CFNEM BlogSpot

As the Program Associate for the Community Foundation, I am in a unique spot when it comes to grantmaking.  I’m an advocate for the grantee, and a spectator without a vote.

Recently, I attended a meeting where members of the Iosco County CF Board reviewed applications for their annual Common Grant.  It’s always fascinating to see how a large group comes to consensus on the great task of giving away money.  It is always agreed – there are rarely any programs that are not worthwhile. 

The reason I bring all this up is because I have been working to help our affiliates make donors more aware of what unrestricted giving (creating or giving to a fund whose purpose is to address the changing needs of the community) can do.  Watching the granting process unfold reminds me how valuable those unrestricted assets really are.

The Iosco County CF Board poured over the many grant applications they received, trying their best to wisely spend the limited amount of money available for the year.  As they discussed various aspects of each project, two major themes kept emerging as important issues Iosco County faces, right now.  Like the rest of the country, Iosco was hit hard by the recession; many of its residents are in great need of the basic essentials.  Additionally, businesses are struggling as tourism, one of the area’s main money makers, has declined.  Though not all their 2010 Common Grants focus on these issues, several do.  It is that outcome which highlights how unrestricted funds allow the Community Foundation to meet needs in their communities as they change and emerge. 

Once the economy has truly recovered, there is no doubt the focus of ICCF’s grant making will shift to the next pressing issue.  That flexibility is what makes a Community Foundation one of the greatest assets we have.

Happy Spring!
Christine Bruske-Hitch
CFNEM Program Associate

It is scholarship season again at the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan and our three affiliates. Actually, it’s scholarship season everywhere! Students who are graduating from high school this year and those looking to go back to college to raise themselves up should be looking high and low for scholarships at this time of year. There are scholarships for specific schools and specific fields of interest and there are scholarships that can work for any school and any field.

All of our scholarships were created first in the minds of our donors. The donor may not have had an opportunity to go to college and they want to help others to do so. Or, the donor may have attended a certain college and they want to encourage other students to attend the same school. Still other donors may have had a successful career in nursing or some other field and they want to support students who want to enter that same field.

Whatever our donors want to do to give back to their community, they can do it through their community foundation. We can be as flexible or as rigid as our donors want us to be. They can be sure that the legacy they leave with their community foundation will be followed, exactly as they have instructed us, forever!

So if you know a student who is planning to attend college next year, be sure to encourage them to seek out scholarships. Anyone can apply and we would be happy to answer any questions the applicants may have.

Some folks truly work to make a difference in their communities – not just with their resources but with their valuable time.

We are so proud of Tim and Sue Fitzpatrick, who received the Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce 2009 Outstanding Citizens of the Year award last Thursday.  The Fitzpatricks support numerous organizations in the Alpena area both financially and by volunteering.  Among the organizations they support are Art in the Loft, Friends Together, Alpena Arts and Culture, and Trinity Episcopal Church.

We are proud to note that they are also generous to the Community Foundation.  Sue serves on the CFNEM Board of Trustees and on the Northeast Michigan Women’s Giving Circle (WGC) grant screening committee.  She was instrumental in the planning of WGC’s recent participation in Alpena’s holiday parade.

The Fitzpatricks’ eagerness to give of their time and resources back to the community they care about captures the true meaning of philanthropy: do what you can with what you have, and you are sure to make a difference.

If you have ever thought about how to teach your children, young or not so young, about philanthropy, the best way to do it is to include them in your annual gift planning. You don’t have to be planning a large gift. When you talk to your children about the importance of helping others, and then follow that with regular giving to worthy charitable causes, it reinforces the idea of philanthropy in your children. In this field I have learned that generosity is an inherited trait, but philanthropy is a learned behavior. You can decide how much you want to donate to charity in any given year, but then sit down with your children and talk about what is important to you and to your children and come to a consensus on what charitable organizations would best meet your charitable goals. Letting your children know that you care about what is important to them will also reinforce the empowerment of giving.

The sooner you begin this dialogue with your children, the stronger the behavior will become. When my children were very small, I taught them that you should never pass by folks standing in front of Walmart and the like, ringing bells or asking for a donation to a good cause, without making a donation. Granted, there were many times that all I had to give was a little change, but I taught my children that it is our duty to help others, with whatever means we have.

