In 2017 and 2018 we had significant family responsibilities thrown at us that we never saw coming. After the extended illness and then passing of Todd’s father, we became fully responsible for the life and care of his mother, who is in the later stages of Alzheimer’s disease. In an instant, our lives were forever changed in so many unexpected ways.

While we still have a lot in front of us, we have looked to the future and the next chapter in our lives, and we landed on bettering the lives of people and animals through fundraising and community development. Hence, the formation of The Todd & Stephanie Schnick Foundation.

Warren Buffett gave Bill and Melinda Gates some great advice about philanthropy: “Don’t just go for safe projects,” he said. “Take on the really tough problems.”

We target issues that are close to our hearts, because passion is an important success factor. Our areas of focus include (and are not limited to) helping dementia caregivers and families, animal rescue, and literacy.

We are super-excited about our roles in this, and our new purpose, and we hope to make a real and significant impact for many loves and lives.