The Stan Black Award is named for one of the founders of The Community Foundation. Stan is retired now, but continues to be an active participant in a number of causes, both in the Boulder area and overseas. We present this award annually with the sponsorship of the law firm of Hutchinson, Black & Cook and the additional support individual donors. The award is intended to honor an individual who, like Stan Black, has given a lifetime of "time, treasure and talent" to the community.

The 2006 Stan Black Award honoree is Robert (“Bob”) F. Charles, Jr.

Innovative. Visionary. Wise. Generous. Fair. Engaging.

Those are just a few of the words that Bob Charles’s numerous fans and supporters use to describe his pleasant personality and the many significant contributions he has made to multiple causes in the Boulder and Denver Metro areas.

Despite a demanding business life – Bob owned and operated up to 13 McDonald’s – he has always been involved in multiple community activities.

Some of his most impressive accomplishments include being the founder or co-founder of the Ronald McDonald House of Denver, the Boulder Memorial Hospital Foundation, the Boulder Economic Council, and most recently, the Imagine! Foundation. At Imagine!, he has helped raised $800,000 in the past three years to help meet the needs of families with young children with disabilities and adults with disabilities.

“We have seen that Bob’s commitment comes from an underlying belief – really a passion – that one’s responsibility is to try and make one’s community a better place,” writes Bob’s nominator, Susan LaHoda, who has worked with him at Imagine!. “He sees a need and finds a way to answer it.”

He has also served on numerous boards, including the Boulder Chamber of Commerce; Boulder Community Hospital Foundation; the Foundation for Boulder Valley Schools (now Impact on Education); the YMCA; and various advisory boards for the University of Colorado, including the Leeds School of Business, the College of Music and the School of Education.

Clearly, his nonprofit resume is impressive. However, perhaps even more impressive is that those who have served with him on these boards say repeatedly that Bob takes on not only the time commitment of board service, but involves himself thoroughly. In fact, they say, he is always one of the most active and best-informed board members in each organization.

For example, Bob has been involved with the Ronald McDonald House since it was founded in 1979. He was a founder of the project then, and when a new Ronald McDonald House was opened in Denver, Bob was again one of the first to give and get involved. His colleagues there report that even the excited new board members have a tough time matching his energy.

“Bob has a personal style that is immediately engaging,” writes LaHoda. “He is self-effacing and humble, has a marvelous sense of humor, displays earnestness about projects that he is involved with, and exudes approachability.”

Writes another supporter, Clair Beckmann: “He is a philanthropist in the true sense of the word… time, money and heart are freely given because he loves people and loves the community.”

Bob, of course, is more modest about his impressive contributions.

“Anything you can do to help someone maximize their potential you’ve got to do,” he says. “When you do things, you do them because it’s the right thing to do.”