Board of Directors

CJ Evans

Founder, Principle Donor, Chair Person

The Susan Jean Murphy Living Legacy Fund was established and received its initial funding from Susan's husband, CJ Evans, who serves as the Fund's chair person.

CJ said in establishing the fund, "Susan's passion to help the needy gave incredible lift under her -- and others' -- wings so she could soar high in her life's work. I now have the good fortune and privilege to be able to provide the lift so her passion and life's work can continue to soar."

The purpose of establishing the Living Legacy Fund, CJ explains, is "First, out of love and respect, to honor and pay tribute to Susan's ability to touch so many lives."

"Second, to do so by carrying on Susan's passion to help those in need by providing funding to help with their most desperate needs, with an emphasis on opening up opportunities and providing the means so they can improve their lives and do more in the future to overcome crises and provide for themselves. This, through micro-grants and support of community-based nonprofit organizations.

"Third, to offer help and counseling to families with a loved one who is suffering from ever-increasing debilitation as their Parkinson's disease progresses. (This support is an outgrowth of the life-limiting impacts that Susan experienced with her Parkinson's although, despite the increasing number of handicaps it continued to impose, it never dimmed Susan's desire and capacity to help others, never impeded our enjoyment of each other's company and the fun we had together, and never progressed to the point where nursing care was required or Susan lost a sense of herself, for which we both were extremely grateful.)

"Fourth, to expand the number of people who share Susan's passion to help those in need, so that more and more people can be helped.

"To do this, the Susan Jean Murphy Evans Living Legacy Fund, in cooperation with the University of Virginia's Madison House, will be providing the opportunity for students who are interested in public service to learn the power of fundraising and, under the guidance of a professional fundraising mentor, be given real-life hands-on experience in working with a nonprofit as an intern to develop their skills so they can provide a lift under the wings of the nonprofit and become effective fundraising professionals."

"In this way," CJ says" Susan's legacy can live on, which allows me to look forward rather than backward, and to fill the large hole that was left -- for me and for some many others -- with her passing."