News & Events

Kickstart to Career Newaygo County—the local children’s savings account program now in its second year—will be the subject of a study by a University of Michigan research team led by Dr. William Elliott III.

Elliott is a professor of social work at the University of Michigan and is the nation’s leading researcher in the fields of college savings accounts, college debt, and wealth inequality. He has studied similar programs across the country and has written books about student debt and the potential of children’s savings accounts.

“Kickstart to Career is part of a growing movement not only in Michigan but across the country to help families meet education costs and build a culture of college-going within our communities,” said Elliott.

Kickstart to Career was launched in 2018 through a partnership between Fremont Area Community Foundation, ChoiceOne Bank, and local school districts. Kindergartners  receive a deposit-only savings account with $50. They have the opportunity to earn $50 more each year and family and friends can make deposits into a child’s account at any time. Upon high school graduation, the accounts can be used for continuing education and career expenses like tuition, books, supplies, and training. Classroom presentations by ChoiceOne Bank will also help students learn more about saving money, using a bank, credit, and other financial literacy topics.

Research has shown that children who have even a small savings account have higher expectations of their own futures and increased likelihood of enrollment and completion of college and career training. The idea of a child savings account program was especially compelling to the Community Foundation because research has also shown that adults who had savings accounts as children have improved financial literacy, higher levels of savings, and even healthier credit.

“The tool is a children’s savings account, but it’s much more than that,” said Carla Roberts, Community Foundation president and CEO. “It prepares students to be financially healthy as adults and encourages kids to dream, plan, and save for their futures. We believe that will transform the culture of the whole community as well. We’re excited for the University of Michigan team to focus their research on our program and measure its impact. The research being done here can help other communities exploring the idea of children’s savings accounts.”

The research project is expected to include academic, social, and emotional development connected to Kickstart to Career over a four-year period. The first surveys were distributed to parents this fall .

For more information about Kickstart to Career, visit kickstarttocareer.org or call the Community Foundation at 231.924.5350.

A group of local business leaders gathered on October 22 for lunch and to discuss barriers to workforce development in Newaygo County. The luncheon was hosted by Gerber Life Insurance in partnership with Fremont Area Community Foundation.

After a welcome from Luci Moore and Bob McDonald of Gerber Life Insurance, business leaders heard from Tammy Britton, project manager with Talent 2025.

Talent 2025 is a group of West Michigan CEOs working to ensure an ongoing supply of world-class talent for the West Michigan region. Talent 2025 has done extensive research into the barriers that keep people out of the workforce. A lack of reliable transportation to and from work is one of the most common barriers.

Next, Debbi Coleman of Hope Network talked about Wheels to Work. Since it began in 2016 in Walker, the program has provided employees with reliable, efficient transportation to and from work. Using Hope Network’s buses and software, Wheels to Work maps out efficient routes and offers hub-based and curb-to-curb service. Individuals and their employers share the cost of the service, with the employee portion automatically deducted from paychecks. Some employers cover the full cost.

Currently operating in Kent and Ottawa counties, Wheels to Work hopes to expand into other counties and areas.

“We’re trying to find affordable and reliable transportation to and from work for everyone in our region,” said Coleman. “It’s about getting people to work. There are these hidden pockets of talent we’re discovering, and their only barrier was a lack of transportation.”

After the presentation, Carla Roberts, president and CEO of the Community Foundation, invited interested participants to join a working group to study how local businesses may be able to collaborate to bring this service to Newaygo County.

Lindsay Hager of Fremont will be the new director of community investment at Fremont Area Community Foundation. He joined the staff on June 17.

Hager brings many years of experience with the Community Foundation to his new role overseeing the community investment team and strategic initiative work. He has been on the Board of Trustees for eight years and has served as both board chair and chair of the Distribution Committee, which provides grantmaking oversight. Previously, Hager served for nine years on the Elderly Needs Fund board.

“I am excited for this opportunity to serve Newaygo County and work with an exceptional team of donors, trustees, staff, and grantees,” said Hager.

In addition to his experience with the Community Foundation, Hager is president of Hager Consulting and has worked for 30 years in the affordable housing and community development field. He has worked with a wide variety of municipal and nonprofit clients on strategic plans, feasibility studies, project management, and grant administration.