Whether your annual giving is through your community foundation, or through some other organization, be sure to include your children in your philanthropic actions. It is the very best way to teach your children to do the same.

Barbara A. Willyard
CFNEM Executive Director

If you’ve seen the news anytime in the past week, you know the majority of Haitians who survived the massive earthquake last week are still without food, water or shelter.  If you are considering a monetary donation to aid relief organizations working in Haiti to rescue, recover and rebuild, I’d like to make you aware of the possibilities of helping through a foundation.

Whether you’re looking to put some money into the immediate needs of the Haitian people, or wish to contribute to rebuilding efforts and future needs, please visit the Council on Foundation’s United States International Grantmaking site for disasters at http://www.usig.org/disastergm/earthquakehaiti2010.asp.  You’ll find information on many community, private and corporate foundations throughout the U.S. that can provide a safe, secure way for you to donate so you will feel assured the money will be used in the most effective way possible.

Foundations are generally focused on the long-term, and charities typically respond to immediate needs, but both have the ability to address today, and the future.  Foundations understand that in events like natural disasters, the short-term needs are just as important and demand quick response.

Our colleagues at COF and foundations across the U.S. began scrambling within just an hour of the earthquake to help donors aid Haitian victims and survivors – an absolute commitment to making it easy for you to give.  If there is any way we can assist you in supporting Haitian residents, please contact us at 877-354-6881 and we can help point you in the right direction.

Very truly yours,
Barbara A. Willyard
CFNEM Executive Director

Community Foundations (CFs) don’t compete with each other.  They cooperate.  It’s how we learn about the ways new or outgoing legislation will affect us; it’s how we find out what new giving trends are popping up in our country; and it’s how we learn what other community foundations are doing that really works well.  But that cooperation, with our colleagues throughout the nation, also lends us a little time to learn about some of the fun facts you might not know about CFs!

Community Foundations do great work, but it’s not always loudly talked about.  Just for fun, here are some folks you may have heard of who know exactly how great a CF can be:

• Tim McGraw and Faith Hill established an endowment fund at the CF of Middle Tennessee called the Neighbor’s Keeper Fund, which emphasizes children’s initiatives.
• The Dave Matthews Band does their charitable giving through the Charlottesville CF.
• Charles Schultz, Creator of Peanuts was very involved with the Sonoma County CF.
• Ruben Studdard, American Idol 2 Winner established an endowment for the advancement of children in musical arts at the CF for Greater Birmingham in Alabama
• The Dale Earnhardt Family, Hank Aaron, John and Cindy McCain, Paul Newman, Sandra Day O’Connor, Lucille Ball, Derek Jeter and John Mayer – just a tiny sample of many other well-knowns who chose to leave a grand legacy through their local community foundations.

Someday, CFNEM will have a name to add to that list.  We have many, many wonderful donors who are all celebrities in our minds – they just haven’t yet hit People Magazine.  But when they do, or when one of the talented, gifted people from northeast Michigan makes it big in sports, politics or Hollywood – I hope they remember the community that helped shape them.  I wonder who it will be…

Yours in giving,
Christine Bruske-Hitch
Program Associate, CFNEM

The CFNEM Youth Advisory Council (YAC) members do more than just grantmaking! Community service is a big part of what they do, and when they decorated and donated about 18 dozen cookies last week during their recent holiday meeting, it was obvious to me that we’re on the right track with our YACs.

As we met at the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Heritage Ceter, it only took about an hour for them to disinfect their hands, put on food service gloves, spread out the baked cookies, tint the frosting to a perfect holiday shade, slather and swirl it on the cookies, and sprinkle them with glittering sugar. The cookies were spread out to dry in multiple boxes, trays, and plates all around the room.

At the end of the meeting, members from Montmorency County were asked to deliver the cookies to their final destination, an area homeless shelter. They cheerfully packed up the goodies and walked out the door, balancing multiple boxes of cookies and donations of food items collected from other YAC members

The donations to the homeless shelter were met with sincere appreciation and gratitude, especially from a person younger than the students. According to a YAC member’s parent, the return gift of giving was far deeper and longer lasting for the students.

