Month: November 2023

Check out our new videos

Posted on by Patti Wheater
Posted in Video

For decades, generous people and dedicated organizations have partnered with us to leave a legacy and impact the present and future of the community they love. This is certainly true in Newaygo County, but also in the three counties served by our affiliate foundations. Some of these partners sat down with us recently to share their stories and insights on the work of the Community Foundation. Hear from them—and learn a little more about our work across four counties—in our brand new video.

You can also check out shorter highlights for each of the four community foundations by clicking the links below.

Fremont Area Community Foundation

Lake County Community Foundation

Mecosta County Community Foundation

Osceola County Community Foundation

Thank you to everyone who participated and to Nathan Roels at Second Mile Video for his great work!

The year in review

Posted on by Patti Wheater
Posted in Blog Article

This year has been full of accomplishments, events, learning, and impact. And it’s all possible thanks to the thoughtfulness, generosity, and passion of people like you! Here are a few of the things we accomplished together in 2023:

We have awarded $5.3 million in grants so far this year, with more to be awarded by the end of this month.

 

 

 

We welcomed 14 new members to Our Next 75 this year. Our Next 75 includes those who commit to supporting their community now and into the future. With our 75th anniversary coming in 2026, we are already at nearly 85% of our goal!

 

 

In August, we held our first Emeritus and Board Dinner for current and past trustees. It was a time for updates and great discussions.

 

 

 

We partnered with Newaygo County to launch the Housing Partnership Fund. County commissioners approved $1 million and our trustees earmarked an additional $500,000 to support local housing creation. The first grants were made from the fund this fall, with a second round open now.

 

 

We were excited to host several learning opportunities, including a Bridges Out of Poverty workshop in May and a grantee workshop in September. We also welcomed author, speaker, and educator Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz to Lake County in August. Ilyasah—the daughter of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz—spoke about her memoir Growing Up X and how educational attainment is a key to alleviating poverty.

 

Students in Mecosta, Newaygo, and Osceola counties were engaged in grantmaking and leadership development as part of our Youth Advisory Committees.

 

 

 

We worked with the Newaygo County Economic Development Partnership in their efforts to attract state grants, leverage resources, and make plans to enhance our community.

 

 

We hosted Congressman John Moolenaar, Representative Joseph Fox, and Senator Rick Outman to talk about Newaygo County, surrounding communities, and priorities for citizen well-being. I also participated in Foundations on the Hill to advocate for philanthropic issues on Capitol Hill.

 

We launched our updated strategic framework. Guided by our refreshed goals and guiding principles, we began to engage in more trust-based philanthropy, streamlined our governance structure, and look for opportunities for positive disruption.

 

 

We loved spending time meeting with donors, community leaders, and neighbors to listen to their stories and dreams for the Community Foundation.

 

 

 

Your partnership made all of these things—and much more—possible in 2023. We look forward to continuing to serve our community with you in 2024. Thank you, and happy holidays!

Remembering Mary Rangel

Posted on by Patti Wheater
Posted in News

We are devastated over the passing of our trustee and friend Mary Rangel Hipolito. Mary had served on our Board of Trustees since 2015 and was chair of our Poverty to Prosperity Committee. She was thoughtful, kind, and generous, with a true heart for people.

We are inspired by Mary’s extensive work throughout the community, in particular her tireless support for migrant families. Mary’s own family had lived and worked as migrants between Michigan and Florida for several years of her childhood until they decided to stay in Grant. For well over a decade, Mary had championed and led Farmworker Appreciation Day, an event that celebrates the contributions of migrant farmworkers. “I wish more people realized how important these workers are to farmers and to you and I,” she told us last year. “We need them, and it’s important they know how much we appreciate them.” Mary had also recently joined the Our Next 75 donor group and shared that she hoped to create a fund one day to support migrant families.

While Mary did not seek recognition for her work, it was honored recently at the annual Newaygo County Influential Women in Leadership luncheon where she received the Emerging Leader Award. The award recognized her support and advocacy for farmworker families, her board service, and her work for District Health Department #10 as a WIC program clerk technician.

“A person like Mary is an example to us all, and she will be deeply missed by her Community Foundation family,” said Shelly Kasprzycki, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “What we learned from her, and will continue to carry forth, is the true spirit of philanthropy:  kindness, compassion, and delivering resources to make a community a better place.”

Mary’s leadership, passion, and kindness was truly inspiring and will be sorely missed by all of us. We extend our deepest sympathies to Mary’s family and loved ones.

Read more about Mary and Farmworker Appreciation Day here and in a 2015 story here.

Year-end giving

Posted on by Patti Wheater
Posted in Blog Article

Fremont Area Community Foundation, like other nonprofit organizations, welcomes year-end giving. It is estimated that 30 percent of charitable giving is done between November 1 and December 31. Gifts to the Community Foundation benefit so many; your donation becomes part of a larger invested pool of funds that grows significantly over time.

Each year, the Community Foundation gives more than $7 million in grants and scholarships. Agencies depend on our support to carry out their work in poverty reduction, to help libraries purchase books, to fund new homes through our housing partnership, to support the sustainability of local arts and culture institutions, and to ensure our young people are able to attend training or higher education.

Most importantly, the Community Foundation belongs to the community. Your gift means that we can meet the charitable intent of donors and adapt to the needs of the community as they change.

What makes giving to the Community Foundation so popular is the flexibility and the ability to give to the causes you care most about. Our Community Foundation remains the second largest per capita in the country, and that is thanks to you. My husband and I are proud to be monthly donors to the Community Foundation, and I hope you’ll consider the Community Foundation one of your best options for giving too. Contact us today to find out how to give, whether through cash, securities, IRA, life insurance, donor advised funds, or even real estate.

Blessings to you and your family as we enter this holiday season and thank you!

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