“We are fortunate to have attracted this talent to our team,” said Carla Roberts, Community Foundation president and CEO. “Lindsay is well-versed in all aspects of our organization, including our strategic plan and initiative work. We are excited to welcome him to the staff.”

In addition to Hager’s hiring, Mark Petz has been promoted to senior community investment officer and will provide leadership to grantmaking staff. Jenna Smalligan was also promoted to community investment officer and will serve as lead staff in the Community Foundation’s poverty to prosperity focus area.

The Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) of Fremont Area Community Foundation recently announced the results of its annual YAC grant round, awarding more than $76,000 to 12 agencies and programs serving local youth.

Grants were awarded to a variety of programs that align with YAC’s funding priorities: supporting youth facing challenges such as poor home life, building and improving recreational and educational activities for local youth, and continuing education and skill development opportunities.

Building on a program they helped to fund last year, YAC awarded support for an expansion of the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan’s be nice. mental health awareness and education program in two local school districts. They also joined several other regional partners in supporting a new child advocacy center to serve Lake, Newaygo, Mecosta, and Osceola counties. Programs at two local libraries received funding as well as art and drama workshops, mentoring programs, a leadership workshop for eighth graders, and more.

Grant applications were reviewed by YAC members who come from each Newaygo County public high school and the local homeschool community. Throughout the year,  YAC members also visit local nonprofit organizations, learn about philanthropy and leadership, and engage in community service projects.

YAC grants are awarded each spring to programs impacting local youth. Applications are due March 1. For more information, visit facommunityfoundation.org/YACgrants or call 231.924.5350.

More than 550 Newaygo County kindergartners have received their first Kickstart to Career deposit from Fremont Area Community Foundation.

Kickstart to Career Newaygo County is a children’s savings account program that is operated by the Community Foundation and ChoiceOne Bank. It kicked off in the fall of 2018 when kindergartners automatically received their very own savings account. The Community Foundation initially deposits $50 into each account and students can earn additional deposits every year through 12th grade. Family members and friends can also make deposits into a student’s account.

Kickstart to Career was created to build aspirations, encourage savings, increase financial education, and assist with college or career expenses.

The program currently serves over 550 kindergarteners and will impact more than 7,000 students over the next 10 years.

“Kids are six times more likely to go to college if they have even a small savings account,” said Amy Moore, director of community investment at the Community Foundation. “They’re also more likely to have bank accounts and healthier credit as adults. With Kickstart to Career, we’re integrating the idea of dreaming, planning, and saving for the future into our culture, starting with our kindergartners.”

As part of the program, ChoiceOne Bank will also provide financial literacy education in classrooms. This fall, kindergartners learned about safe places to save money and were given a piggy bank to start their own savings. Currently, kindergarten teachers are planning spring field trips to visit their local ChoiceOne Bank location.

Upon high school graduation, students can use their Kickstart to Career accounts to help pay for career or educational expenses like tuition, books, job training, and required supplies.

Kickstart to Career is a 10-cohort pilot program and open to students entering kindergarten from 2018 through 2027. Fremont Area Community Foundation expects to make more than $3.4 million in deposits over the next 10 years.

For more information, visit kickstarttocareer.org or call 231.924.5350.

The Community Foundation recently welcomed two new staff members.

Casey Houston joins us as an administrative assistant. She will work with Foundation Manager Maria Gonzalez to serve our three geographic affiliates—Lake, Mecosta, and Osceola county community foundations—as well as the Elderly Needs Fund and Amazing X Charitable Trust supporting organizations. Casey grew up in the area, attended Central Michigan University, and has a background in event planning and hospitality. She looks forward to giving back to the community through her work, and we’re happy to have her join our team!

Dan Wheat joins our grantmaking team as a community investment officer. In this role, he will be responsible for the review, analysis, presentation, and monitoring of grant proposals and projects, particularly in the area of community and economic development. Dan is from Grant and is a fourth-generation Newaygo County resident with a deep knowledge of our area. He brings many years of experience in the banking industry and has also served on our Amazing X and Professional Advisory boards. We’re excited to have him join us!

