Kevin and Cindy Brewer know Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital from the outside in. When the hospital opened its new world-class facility in 2010, the Brewers were there with their company, LEO Events, to help coordinate the celebration. Earlier this year, they saw another side of Le Bonheur.

“Our younger son, George, recently had a brain tumor removed by the amazing neurological team at Le Bonheur,” Cindy says. “Our experience there was incredible; the place just oozes love and comfort. We had made gifts to Le Bonheur in the past, and we experienced the benefits of giving in a very personal way.”

Cindy and Kevin joined the Community Foundation’s GiVE 365 program in 2014. “Being part of GiVE 365 introduced us to underfunded organizations we didn’t know that deserve our support,” Cindy says. In 2017, on the advice of their financial planner, Sean Gould of Waddell & Associates, the Brewers opened both a personal and a company donor-advised fund at the Foundation.

“Besides the immediate tax benefits, a donor-advised fund is an effective way to grow and distribute our charitable gifts,” said Cindy. “Instead of writing a check here and there, we can be more intentional in what we mutually agree to support. The LEO Events charitable fund helps us gain better organizational control of our annual giving, as well as tax reporting.”

At the heart of the Brewers’ personal giving is the Jay Uiberall Legacy Fund at the Community Foundation. Kevin and Cindy are among the fund’s co-founders. “Jay was one of our favorite vendors,” says Cindy. “We wanted to see something positive come out of his untimely death.” The fund works to improve the lives of Memphians – primarily youth – by supporting programs that improve critical thinking skills. LEO Events contributes over 250 volunteer man-hours to Uiberall fund activities annually.

“We have a saying at LEO Events that giving back is the best part of who we are,” Cindy says. “We’re proud to be a part of Memphis and to support causes that change people’s lives.”

Excerpted from the 2018 Community Foundation Annual Report