Lauren and Jason Purdy met as college swimmers at Ouachita Baptist University. Today, they are rising professionals in Jacksonville, the parents of two young children, and new fundholders at The Community Foundation.
Lauren is the managing shareholder of the Jacksonville office of Gunster, a statewide law firm, and Jason is a vice president at NAI Hallmark, the largest locally owned commercial real estate company in Jacksonville.
As emerging philanthropists, they decided to devote most of their giving to the local community and to organize it through a donor advised fund at the Foundation. They opened their Purdy Family Philanthropic Fund in March this year, and they have already begun to use it to make grants to local organizations, support their alma mater, and fund Lauren’s membership in the Women’s Giving Alliance. To learn more about why they give, we recently sat down with them to ask a few questions about them and their philanthropic approach.
Q. How did you end up in Jacksonville?
Lauren: I like to say it wasn’t on our “bingo card of life” that I’d be a lawyer in Jacksonville and Jason a commercial real estate broker here. We were living in Montgomery, Alabama—where I was clerking for a federal judge and Jason had finished his MBA—and trying to decide our next move. We considered Atlanta and several Florida cities, since I had passed the Florida Bar. Jacksonville won out by process of elimination: it was on the water, not too big, not too small, and close enough to Jason’s family in Pensacola. I applied to law firms in Atlanta and Jacksonville, and I was blown away by Gunster. Jason said, “I think Jacksonville’s more our speed,” and—though I don’t admit it often—he was right.
Jason: We’ve now been here 12 years and absolutely call it home. It’s been fun to watch the city grow and evolve. Jacksonville has been welcoming to people not from here—many of our first friends were transplants, too—which made it easy to settle in.
Q. What do you love about Jacksonville, and what inspired you to give locally?
Jason: This is where we live, so it’s where we want to give back. I like to see where our donations go and what they accomplish. It’s also rewarding to support something local, where we can see the impact right in front of us.
Lauren: We both believe you have an obligation to give back to the community you live in. It’s not just about where you grew up or your alma mater—it’s about nurturing the place where you’re planting roots. That’s what we want to model for our kids: take care of the soil around you so it’s improved for those who come after you.
Q. Lauren, you were part of the Dolores Barr Weaver Fellows Program through WGA. What was that experience like?
Lauren: It was incredibly transformative. I went through the program in 2016, and it really opened my eyes to what philanthropy means—beyond just writing a check when your heart is tugged. Growing up, my family gave when we could, but I hadn’t thought of it as “philanthropy.” The Fellows Program taught me that giving can be intentional, strategic, and accessible to everyone—not just billionaires.
What made it even more impactful was that Dolores Barr Weaver personally supplemented each Fellow’s giving to help us build the habit of philanthropy. Meeting her and seeing how down-to-earth she is was inspiring. That experience shaped how Jason and I now think about giving as a lifelong practice, not something you start in retirement.
Q. What led you to open a fund at The Community Foundation?
Jason: Over the years, our giving had become a bit piecemeal. We wanted to organize it, be more intentional, and take advantage of the Foundation’s local expertise. Having a fund lets us put all our charitable activity in one place and learn about vetted opportunities we might not find on our own.
Lauren: It also helps us build a consistent habit of giving. We make it a goal to contribute a certain amount each year—no matter what—and then decide together what causes to support. It keeps us accountable and encourages us to grow our giving over time. My WGA experience made me see The Community Foundation as more than a financial vehicle—it’s a partner in helping us think strategically about impact.
Q. How do you see your philanthropy evolving in the future?
Lauren: We both want to lead by example, even if quietly. For us, success isn’t about awards or recognition—it’s about using whatever time and resources we have to leave things a little better than we found them. The more we’re blessed, the more we want to give back.
Jason: We’re still shaping that vision, and we expect it to change as we do—especially as our kids grow. Our fund gives us the flexibility to support what matters to us now and adapt as new causes become meaningful later on. It’s the perfect foundation for a lifetime of giving.