Advance Equity-Driven Philanthropy
Empower purposeful and equity-driven philanthropy that fosters a vibrant community
Our Strategic Framework
Equity Takes All of Us
For the last century, Grand Rapids Community Foundation has worked to strengthen the lives of people in West Michigan. This staying power is a testament to you, our partners. It has never been clearer that a purposeful path to equity will take all of us. We will adapt and meet the moment and plan thoughtfully for the years ahead.
Over the next few years, we will focus on four main goals as outlined in our strategic framework. We’re also moving forward with a new mission, North Star and core values, reinforcing our commitment to equity, opportunity and belonging.
Our Goals
To advance our mission and North Star, we've identified four goals
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Grow and Expand Funding
Grow financial assets and expand access to Community Foundation resources that will support equitable and thriving communities
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Deepen Community Partnerships
Cultivate a shared responsibility for continuous listening, learning and authentic relationship building in order to strengthen community partnerships
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Strengthen Internal Operations
Invest in organizational excellence and effectiveness to advance our mission and North Star
Our Process
Developing our Strategic Framework
Summer 2025
Gathering Perspectives
The consulting firm The Barthwell Group gathered and analyzed perceptions of the Community Foundation's strengths, areas for improvement and opportunities. Their analysis included a review of historical documents, insights from partners over recent years, interviews, 12 focus groups with more than 100 partners and Community Foundation staff, and survey responses from community members.
Fall 2025
Understanding the Feedback
The feedback was transcribed, aggregated and analyzed to ensure confidentiality while preserving the integrity of the responses. Findings were organized into several key themes and categories of learning to provide a foundation for the strategic framework.
Winter 2025-26
Developing our Framework
The strategic framework was developed over a series of meetings with a Strategic Framework Committee made up of staff and volunteer partners. The framework was then presented through focus groups for additional insights and input.
Thank you
Equity takes all of us
We are excited to continue on this journey together. Grand Rapids Community Foundation is committed to equity and our strategic framework is the path.
We offer many thanks to you and to the many partners who gave their time, ideas, insights and perspectives that helped to shape the focus of our work.