We’ve ended a year of providing grants for youth projects with an opportunity to do a little extra for those less fortunate. How rewarding to have small gestures of kindness go so far!

Wishing you the best this holiday season,

Julie Wiesen
Program Director
Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan

At this time of year we hear lots of stories about the good work folks are doing to help those in need. How heartwarming is it to hear about organizations that are helping the homeless, working to keep art and music programs in the schools, protecting and preserving the environment, or anything else that directly affects the quality of life for all of us living in northeast Michigan. The most important thing we all need to realize, however, is that the responsibility to fix these and all other problems in our communities lies with all of us. We all must do our part to help others in need. Whether your gift is small or large, your gift will make a difference.

Your Community Foundation can help you help others. By making a gift to the Community Needs Fund you can help all the organizations that apply for grants from your Community Foundation. Any nonprofit, school, church or government agency can apply for funding. During the latest grant cycle, we had over $44,000 in requests and only about $19,000 available to spend.

Making a gift to your Community Foundation is easy. You can click on the “Online Giving” button on this homepage and make your credit card gift from home. You can call our office (989-354-6881 or toll free 877-354-6881) and make a credit card gift over the phone. You can mail your gift to our office.

One of the benefits of making a gift to your Community Foundation is that any gift to a permanent endowment fund at a community foundation in Michigan not only qualifies for a federal tax deduction, it also qualifies for the Michigan Community Foundation Tax Credit. For more information about the Tax Credit, check out the Donor tab on our website.

Please remember those in need during the Holiday Season and throughout the year.

Barbara A. Willyard
CFNEM Executive Director

As the Community Foundation’s Women’s Giving Circle (WGC) float strolled down Chisholm Street in downtown Alpena Friday night, I found myself marveling at how far the WGC has come in just three years.  What started simply as a great idea became a group of more than 80 givers – men and women – who are supporting issues important to women in northeast Michigan.  The WGC Endowment Fund has already grown to over $57,000 and has awarded $1,700 in grants in its first two grant cycles.

The WGC has nowhere near hit its peak.  Julie Wiesen and I have been excited about this fund’s potential since it was established in 2007, but I don’t think I realized the real potential it has to reach through generations until Friday night.  I brought my 9-year-old niece with me to walk in the parade with the WGC’s purple and silver float.  She already knows all about her Aunt Christine’s job and how I get to spend my days helping to give away money to good causes.  But she tugged on my jacket and asked, “how old do I have to be to be a WGC member?”  I thought maybe she was intrigued by the bright purple lights and shiny presents on the float, but I was way off.  She said she wants to make a difference, too!  I told her whatever she can spare from her piggy bank, I’ll match it 2:1.  A young philanthropist in the making!

We already know that northeast Michigan residents and visitors are extremely generous people – the Community Foundation and our many nonprofits can attest to that.  But Friday night, among my niece and all those people who may have seen the CFNEM and WGC logos for the first time, I was reminded that the more people who understand the amazing power of collective giving, the brighter our future here will be.

A big thanks must go out to all the volunteers who helped the WGC Committee make our involvement in the parade a possibility!  Your time, resources and talents are greatly appreciated.

Yours in giving,
Christine Bruske-Hitch
CFNEM Program Associate

Welcome to the Community Foundation’s new blog! The purpose of this blog is to give staff and board members’ perspectives on key issues in charitable giving and philanthropy, a view inside the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan (CFNEM), and to note where we are making a difference in our communities.

First, our Board of Trustees and staff completed a new, five-year strategic plan in June.  As it is no surprise, given how email and social networking have become such important tools of communication, you will see a lot more of CFNEM on the web.  We are now on Facebook, Twitter, and on this blog.

The Community Foundation is an integral part of northeast Michigan, even if we tend to be quiet about it at times.  In the past 35 years, more than $24.5 million has been given to our local nonprofits and students through grants and scholarships.  In the years ahead, we look forward to continued support of our amazing area, and greater connections and interactions with you: our donors, our grantees, our youth members and our friends.

Future posts will note our progress in leading our communities to a brighter and better northeast Michigan.

Looking forward,
Barbara A. Willyard
CFNEM Executive Director