Entrepreneur/philanthropist David Maus is driven by passion in business and compassion in community.

After nearly 17 years of doing “whatever it takes” for customers and building his business into a successful empire, David Maus has become one of the most recognizable faces in Central Florida.

Playing the part of general manager and partner, spokesperson and personality behind Toyota, Volkswagen and Hyundai dealerships, Maus is almost everywhere on television. He has even parlayed his idiosyncratic automobile commercials into a full-fledged local advertising agency, Maus Media Group, and is continually expanding his business ventures.

What many people don’t know is that Maus also earns an “A” in community involvement. Indeed, his “whatever” motto extends beyond his dealerships and into improving the lives of children and their families.

“I have been extremely fortunate in business, but being a philanthropist has been what I’ve always wanted to do,” says Maus. “I have always wanted to help the community in which I live and make a difference in someone’s life. I’ve been able to do that through business and the David Maus Foundation.”

After years of personally and professionally supporting local charities, Maus decided to develop a charity in which fund-raising goals and efforts could be dedicated on a larger scale. So in 2004, he and a small group of volunteers began the David Maus Foundation, a nonprofit organization that focuses on helping children with serious illnesses and their families. “As a parent of three children, I am always inspired and amazed by them. I also know, through personal experience, the heartache that comes when a child is ill,” says Maus, 41. “I hope that through the fund-raising efforts of the David Maus Foundation we are able to alleviate some of the pain, stress or heartache of the [children] and their families.”

The First Annual David Maus Foundation Celebrity Golf Tournament, held in 2004, raised more than $40,000 for the Seminole County Boys & Girls Clubs and for Camp Boggy Creek. The tournament has since become known as one of the best charity events in Orlando. The foundation has also raised money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida, with the raffle of a Camry Hybrid and several other sponsored events. Each effort is intended to make a difference in the lives of people, especially young people. “Children should be able to play and just be kids,” Maus comments. “When one falls ill, it is difficult [for] the families to see them in pain.” The efforts of the foundation give families of children in local hospitals a place to stay, free of charge.

Also, the foundation has raised funds to support the Florida Hospital for Children, allowing the hospital to purchase needed supplies and to help sponsor medical research. In addition, it has joined with the Make a Wish Foundation of Central and Northern Florida to help the charity give ill children the chance to have their wishes come true. For one such event, the Maus Foundation teamed with World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. to showcase WrestleMania to more than 50 kids from across the country. “This was one of the best events we have ever put together. The smiles on the faces of these children were incredible, and we were thrilled to make it an event they will remember,” says Maus, who has been spotlighted by Time magazine for his philanthropy.

To date, the foundation has raised more than $500,000 for area charities. Other beneficiaries include the Children’s Miracle Network, the Sports and Drugs Don’t Mix Charity for Kids and the Lake Mary Police Department D.A.R.E. programs.

“The most rewarding part is when a family or child comes up to me or one of our board members to thank us for our help,” says Maus. “It is so humbling to receive letters and cards on updates from families. It is an amazing feeling to know you’ve helped someone feel hope.”

Ultimately, Maus, too, believes he has benefited from the work of the foundation: “It drives me to be more successful in business so that we can continue to financially donate to these charities.”

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