Fremont Area Community Foundation awarded $3.35 million to local organizations and programs in its most recent community grant round.

Grant funding was awarded to a wide variety of organizations and projects addressing critical local needs. The grant round included general community grants along with grants targeting each of the Community Foundation’s three focus areas: community and economic development, education, and poverty to prosperity.

The Newaygo County Regional Educational Service Agency (NC RESA) received a two-year $120,000 grant for its Family Information Service Hub (F.I.S.H.) program. In this program, families work with trusted advisors—individuals who received public assistance themselves—to get help with things like applying for assistance or connecting to housing resources.

In the area of community and economic development, the Community Foundation partnered with the County of Newaygo to support Michigan’s Dragon at Hardy Dam trail with a $500,000 grant. The Dragon is a planned 47.5 mile circular biking and hiking trail around Hardy Pond. Designed and endorsed by the International Mountain Bicycling Association, the trail is expected to become a premiere regional and national attraction and create new jobs in the area.

Grant Public Schools was awarded a $10,000 grant for its teacher-developed pilot program: Readers Into Leaders. The reading intervention program will pair elementary school readers with proficient middle school readers over the course of three months. In addition to reading support, the pairs will participate in community service projects together.

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church was awarded a grant to support Vera’s House, a community wellness center. The $14,500 grant will support two programs at Vera’s House. Women in Transition offers support and resources for women who have experienced grief or loss. Project Illuminate is a counseling program that provides access to mental health support and treatment.

Organizations located in or directly serving the people of Newaygo County are eligible to receive Community Foundation grants. Applications for community grants are due on March 1 and September 1.

To learn more about the Community Foundation’s strategic grantmaking, contact a member of the community investment team at 231.924.5350 or visit facommunityfoundation.org/grants.

After 20 years with the Community Foundation, Mary Huisjen will retire at the end of January.

Callers and visitors to the Community Foundation are often first greeted by Mary, who has served as our receptionist and special projects associate. Mary started at the Community Foundation in November 1998 after working for Gerber Products for 19 years in order invoicing and baby care marketing.

One of Mary’s favorite parts of her job at the Community Foundation has been the wide range of projects she has worked on.

“I enjoyed the variety in responsibilities over my 20 years here,” said Mary. “I knew that no day would be like any other.”

In addition to her role in administrative services, Mary has worked with scholarship recipients and donors, served as an advisor and mentor to the Youth Advisory Committee, and provided key leadership on the Community Foundation’s prairie restoration project. These efforts were recognized on a state level in October when the prairie received the President’s Award from Keep Michigan Beautiful.

“I’ve really enjoyed that here at the Community Foundation we are focused on the community,” said Mary. “That makes you feel good about your work at the end of the day.”

In retirement, Mary is looking forward to traveling, gardening, volunteering, and exploring new hobbies and opportunities. She is also excited to spend more time with her husband Carl and their children and grandchildren.

Our President and CEO Carla Roberts was recently published in The Foundation Review, a peer-reviewed journal for the field of philanthropy. Her article, “From Charitable Giving to Strategic Impact,” details the Community Foundation’s journey toward more strategic grantmaking and increased impact.

In 2011, we launched a community investment strategy focused on education, poverty, and economic development. These strategies were developed with significant community involvement and input into the planning and designed to improve the quality of life for all Newaygo County residents. It took time as well as assistance in the form of backbone services and tools to monitor impact to make the transition to these new ways of thinking. As we’ve moved ahead with our second five-year strategic plan, we are guided by research and learning, community feedback, grantee survey results, and evidence of where the work has contributed to positive outcomes for the people and organizations we serve.

Read the full article HERE.

Kickstart to Career Newaygo County savings accounts are now open and ready for deposits.

Created by Fremont Area Community Foundation in partnership with ChoiceOne Bank, Kickstart to Career is a child savings account program designed to build aspirations, encourage savings, increase financial education, and assist with post-secondary education and career expenses. After high school graduation, students can withdraw their savings and use it toward qualifying post-secondary expenses including tuition, books, job training, and required supplies.

