This week marks the 28th Annual Community Foundation Week—a designation created in 1989 by former president George H.W. Bush. Community Foundation Week recognizes the work of community foundations throughout America and their collaborative approach to working with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to address community problems.
Community foundations represent one of the fastest-growing forms of philanthropy. Every state in the United States is home to at least one community foundation—large and small, urban and rural—working to advance solutions on a wide range of social issues. They build and strengthen communities in a multitude of ways, including providing the means for a wide range of donors to create permanent funds to positively impact lives.
“Community foundations impact lives, solve problems, and improve futures. We are more determined than ever to bring our community partners together to find innovative and effective solutions for some of our most challenging social problems and advance the most promising of opportunities to benefit our residents.” – Holly Johnson, President
We work with families, individuals, attorneys, and estate and financial planners to design gift plans that fit every economic situation, ensuring that donors receive the most benefit from their charitable contributions and that their philanthropic dollars are used to their fullest extent. While community foundations range greatly in asset size, they all share the common goal: serving donors, nonprofit organizations, and the community as a whole. One of a community foundation’s special functions is to provide effective leadership and coordinate the needs and services in our communities, so that charitable gifts are used effectively to fulfill a community’s most critical needs.
The GHACF was recently recognized by the City of Grand Haven for our years of dedication to this community.
Kim Zevalkink GHACF Board Member; Pat McGinnis, Grand Haven City Manager; Holly Johnson, GHACF President ; Chad Bush, GHACF Board Member; and Geri McCaleb, Mayor of Grand Haven.
“No community on the face of the earth has a foundation as active, engaged, committed, and effective as Grand Haven,” said Pat McGinnis, Grand Haven City Manager. “The attributes of our community that truly make Grand Haven shine would not exist if not for the thoughtful leadership and support offered by our Community Foundation.”
“Over the past few years I have seen how much the foundation helps in a myriad of ways,” said Geri McCaleb, Mayor of Grand Haven. “From their willingness to share their expertise, to their good advice on how to present opportunities for community involvement in the projects we have undertaken.”
We’re honored to receive this recognition, and will continue our work to make this a wonderful community for everyone.