During his 50-year career in the financial industry, George Mairs has become known for astute investments, backed by sound research. He approaches his charitable “investments”—including a recent gift to Wilder Foundation—with the same thoroughness and attention to detail.

Mairs and his wife, Dusty, established the Louise and George Mairs Fund for Community Research on behalf of the Wilder Foundation. Named after Mairs’ parents, the fund supports the work of Wilder Research.

There’s an urgency in his voice when Mairs explains the rationale behind the gift. “We as a society need to evaluate outcomes in the area of human services—establish the link between cost and benefit,” said Mairs. “In my business, we do thorough company research, because the more we know about a company, the better we can evaluate how well they’ll do as an investment.

The same principles apply to human services. If you don’t have a way to evaluate the effectiveness of your programs, how can you make sound decisions about whether to change it?

That’s the kind of information Wilder Research is able to provide.

“I’ve also been impressed by the Research Center’s role in identifying unmet community needs,” continued Mairs. “Using that information, Wilder Foundation is able to design and execute programs that respond to those needs. But just as important, Wilder is willing to discontinue programs when research shows that the need has been ameliorated or that it’s being addressed by others.”

The Mairs’ gift will help secure the future of the organization, but it is also rooted in history.

“From the time I was a youngster, I was aware of Wilder,” said Mairs. “When we’d drive downtown, we’d pass the Wilder mansion across from the Cathedral on Summit, then pass the Wilder Baths near Seven Corners. That’s the kind of program I’m talking about—many of the community’s poor didn’t have running water, so the Wilder Baths filled a need. Once indoor plumbing became more available, Wilder closed the baths and used those resources for other programs.”

Mairs’ fascination with the Wilder Foundation was further piqued when the Frank Rarig Jr. family moved into his neighborhood. At the time, Rarig was president of Wilder Foundation. “I had great respect for him,” said Mairs. “Wilder has always been characterized by strong administrative leadership and an impressive board that provides important oversight to the organization.”

“I grew up knowing about Wilder,” concluded Mairs. “And the more I learn, the more sold I am on supporting this organization.”