Open Hearts, Lasting Impact
Who We Are
Our Mission
At the Spier Family Foundation, we believe that lasting change begins with an open heart. Guided by compassion and a commitment to leave the world better than we found it, we invest in initiatives that strengthen communities, uplift culture, advance education, and support groundbreaking medical research. Through thoughtful giving and meaningful partnerships, we strive to improve the well-being of the places we live and work—today and for generations to come.
Our Impact
Since 2010, the Foundation has gifted over $5 million in support and supported over 100 charitable organizations.
![[Family Legacy] Sonja & Alex - Habitat for Humanity 3.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68e7c5a469a0c7675a915e1e/1760034397522-MJFRVDVYO97LDSMR8O24/%5BFamily+Legacy%5D++Sonja+%26+Alex+-+Habitat+for+Humanity+3.jpg)
Family Legacy
Alex & Sonja Spier: The Founding Inspiration
The story of the Spier Family Foundation begins with Alex and Sonja Spier—immigrants, entrepreneurs, and community builders who believed in leaving the world better than they found it.
Alex was born in Amsterdam, where he courageously served in the Dutch Underground during World War II before being imprisoned in Auschwitz in 1941 and later liberated from Bergen-Belsen in 1944. After the war, he came to America with little more than determination and his skills as a watchmaker. He opened Spier the Jeweler in Massachusetts in 1947.
In 1951, Alex met and married Sonja Vorsanger, and together they settled in Foxboro, Massachusetts—where their entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to community took root. Alex began purchasing and developing properties in the 1950s and went on to found Mayfair Realty, building homes and apartment communities across Foxboro and neighboring towns.
Both Alex and Sonja believed in investing in their community.
Alex served on numerous town boards and committees and was known for his generosity, civic leadership, and ability to bring people together. His philanthropy touched local institutions such as the Hockomock YMCA, the Foxboro Senior Center, the Foxboro Fire Department, the Boyden Library, and Massachusetts General Hospital, while his support of Habitat for Humanity led him to be named as one of the Ten Most Influential People in Naples, Florida in 2013.
Alex and Sonja’s work ethic spoke volumes about them. Where others may have quit, their dogged determination drove them on and allowed them to build a legacy of family wealth to impact generations to come.
Carrying the Legacy Forward
Greg & Kathy Spier
Greg and Kathy Spier founded the Spier Family Foundation in 2010 to honor Alex and Sonja’s lifelong belief in hard work, generosity, and community.
Like their parents, Greg and Kathy built their own careers in construction and real estate, founding Maystar Realty and continuing the family’s legacy as homebuilders.
The Foundation was born from a desire to give back to the communities that helped shape their lives, and to allow Alex and Sonja to experience the joy and impact of philanthropy during their lifetimes.
What began with support for bringing a YMCA to Foxboro has grown into a multi-generational commitment to strengthening communities, uplifting arts and culture, expanding educational opportunity, and advancing innovative medical research.
Through thoughtful giving and meaningful partnerships, Greg and Kathy continue the mission their parents began — to improve the well-being of the places they live and work with an open heart, and to ensure the Spier family legacy endures for generations to come.
Our Team
Greg Spier
Founder & Trustee
Homebuilder and Real Estate Developer
Kathy Spier
Founder & Trustee
Retired Homebuilder, Designer, and Nurse
