A Gift That Keeps Giving

THE STORY OF THE ONTARIO SYSTEMS—WIL DAVIS & RON FAUQUHER FUND

Finding the perfect gift for someone is quite a challenge under any circumstance. So how then do you find a gift that demonstrates your appreciation for life-changing positive impact? Well, Casey Stanley, the former Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Ontario Systems, as well as several then-colleagues, decided that the “perfect gift” to honor Ontario System’s co-founders, Wil Davis and Ron Fauquher, was to create a fund in their name through The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County.

In November of 2020, Ontario Systems held a special event to mark its 40-year history in the Muncie community. Hundreds of past employees, current staff, and community leaders celebrated all those contributing to the company’s success. The event’s finale and highlight was when Casey and his colleagues presented Wil and Ron with the Ontario Systems -- Wil Davis and Ron Fauquher Fund.

As an unrestricted fund, the fund does not have a specific charitable purpose, so the Foundation can meet the community’s changing needs now and in the future.

We wanted to give Wil and Ron a gift that would truly show the impact that they have had on so many people.

“Unrestricted doesn’t mean we have no idea where the money is going to go,” said Casey. “The Community Foundation is clear about their values and giving priorities, so we are comfortable with how they will invest the money. Since it’s unrestricted, though, the Foundation has the necessary flexibility to decide how to best use the fund to serve the community – well into the future.”

Those that worked closely with Wil and Ron shared Casey’s confidence in trusting their investment to The Community Foundation. They saw the opportunity to create a fund in Wil and Ron’s name as the best way to preserve the legacy of the Ontario Systems founders within the Muncie community.

“We wanted to give Wil and Ron a gift that would truly show the impact that they have had on so many people,” said Jay Moorman, a Muncie business leader and past Ontario Systems employee. “They were both seen as mentors by the Ontario Systems team – past and present.”

That sentiment was reiterated by so many that had the opportunity to work with them.

“There’s just no question that Wil and Ron have been a huge influence for all of us,” said Casey. “They have had a gravitational pull in our professional lives about not only learning how to operate a business, but how to do it with a particular set of values and principles and how to stay true to that.”

Casey explains that those values modeled by Wil and Ron include a responsibility to do the most with your gifts.

In short, they always said, “we must do well so we can do good.” In this case “good” implies serving the communities in which you live, work, and play.

With those values in mind, it only makes sense to create a fund through The Community Foundation, as those are the pillars of the Foundation.

“They [Wil and Ron] share common values. Those values are about doing things with integrity and doing things that will ideally create a lasting impact, both of which are things that The Community Foundation focuses on,” said Casey.

Casey also explained that they chose The Community Foundation because they wanted to create a fund to support the local Muncie and Delaware County community. Additionally, Wil and Ron have a close connection to The Community Foundation. They both are former board chairs, continue to serve as volunteers, and have a history of supporting the Foundation as donors.

We wanted to make a lasting impact on our community. Wil and Ron will live on through this gift.

Wil and Ron co-founded Ontario Systems in 1980 in Muncie, making Muncie the place where most of Ontario Systems employees live and work. This fund can be seen as a way of honoring all that Wil and Ron have done to invest in the community. Its impact will not only be felt today, but also continue for future employees and their families.

“The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County was a perfect way to honor Wil and Ron,” said Jason Harrington, former Ontario Systems CEO. “We wanted to make a lasting positive impact on our community and its people, and that is precisely the business of the Foundation. We know Wil and Ron will live on through this gift for many, many years.”

“There is no check that I will be able to write in my lifetime to repay either Wil or Ron for their contribution to my life -- my family’s life,” said Casey. “While there’s no gift I could possibly give that is proportionate to what they have given me, if in a small way I can do something that helps them understand how deeply they have impacted so many, then the joy is mine.”

Wil Davis and Ron Fauquher co-founded Ontario Systems in 1980.

Ontario Systems, now Finvi, has a 40-year legacy in the Muncie area. It is one of Indiana’s oldest and largest software companies, one that supplies revenue recovery software to some of the nation’s largest hospital systems, as well as government and accounts receivable management markets.