catholic Church, and different parks and recreation projects around town. Growing up in Huron, Sarah credits her parents for teaching her the value of helping others, a lesson she and Brad are passing down to their own children. “I’ve always enjoyed lending a hand whenever possible,” she says. She and Brad fondly remember volunteering along- side their boys one Saturday morning for an organization called ACT (Answering the Call Together), where they helped build wheelchair ramps for people withmobility issues. “I want my kids to understand the importance of stepping outside their comfort zone to channel their energies to help people in need.” In speaking of his hometown, Brad describes Norwalk as a community that has enjoyed 100+ years of philanthropy—through endowment funds established generations ago and in countless acts of charitable giving. He remembers a group of local leaders banding together to secure the remaining funding needed to build a new fire station, and several Norwalk residents stepping up during the 2008-09 recession to help a local furniture manufacturer get out of bankruptcy. “Generations of Norwalk residents have helped get this town and county where they are today,” he says. “I benefi… ed from their generosity growing up here. Seeing things from the other side now, I feel a sense of responsibility to keep things moving in the right direction. It is our time.” GROW