Insights

• Posted on January 04, 2016 – Posted by: Laurie Craft

  New Ideas for a New Year!

  Last month, the Community Foundation hosted a Knotty Cocktails event on the housing affordability challenges facing Grand Rapids and many other communities across the country (you can view the 45 minute panel discussion here). The event [...]

• Posted on December 23, 2015 – Posted by: Marilyn Zack

  IRA Rollover News for Community Foundation Donors!

  The IRA Charitable Rollover has been permanently extended! Here's what it means for you: If you're age 70½ or older, you may be able to take advantage of an important incentive for charitable giving.  Congress recently [...]

• Posted on December 07, 2015 – Posted by: Diana Sieger

  Change for the Better

  Adaptability is a great trait in people and organizations. We expect leaders to be willing to change the status quo and move forward. Sometimes, though, we hold onto our past and do things like we’ve [...]

• Posted on September 28, 2015 – Posted by: Kara Kuntz

  Create a College-Going Culture: Support First-Generation Student Success

  George Davis has seen the triumphs and struggles of countless incoming freshmen. As associate director of admissions at Grand Valley State University, George oversees The Oliver Wilson Freshman Academy Program. The Freshman Academy Program goal [...]

• Posted on September 24, 2015 – Posted by: Diana Sieger

  Toward a Racism-Free Grand Rapids

  In July I was on a panel hosted by Partners for a Racism-Free Community. The organization’s vision is a community where racial and ethnic disparities are eliminated so all people are accepted and included as [...]

• Posted on September 24, 2015 – Posted by: Meredith Fennema

  The Road to Success: Supporting First Generation College Students through High School and Beyond

  As part of the Challenge Scholars initiative, Tracy Benjamin serves as College and Career Coordinator at Union High School. We recently caught up with Tracy to learn more about how she helps high schoolers who [...]

• Posted on September 16, 2015 – Posted by: Meredith Fennema

  Scholarships for Success

  Since 1945, thanks to hundreds of donors and community members who believe in making college a reality for Kent County students, we've awarded more than $12.9 million in scholarships. In 2015, 56% of scholarship recipients [...]

• Posted on August 25, 2015 – Posted by: Kara Kuntz

  Survey Says Pt. 3: Myth Busters

  Five Myths about Grand Rapids Community Foundation: BUSTED MYTH 1: Grand Rapids Community Foundation is all about Grand Rapids. We fund all of Kent County. This map shows how the Foundation impacts Kent County and beyond. MYTH 2 [...]

• Posted on August 24, 2015 – Posted by: Kara Kuntz

  Survey Says... Pt. 2

  These next five findings put our survey respondents to the test. We asked respondents what causes they think Grand Rapids Community Foundation supports. Let’s see how they did: If you were one of the many survey [...]

• Posted on August 20, 2015 – Posted by: Kara Kuntz

  Survey Says... Pt. 1

  Grand Rapids Community Foundation’s vision of a magnetic and interconnected West Michigan isn’t possible without the input of many perspectives. Our social survey received 350 responses this year.. Thank you for taking the survey and [...]

• Posted on July 27, 2015 – Posted by: Meredith Fennema

  How Will You Be a Changemaker?

  The Grand Rapids community is doing amazing things when it comes to reentry, and we need your help spreading the word and getting involved to make sure this good work continues. When someone is away in [...]

• Posted on July 20, 2015 – Posted by: Meredith Fennema

  Five Facts, Five Friends - Spread the Word about Reentry

  Too often, people who have a criminal record are dismissed and shunned by the community from where they once lived. Returning citizens might be the most marginalized group in our society. But we know our [...]