This fall, all kindergarten students living in Newaygo County and attending any Newaygo County public school, Grant Christian School, or Fremont Christian School were automatically enrolled and have received a deposit-only savings account. Students have also met with ChoiceOne Bank staff to learn about saving for the future and received special piggy banks for saving.

Along with an initial $50 deposit from the Community Foundation, students can earn additional deposits each school year. Other individuals can also make deposits into an account at any time by visiting a ChoiceOne Bank. Relatives and friends may consider making deposits as part of a holiday or birthday gift or in recognition of other milestones and events in a student’s life.

Student account numbers are being mailed home along with more details about the program and local ChoiceOne Bank branch information.

For more details on Kickstart to Career Newaygo County, visit kickstarttocareer.org.

It was recently announced that Todd Jacobs, our vice president and chief philanthropy officer, has been named the new president and CEO of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. We are very sad to see Todd go, but we are happy for him and for this career achievement! Todd is originally from the Muskegon area, and it is always exciting to see a native son bring the skills and talents he has developed in his career back to his hometown.

Since rejoining the Fremont Area Community Foundation staff in 2013, Todd has expanded outreach, developed new giving opportunities, and launched key initiatives, like Kickstart to Career Newaygo County. We know that he is going to accomplish even more great things with our friends in Muskegon County. We enjoy a close relationship with the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, meeting regularly and collaborating on a number of projects. We are glad to know we will be able to continue working with Todd in the future as he serves in this new position.

Todd will remain with us through mid-December. Transition plans include the promotion of Wes Miller to director of philanthropic services in January and other internal changes over the coming weeks as more staff members take on additional responsibilities.

Please join us in thanking Todd for his years of faithful service to Fremont Area Community Foundation and in wishing him well in his new role in Muskegon County!

Fremont Area Community Foundation supports the 911 surcharge proposal appearing on Newaygo County ballots this Election Day. We feel strongly that we must ensure Newaygo County’s Central Dispatch has the updated technology it needs to continue providing all of us with safe, efficient 911 services.

Our local 911 dispatchers provide 24-7 lifesaving operations that all of us rely on. In 2017, local dispatchers placed or received 71,835 calls and dispatched 34,581 incidents. And we ask them to do all of this on a system built in 2002 and running on a Windows 2000 server. Think for a moment of how many times you’ve replaced and updated your own personal technology like computers, laptops, or cell phones in the last 16 years.

The primary source of funding for technology updates—like the ones our dispatchers so desperately need—is the 911 surcharge on land lines and contracted cell phones/devices. In 2003, Newaygo County voters approved a surcharge of up to $3 per month. But even with this support, the surcharge requires approval from the Michigan Public Service Commission. In 2008, they reduced the surcharge, causing revenues to significantly decrease over the last 10 years. Currently, the surcharge is $1.95 per month.

On November 6, Newaygo County voters will be asked to reinstate the $3 surcharge. The total increase would be just $1.05 month—less than four cents per day! Funding will be used exclusively for supporting 911 equipment and services in Newaygo County. Over the next 10 years it will cover the costs of purchasing a main computer system for 911 communications and documentation, a telephone system, dispatch radio consoles, and more lifesaving technology.

The Community Foundation is proud to join the Police and Fire Chiefs Associations in supporting this proposal. As an organization committed to improving the quality of life for everyone in Newaygo County, we feel that it is our responsibility to support the lifesaving work of Newaygo County 911 Central Dispatch.

To learn more about this proposal, view our fact sheet.

Fremont Area Community Foundation’s prairie restoration project recently received the President’s Award from Keep Michigan Beautiful.

In a ceremony held in Frankenmuth on October 12, Mary Huisjen, FACF special projects associate, accepted the award on behalf of the Community Foundation.

“I was excited,” said Huisjen. “I consider myself fortunate to have represented the Community Foundation at the Keep Michigan Beautiful awards program and to now have our prairie recognized by this organization.”

The Community Foundation’s turf-to-prairie conversion started in 2005 and has been carried out in phases over several years. Most of the eight-acre property now provides native landscaping for a variety of wildflowers, natural grasses, and wildlife. A species log kept by staff has included many deer sightings as well as geese, sandhill cranes, turtles, and a variety of butterflies. A honey bee hive was added earlier this year.

