Stories

  • A Legacy of Family Giving

    Posted on January 29, 2019 – Posted by:

    A Legacy of Family Giving

    How do you wish your life to be remembered? What legacy do you want to leave? These are the questions answered with effective estate planning. Generations of people have built our community’s endowment through planned [...]
  • Annual Report 2017-2018

    Posted on December 20, 2018 – Posted by:

    Annual Report 2017-2018

    2017-2018 Annual Report A community is defined by the people who call it home. Our community has the potential to be anything we want it to be. There is potential everywhere in West Michigan—potential that can break [...]
  • Youth in Philanthropy

    Posted on December 04, 2018 – Posted by:

    Youth in Philanthropy

    This past October, Rob Collier, former president of the Council for Michigan Foundations, invited me to be a closing plenary speaker for the CMF Annual Conference. The featured speaker for the event was Frans Johansson [...]
  • Love & Legacy

    Posted on June 05, 2018 – Posted by:

    Love & Legacy

    Be a good person. Do great work. Have an impact.  These are principles Chad Zagel and Ellie Frey Zagel live by and ultimately hope to be remembered for. Their estate plan is one of many ways [...]

  • Posted on July 05, 2016 – Posted by: Roberta King

    Metz Legacy Society: Kathy Humphrey

    If you searched for one word to describe Kathy Humphrey it might be passionate. But, it also could be prevention. Advocate and compassion come to mind too. “I grew up with parents who taught me [...]

  • Posted on March 24, 2016 – Posted by: Roberta King

    One Hundred New Philanthropists: Megan Sall

    She’s a native West Michigander who grew up in Grand Rapids. Megan Sall left the community to serve, explore and work before growing roots in the East Hills neighborhood of Grand Rapids. “Prior to my current [...]
  • One Hundred New Philanthropists: Jason Franklin

    Posted on March 24, 2016 – Posted by: Roberta King

    One Hundred New Philanthropists: Jason Franklin

    New to Grand Rapids, Jason Franklin, PhD, is exuberant about philanthropy, his new house in Eastown and community philanthropy. In less than a year, the first W.K. Kellogg Community Philanthropy Chair at the Johnson Center [...]

  • Posted on December 14, 2015 – Posted by: Roberta King

    One Hundred New Philanthropists: Emily and Ben VerWys

    Ben and Emily VerWys, an investment advisor at Action Point Financial and realtor at Keller Williams respectively, are strategic thinkers and connected community members. “When we heard about how the Community Foundation could help us [...]

  • Posted on November 17, 2015 – Posted by: Roberta King

    From Our Annual Report: Bev Drake, Ruth Lumpkins and Betty Burton Groce

    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 [...]

  • Posted on November 17, 2015 – Posted by: Roberta King

    From Our Annual Report: Rick Gillett

    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 [...]