Earl Stafford
When Earl sold his successful tech company, the UMass Amherst Isenberg graduate focused his attention on helping the less fortunate prosper.
Earl Stafford'76
I grew up one of 12 children. We weren't wealthy by any stretch of the imagination. But I remember more than once, my mother would send a pot of soup or something to another family who had less than we had. So that sharing, that giving attitude, was entrenched in us even as children. While I was in the military, I was able to receive scholarships, which led me to the University of Massachusetts. At UMass, I got a solid, rigorous academic experience and basis. But even more than that, it was like a family environment there at the university. And what has come out of that is the Stafford Foundation. I wanted to start a foundation that was based on helping people help themselves. The people that we seek to help weren't looking for you to be the solution to their issues. They were looking for help and assistance so that they can resolve their own issues and move ahead and live a life of dignity. We work with those of different denominations, different ethnic backgrounds. We provide scholarships, grants, and aids to help people become employed and to get school. You know, it doesn't take a lot to do a lot. Get in the habit of giving. Get in the habit of doing good one good deed at a time. You will be surprised at the effect that it has. I'm Earl Stafford, chairman and CEO of the Stafford Foundation. I stand for doing good in this world, and I stand for UMass.