The public is invited to self-tour the prairie, located at 4424 West 48th Street in Fremont. A walking path begins with an interpretive sign at the rear of the parking lot.

“I like being able to show it off,” said Huisjen, who noted that individuals and groups like the Fremont Garden Club have visited. “I hope the award puts us on the map as a place to stop and visit.”

Keep Michigan Beautiful annually recognizes programs, projects, and activities that substantially contribute to the beautification, clean-up, environmental enhancement, site restoration, and historical preservation of the state. Other 2018 award recipients included community and school gardens, an urban bee and pollinator program, lighthouse renovations, and a fish passage project.

Keep Michigan Beautiful, Inc. is a nonprofit, educational public service organization of volunteer citizens whose goal is to promote the cause of beautification, recycling, and anti-littering. KMB is the only organization sanctioned by the state that recognizes and honors beautification programs and activities as well as promotes and educates the public in all aspects of beautification. KMB is an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful.

In 2026, Fremont Area Community Foundation will celebrate 75 years of generosity and impact in Newaygo County. As part of this milestone anniversary, we are looking for 75 new people who want to support the community they love both today and into the future.

These people are emerging philanthropists–passionate, driven, and committed to making lasting change in our community. As we draw closer to our 75th anniversary, this group will play a vital role in building the future of Newaygo County.

To join Our Next 75, we only ask three simple things:

1. Give today

Establish a named fund or make an annual gift of $250 or more to an endowed fund at the Community Foundation.

2. Give tomorrow

Include the Community Foundation in your estate plan.

3. Share your story

Share with us why you chose to give back to the community.

Dawn Williams: First Member of Our Next 75

At age 15, Dawn Williams was the Hair Station’s first receptionist. Today she’s the Fremont salon’s owner. Along with her daughter Morgan, Dawn had an idea to create a fund that would help cosmetology students at the Newaygo County Career-Tech Center pay for tests and equipment they need to get started in their careers. Using the Build-a-Fund program, the Hair Station Fund is steadily growing with help from staff and clients.

Fremont Area Community Foundation awarded nearly $1.98 million to local agencies and programs in its most recent community grant round.

Grant funding was awarded to a wide variety of organizations and projects addressing critical local needs. In addition to grants impacting the focus areas of community and economic development and poverty to prosperity, more than $978,000 was awarded to the area of education.

Newaygo Public Schools received a $43,025 grant to help launch a new program, Pride Page Prowlers, to provide additional literacy training for teachers and take-home literacy materials for families. The district will host family literacy nights and will introduce the new “Lions Literacy Den” this school year. Parents will be able to check out reading kits put together by teachers that include a book and a corresponding activity for families to do at home.

Hesperia Community Schools and Fremont Public Schools will partner to bring Kagan Cooperative Learning Strategies to their districts. The program provides teachers with strategies designed to promote cooperation and communication in the classroom as well as boost student confidence. A $12,950 grant will help support training of over 100 teachers in both Hesperia and Fremont schools.

While many education-related grants are awarded to schools, partnerships with agencies that provide educational programming are also taking place throughout the county. Arbor Circle has provided substance abuse prevention programs in Newaygo County since 2011 and received a $12,000 grant for new curriculum and staff training for their programming in local schools. They offer interactive programming to help students develop essential life skills as well as programs that provide prevention, intervention, and pretreatment services for young people making high-risk choices.

“We’re proud to support so many outstanding programs and organizations working to strengthen and expand educational opportunities in Newaygo County,” said Carla Roberts, Community Foundation president and CEO. “We’re grateful to partner with these and other organizations and with the donors who make each grant possible.”

The Community Foundation works closely with agencies that are located in or directly serve the people of Newaygo County. Applications for the next community grant round are due by September 1 and notifications take place in December.

To ask questions or learn more about the Community Foundation’s strategic grantmaking, contact a member of the FACF community investment team at 231.924.5350 or visit facommunityfoundation.org/grants.

Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) member Emma Kartes was recently selected to be the first youth member of Fremont Area Community Foundation’s Distribution Committee.

Kartes was chosen by YAC leadership and will join a group of Community Foundation trustees who review staff grant research and make grant decisions and recommendations to the full Board of Trustees. Last year, the Community Foundation awarded $5.7 million through its two community grant rounds to support more than 100 local programs.

