You are invited to be a part of Northeast Michigan's future.

You belong to a unique generation--the most generous in history. As of September 2025, community charitable donations had built assets exceeding $87.6 million through the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan and its affiliate foundations (Iosco County Community Foundation, North Central Michigan Community Foundation and Straits Area Community Foundation). Since the inception of the Community Foundation, over $65.1 million has been awarded to nonprofit groups, schools and churches (for non-religious purposes) and students in the form of scholarships through our nine-county service area.

By joining the Legacy Society and making a commitment to keep some of your assets here, you can help the Community Foundation ensure the communities and lifestyle you have enjoyed will stay vibrant for generations to come. You can help preserve our local assets by setting aside a portion for northeast Michigan, the home of your heritage, childhood memories, livelihood and roots. If you love northeast Michigan, consider this opportunity to enrich its future. Do you have 11 minutes? The full video of some of our Legacy Society members speaking about their reasons for giving and their experience working with the Community Foundation to establish their legacy is below.

The Legacy Society recognizes individuals and couples who have named the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan or any of its affiliates as the beneficiary of a portion of their estate assets. Even including a charitable gift of just five percent of your estate can make a big difference in helping the Community Foundation meet the needs of our communities.

How do you join the Legacy Society?

When you make a commitment to northeast Michigan's future through a planned gift or bequest, you are eligible to join the Community Foundation's Legacy Society.

Click here to download the form for joining the Legacy Society or updating your Legacy Society commitment.

As a member of the Legacy Society, you'll be invited to:

Choose an existing fund or name a new charitable fund.

As you plan your legacy, you can choose a fund already existing or create a new fund and honor the name of your family or loved ones, you may choose anonymity, or you may want to honor an organization.

Share your personal history.

We would like to preserve your story and photographs for future generations who will receive grants from your named fund.

Be named in many Community Foundation publications.

We would like to give others the opportunity to follow your example of community stewardship and leadership. (We also respect the wishes of those who prefer to give anonymously.)

Have your name engraved on a brass leaf of the Legacy Society recognition tree growing in the CFNEM offices.

Your planned gift or bequest puts you in good company today. Tomorrow, your endowed fund will be multiplied with gifts from other caring individuals and families to do good works in our community for generations to come.