Investing in the Communities We Serve

What makes a community a desirable place to live? For Donald D. Pearson, Chairman of Kurfiss Sotheby’s International Realty (Kurfiss SIR), the answer lies in quality of life. Most of us want to live and work in communities that are safe and clean with good schools and exceptional services. We seek out communities that offer cultural enrichment, leading hospitals with state-of-the-art medical care, green space and recreational facilities.

Asked how we build such communities, Pearson replies, “By building partnerships with our social, educational and cultural institutions. At Kurfiss SIR, we want to support the organizations that provide the services that make quality of life better. We do this by investing our time, serving on boards of directors, and of course, strategically placing our corporate giving dollars in the areas where we live and work.”

Among the organizations we think are making important contributions to the community are Central Bucks Cares, Doylestown Hospital, The James A. Michener Art Museum, Central Bucks Family YMCA, Heritage Conservancy and Bucks County Audubon Society, to name a few.

For 10 years, Central Bucks Cares has provided programs for children and families. They sponsor community service awards for kids, positive coaching for coaches and parents, First Night and Martin Luther King Day events, plus numerous other programs designed to help kids make healthy decisions. Pearson and the brokerage’s vice chairman, Troy Putt-Baker, serve on the CB Cares board of directors, and the company contributes to its ongoing programs.

Every corporation hopes its gifts will somehow make a meaningful difference in the work of the recipient. When thinking about how best Kurfiss SIR could help its local hospital, Pearson wanted to partner with the Doylestown Hospital to provide exceptional nursing care in oncology. He knew from family experience the value good nursing care is to patients coping with cancer. The program Kurfiss SIR funded, now in its sixth year, has provided thousands of hours of training to local nurses. Matching funds further leveraged the Kurfiss SIR gift.

Central Bucks YMCA is in the midst of a capital fund drive to build a new swimming pool and teen center. When asked to serve on the steering committee, Putt-Baker wanted to find a way to get the corporation’s business partners involved. Together with mortgage, title and insurance services, the team decided to make a contribution for every transaction completed for one year.

Helping to sponsor fundraising events is another way Kurfiss SIR chooses to help certain community institutions. This year Kurfiss SIR will sponsor “Cabin Fever Feast” to benefit the Central Bucks Audubon Society. The March event raises money for general ecological programs. Kurfiss SIR will also supply a gift to be auctioned and many of its staff and Realtors plan to attend.

All of these organizations provide services that enrich lives and strengthen the community. “Whether we volunteer our time or money, we participate in good works and share in the benefits to the community. It’s a win/win for all of us,” said Pearson.