YAC leaders and advisors developed the idea to include a YAC member on the Distribution Committee as a way to provide a greater youth perspective on the Community Foundation’s grantmaking and to increase YAC’s understanding of the Community Foundation’s work.

Currently finishing her sophomore year at Fremont High School, Kartes has been a YAC member for two years. In addition to her experience in reviewing YAC grants and conducting site visits, Kartes has impressed YAC leaders with her responsibility, professionalism, and thoughtful leadership.

“I’m interested in and willing to give back to the community that continues to provide so much for me,” said Kartes, who added that she is honored to be the first YAC member to serve on the Distribution Committee. “I’m excited to be able to start off and set a good example for the YAC members who will serve in the future.”

The Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) of Fremont Area Community Foundation recently announced the results of its annual YAC grant round, awarding more than $72,000 to local agencies and programs serving youth. With this round, YAC has now granted more than $1 million since awarding its first grants in 1995.

This year’s grants were awarded to 11 different organizations to support a wide variety of youth programs. Each aligned with one of YAC’s three funding priorities: supporting youth facing challenges such as poor home life, building and improving recreational and educational activities for local youth, and continuing education and skill development opportunities.

One new program receiving funding was the “be nice.” mental health education initiative. The Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan will partner with local schools to bring the program to Newaygo County. Through a variety of lessons and activities, the program encourages schools and communities to embrace good mental health and recognize the power of everyday words and actions.

Other grants awarded will support art and drama classes for teens, recycling, infant safety, mentoring and internship programs, and more.

Grant applications were reviewed by YAC members who come from each Newaygo County public high school and the local homeschool community. YAC members also conducted site visits to share information about the available grant funding and to learn more about local nonprofit organizations.

YAC grants are awarded once a year to programs impacting local youth. Applications are available in February and due on March 1. For more information, visit facommunityfoundation.org/YACgrants or call 231.924.5350.

Kickstart to Career Newaygo County—a joint program of Fremont Area Community Foundation and ChoiceOne Bank—launched on March 22 at the Neway Center in Newaygo. The program is designed to build aspirations, encourage savings, increase financial education, and assist with college or career expenses after high school.

Starting in the fall of 2018, every kindergarten student in Newaygo County will have the opportunity to be the beneficiary of an account at ChoiceOne, opened with a $50 deposit from the Community Foundation.

Students will be able to earn additional contributions and families can make deposits at any time. Upon graduating from high school, students can use their accounts to help pay for post-secondary education and career-related expenses such as tuition, books, tools, or training.

At the launch event, staff and board representatives from the Community Foundation and ChoiceOne Bank were joined by local school superintendents, administrators, and school board members. The audience was greeted by Carla Roberts, president and CEO of the Community Foundation, and Kelly Potes, president and CEO of ChoiceOne Bank.

“This is a special day,” said Roberts. “The tool is a children’s savings account program, but it’s much more than that. Research shows that having even a relatively small amount of savings has a significant impact on the way a child thinks about and prepares for their future. Children with savings accounts have better math and reading scores, develop greater expectations for themselves, and are more likely to enroll in and graduate from college.”

Potes explained that in addition to opening savings accounts, ChoiceOne will provide the technology for families to monitor accounts online and partner with local school districts to provide financial literacy education in classrooms.

“We’re really excited,” said Potes. “As a father of five kids who are now grown up and out of school, I can attest to the fact that saving for college and career is really important. It’s a great honor for us to help Fremont Area Community Foundation and families in the community.”

Preschool students from the Neway Center—who will be among the first group to receive savings accounts—and their teachers also participated. Students wrote and illustrated a book about saving money that was presented to the group. They also each received a piggy bank to begin saving for their own accounts. After the presentation, school officials signed a memorandum of understanding to certify their district’s participation in Kickstart to Career. Participating districts are Big Jackson Public Schools, Fremont Christian School, Fremont Public Schools, Grant Christian School, Grant Public Schools, Hesperia Community Schools, Newaygo County Regional Educational Service Agency, Newaygo Public Schools, and White Cloud Public Schools.

