The spring/summer issue of PARTNERS in community, a magazine by Grand Rapids Community Foundation, is here for you to read and enjoy! Our "How We Give" series continues with donor partner and Metz Legacy Society [...]
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Updates and Insights from the Community Foundation
Featured Posts
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Partners in Community, spring/summer 2024 -
Support for Students: Scholarships and much more As a community foundation, we strive for a vibrant community where all people can apply their talents and creativity to fuel our future. We believe education is a key that unlocks these possibilities. In recent [...]
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Whether for economic, educational or healthcare justice, these three friends have strong feelings about removing barriers, providing access and creating opportunities for people in our community. Coming from diverse career backgrounds—job training, education and business—Bev [...]
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Rick Gillett is long time philanthropist and advocate for the children of Grand Rapids and is passionate about their growth and development. “We feel so strongly for the Grand Rapids community and its children and [...]
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Understanding all of the factors that influence success in education, Ken and Judy Betz were early major donors to Grand Rapids Community Foundation’s Challenge Scholars program. “It’s not just about the scholarship,” Judy said. [...]
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For Christina and Andy Keller, their work values and philanthropy values are braided. “I think about giving as I do business—through the lens of the triple bottom line—which means maximizing value along three areas: people, [...]
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The philanthropy of Shelley Padnos and Carol Sarosik is deep and highly personal. “I came from a family that didn’t have a lot of money, but I do know that both my parents gave in [...] -
On Friday, October 23, 2015 Grand Rapids Community Foundation will have its annual donor celebration and present the Jack Chaille Community Philanthropy Award to Armen Oumedian, retired senior Vice President of Rapistan. Oumedian and his [...]
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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 [...]
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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 [...]
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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 [...]
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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 [...]
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As an estate planning attorney with Varnum Law, Linsey Gleason is a passionate philanthropist who wants to create solutions. Her understanding of the challenges older adults face motivates her charitable contributions to Senior Neighbors, [...]
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For Mark Breon, giving back is at the core of who he is and what he believes in. “For as long as I can remember, my parents have given back and empowered others to [...]