Ron Simon established the Ronald Simon Family Foundation ("Foundation") because he saw an urgent need to give economically disadvantaged students the tools needed to better prepare for college so that they could be highly competitive and successful once they get there.

"I don't want just to write checks and tell the students to do their best," he commented. "Anyone can do that. I want to do more, and to do it at an earlier age with these students. I want them to know that they really can be competitive in college because they will have the same preparation tools and opportunities as students that came from more privileged backgrounds. But I couldn't find a program anywhere that addressed this need. As a result, I established the Ronald Simon Family Foundation with the specific purpose of giving these students that opportunity."

"What do I want to get out of this investment," asked Simon? "Simply this - I want to see deserving students achieve the American dream of independence and self-sufficiency, and thereby become productive American citizens."

In commenting on what drove him to this type of thinking, Ron Simon reflected on his own past. "With hindsight," he stated, "I feel very fortunate to have come from a poor immigrant family because it taught me the importance of hard work and discipline at an early age. I learned the value of a dollar, hard work, uncompromising ethics and responsibility. I also learned that adversity can create real opportunities."

Driven by ambition, commitment, an inquisitive mind-set and a determination to accomplish his own American dream, Ron Simon achieved business and financial success through the company he founded, RSI Home Products. Today RSI is one of the industry's leading manufacturers of cabinetry for the home. Having become an accomplished and successful businessman, he then pursued his next dream of seeing others who also come from meager beginnings have the opportunity to accomplish their own dreams. Specifically, his Foundation focuses on deserving, but disadvantaged, youth that face challenging life circumstances.