Dick Schwab and Katherine Burford

Dick Schwab and Katherine Burford share a commitment to the community. In December 2000, they shaped that commitment into a generous gift that became the cornerstone of the Community Foundation of Johnson County. The couple donated a large gift of securities to the newly formed Foundation, which in turn invested those funds and distributed the investment earnings according to the directions of the donor.

Schwab and Burford designated a portion of their donation as a Founder’s Gift, designed to defray the Foundation’s operating expenses during its early years. The balance of the gift went into an endowment fund, which has provided grants in five areas of concern they designated: arts and culture, health and human services, local philanthropy, education, and elderly services. Schwab is a former Foundation board of directors member who continues to generously give of his time.