DAVID DUFFIELD - PAWS Chicago

The Innovative & Impassioned
David Duffield
Turning Human Resources into Animal Resources
By Alexis Fasseas
Paws CHICAGO
Visionary Award
Vision. Impact. Transformation.
Transformation begins with a seed of inspiration, followed by the
relentless grit of hard work, bringing ideas into action. For David Duffield,
inspiration came in a little package of unconditional love – a Miniature Schnauzer
named Maddie.
Duffield knows a thing or two about transformation. The founder of PeopleSoft, he
revolutionized business applications, building the first fully integrated, robust Human
Resources Management Solution (HRMS). Today, his newest company, Work Day, is
transforming the delivery and interface of enterprise business applications in the cloud.
But his personal crusade has become the plight of homeless animals and working toward
the day when America will be a No Kill nation.
Through Maddie’s Fund, Duffield and his family’s dedication to homeless pets
is unparalleled. Embracing No Kill in its formative days, they have become the
movement’s voice, supporting communities across the nation in efforts to end the killing
and developing the field of shelter medicine. In recognition of their mission, their
achievements, and their vision for what can be, the Duffield Family is the first recipient of
the PAWS Chicago Visionary Award.
You shine light in their darkest hours.
You bring consciousness to silent suffering.
You have answered a voiceless plea for help,
saving countless lives.
You inspire others to follow this path.
You are protector. You are hero.
You are visionary.
The PAWS Chicago Visionary Award recognizes exemplary work on behalf of homeless
pets. Recipients have transformed animal welfare on a national scale, forging forward the
mission of the No Kill movement to save the lives of all homeless cats and dogs.
PAWS Chicago offers gratitude for the unparalleled work of the David Duffield Family,
who has dedicated its philanthropy to building a No Kill America.
“I’ve been fond of dogs as far back as I
can remember,” Duffield recalls, “but my
love for them grew when Maddie came
into my life.” The Duffields met and fell in
love-at-first-sight with Maddie when she
was only ten days old. Duffield reminisces
about that moment, “She melted our
hearts from the first second we saw her
with her sweet ways, her stubbornness, her
independence, her intelligence, her spirit
and her devotion.”
Maddie fit right into her new home,
doing her part to help the family. “Our
early years with Maddie were a time of
great stress as we struggled to start a new
human resources software company,
PeopleSoft,” Duffield said. “Always there
offering unconditional love and devotion,
Maddie helped us get through the hard
times. I’ve always said that Maddie was the
lighthouse during this stormy period.”
After a particularly good day during the
formation of the company, Duffield picked
up Maddie and made a pledge to her: “If
we ever make some money, I promise I
will give it back to you and your kind so
others can be as happy as we are today.”
PeopleSoft went on to achieve every
start-up’s dream, becoming a household
name in the business community, and
Duffield made good on his promise.
He and his wife Cheryl founded the
Duffield Family Foundation in 1994. “The
Maddie
tremendous success of PeopleSoft in the
1980s allowed us to think about charitable
giving in a significant way,” Duffield
said. “Involvements with local animal
welfare organizations sparked our interest
in forming a foundation that focused
on companion animals.” In January of
1999, the Board restructured the Family
Foundation and adopted the name
Maddie’s Fund.
To date, Duffield has given more than
$300 million to his family’s foundation in
loving memory of Maddie.
The Business of Giving
Duffield’s business philosophy threads
throughout his philanthropic endeavors.
“In business, I firmly believe that you treat
everyone you come into contact with –
customers, employees, vendors, students,
competitors, and so forth – with the same
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