Lynne Robinson, a retired educator and former Community Foundation trustee, remarked on the impact of the event on the students who participated.

“There was a room full of people these kids don’t know and might not ever see again, but these kids understand now that somebody cared enough about them that they gave money to start them on a path to success,” said Robinson. “That has an impact. This is the beginning of that tie to the community as they grow up.”

In December, Fremont Area Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees approved Kickstart to Career as a 10-cohort pilot program, including students entering kindergarten from 2018 through 2027. The program will serve approximately 550 children in the first year and more than 7,000 students total. Fremont Area Community Foundation expects to make more than $3.4 million in deposits during this time.

There are currently 54 child savings account programs nationwide with more than 380,000 children participating. In Michigan, Barry County and Lansing have children’s savings account programs. Muskegon County is slated to launch theirs in 2018.

For more information about Kickstart to Career Newaygo County, visit kickstarttocareer.org.

More than 125 representatives from local nonprofit organizations attended a January 17 Grantee Workshop hosted by Fremont Area Community Foundation. Presenters included staff and trustees from the Community Foundation as well as representatives from The Right Place and the Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University.

Attendees were introduced to the Newaygo County Area Dashboard, a new measurement tool that will track the area’s growth and development in several key areas. The Community Foundation worked with The Right Place to develop the tool that will track indicators such as labor force participation rate, third grade reading level, and high school graduation rate.

Other workshop sessions gave an overview of the grantmaking process, online system, new policies, and grant guidelines for each focus area. A new core capacity and financial health assessment tool, developed in partnership with the Johnson Center, was also shared.

With such a great turnout, the workshop was a valuable opportunity for staff and trustees to interact with grantees from around the county.

“We’re so grateful to all of our community partners who attended the workshop,” said Carla Roberts, Community Foundation president and CEO. “This was a great opportunity to gather together and talk about the ways we can collaborate for the greatest possible impact.”

Lisa Daniell, director of the Volunteer Resource Center at TrueNorth Community Services, attended the workshop and said attendees came away with a better understanding of the Community Foundation’s goals.

“This transparency is beneficial for local programs to plan and strategize within their own programs to determine how they best align for potential future funding,” said Daniell. “I appreciated all the work that went into making the day a great success.”

More than 50 Community Foundation donors gathered for the annual Fall Donors Luncheon at the Stone Lodge on October 30. Along with time for catching up and conversation, the luncheon program focused on recent activities in the area of community and economic development.

Carla Roberts, FACF president and CEO, shared that when the organization conducted a community needs assessment in 2016 in Newaygo County and affiliate counties of Mecosta, Lake, and Osceola, a common theme rose to the top.

“Across all four counties, the key concerns identified by respondents focused on jobs and the economy,” said Roberts. “We considered these results as an affirmation of the direction we had been heading in since 2011 when we began to focus on education, prosperity, and a vibrant economy. All of these efforts are focused on talent development and making sure that we have the workforce we will need for the future.”

Roberts summarized some of the Community Foundation’s recent work to support entrepreneurship and small business development as well as efforts to create a Newaygo County Employer Resource Network (ERN). She then introduced James Vander Hulst, president and CEO of Michigan ERN.

ERNs, explained Vander Hulst, are networks of employers who come together to grapple with issues like turnover and employee retention. Employers identify common issues and share best practices. A key component of ERNs is hiring a success coach who spends time at each company and acts as an advocate for employees. Coaches help identify and find solutions to issues that may prevent an employee from making it to work and being successful.

“If you believe your employees are your greatest asset, how are you creating a culture that keeps them coming back?” asked Vander Hulst.

Guests then heard from Scott Faulkner, a longtime advocate of tourism in Newaygo County who has served as a leader in organizations like River Country Chamber of Commerce, Newaygo Nationals Association, and the Newaygo County Tourism Council.

Faulkner shared updates on the development of The Dragon, a 48-mile trail around Hardy Pond. When completed, the trail will span four townships and two counties and will feature 39 water crossings.

“It should be an incredible draw for mountain bikers and pedestrians,” said Faulkner, who estimates that the trail will bring in at least $4 million in revenue. “It will be the only one like it in North America.”