For Harold Bristol and his wife, Noni, philanthropy went way back. Both of the couple’s parents served as wonderful examples for lending a hand. So when Noni and Harold married at age 22, it was natural for them to begin giving right away. The pair was charitable to their church early on and later, as their careers grew, expanded their giving to additional organizations they loved within the community and the world.
Growing up, the stories Harold’s father would tell around the dinner table about the people he met made a great impression on him.
“He had a knack for extending the hand of friendship to others and was a wonderful role model,” he said.
Harold described his mother as an outstanding woman, from whom he learned a lot about community involvement. In the 1940s she served as a regional vice president of the League of Women Voters and completed two terms on the board of education.
Collectively, Harold and Noni’s generational giving continued to evolve over time.
“In my 89th year, I decided to establish a legacy fund at the Community Foundation in order to ensure our charitable intentions continue to make progress after I am gone, through a gift that will not stop giving,” he said. “Our legacies will be carried on through the fund for generations, while the impact of our giving grows beyond what we could have imagined.”
