All News

• 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…

• Posted on July 20, 2015 – Posted by: Roberta King

  $100,000 Grant to Indian Trails Camp for Kate Pew Wolters Center

  Indian Trails Camp is known for providing individuals with disabilities an enriched life through recreation, advocacy and meaningful relationships. Unfortunately, when rain falls at Indian Trails Camp, the spirits of campers fall as well. A…

• Posted on July 13, 2015 – Posted by: Jamie Riehle

  An Inside Look at New Beginnings Program for Returning Citizens

  *A special thank you to Jamie Riehle, today's guest author and Mentor Coordinator for Women's Resource Center's New Beginnings program. Our Board of Trustees recently approved a $52,000 grant so incarcerated women can get jobs…

• Posted on July 08, 2015 – Posted by: Meredith Fennema

  $52,000 Grant To Support Mentoring and Employment Program for Incarcerated Women

  Grand Rapids Community Foundation today announced a $52,000 grant to the Women’s Resource Center (WRC). The grant will support WRC’s New Beginnings program; a service that provides incarcerated women at Kent County Jail with gender-responsive…

• Posted on July 06, 2015 – Posted by: Kara Kuntz

  Youth Employment Initiative Grant- An Inside Look at How Grantmaking Happens

  Thanks to a grant from W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), Grand Rapids Community Foundation is able to help local nonprofits fund youth employment for another summer. A grant recommendations committee met earlier this month to decide…

• Posted on July 01, 2015 – Posted by: Roberta King

  One Hundred New Philanthropists: Brent and Ronda Geers

  Young professionals Brent and Ronda Geers, an attorney and a teacher respectively, are engaged Grand Rapidians. They give back with their time, talent and treasure to a variety of local causes and organizations. Their…

• Posted on June 23, 2015 – Posted by: Shaun Shira

  Considering Your Philanthropic Journey

  Donors give for a variety of reasons. For some, the mission of the nonprofit aligns with their values. For others, a life experience may have influenced where they direct their philanthropic support. Some donors simply…

• Posted on June 21, 2015 – Posted by: Diana Sieger

  Our Own Patron Saint

  During my 28 years at the Community Foundation, I’ve been honored to have met and worked with quite a few of Grand Rapids’ most noted philanthropists. Many of these individuals served as Grand Rapids Community…

• Posted on June 02, 2015 – Posted by: Laurie Craft

  Grand Rapids' Homelessness Problem

  Last week, the Coalition to End Homelessness released the results of its annual Point in Time count and the numbers reflected a significant (15%) increase in the number of homeless individuals in our community on…

• Posted on May 27, 2015 – Posted by: Roberta King

  Challenge Scholars Campaign Tops Goal

  Grand Rapids Community Foundation announced today that it has exceeded the $32 million goal for its innovative Challenge Scholars program by raising $33.6 million toward the first phase of building the scholarship endowment. The public…

• Posted on April 20, 2015 – Posted by: Roberta King

  One Hundred New Philanthropists: Erica Curry VanEe and Brian VanEe

  With two Union Square condos—one of them an Airbnb rental* business—on Grand Rapids’ West Side, Erica Curry VanEe and Brian VanEe are all about making the West Side the best side for everyone. These big…
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  Posted on March 30, 2015 – Posted by: Roberta King

  Our LGBT Fund: Shelley Padnos and Carol Sarosik

  In August, 2014, Donor Advisors, Shelley Padnos and Carol Sarosik, created Our LGBT Fund , a Field of Interest Fund at the Community Foundation. It was created with a matching gift of $100,000. Through this…