A driving force in Burlington philanthropy for decades
If you’ve lived, worked or bought a car in Burlington, chances are the name Leggat is familiar. Founded in 1922, Leggat Auto Group is now a multi-dealership chain with hundreds of employees, built by three consecutive generations.
Doug Leggat, son of founder Roy, has been giving back to the City of Burlington for decades. He was a driving force behind the development of the Burlington Foundation, serving as the first board chair, and was named Philanthropist of the Year by the Foundation in 2011.
“I felt that a community foundation was going to be fantastic for Burlington; something the community needed,” he said. “It lasts forever. If I give them a donation, it lives forever.”
In 2004, Leggat created the Leggat Family Fund, which provides grants to charitable organizations through the Foundation. One area he is passionate about is children and youth.
“I think it is important for people to give to help the community and to help people at large whether it be financially or whether it be in time or effort,” he said. “There are so many things people can do. They don’t necessarily have to have a lot of money to do it.”
Leggat said that while money is certainly an important part of philanthropy, it goes far beyond a financial contribution. It’s not just money that helps these organizations operate, it’s also about time and effort.
“Volunteers play a big part in our whole society of Burlington,” he said. “I’m someone that happened to get lucky to have my name on something but really, there are people out there that have done a lot more than I have.”
Leggat started his philanthropic ventures in 1972, when he chaired the fundraising efforts of Joseph Brant Hospital’s Healthy Tomorrow program, which raised $5 million – a huge sum at the time.
He has been a successful local automobile dealer since taking over the business from his father and attributes his company’s success to the Burlington community. Over the course of his 50+ year career, he’s seen a phenomenal amount of positive change in the city, only adding to its appeal.
“I love Burlington,” Leggat said. “It is a great spot to live, a great spot to do business. It’s a great community.”
