PARTNERS in Philanthropy

When Grand Rapids Community Foundation was founded in 1922 as Michigan’s first community foundation, it was an opportunity to grow resources to address our area’s everchanging needs. The concept caught on with many people coming together over the years to do good in our community. A century later, the Community Foundation stands on the shoulders of our partners as an active demonstration of the commitment of people who believe in investing in Kent County’s long-term growth and sustainability.

We celebrate and honor the legacy of philanthropy that has made our work possible. We’re grateful for all the individuals, families, nonprofits, community leaders and more who have come together to commit resources, skills, network, influence and dollars to create a better community. While our approach has evolved since our founding, our purpose remains. The Community Foundation exists to connect people, passion and resources to address pressing issues impacting our community today and into the future. We have not wavered from that in the last 100 years and will not in the future.

As we embark on a new century of service and impact, it is important that we also take time to reflect on our past and engage with community to shape our future focus. In honor of this extraordinary moment in our history, we will be curating a special Centennial Collection of PARTNERS in community magazine throughout 2022. This series will explore the core components of our work—philanthropy, legacy, partnership and community and equity. In this first centennial issue, we explore philanthropy through the lens of our history, impact, growth, learning and future focus.

Throughout our history, we have worked with countless partners to leverage philanthropic tools to champion for social justice and critical issues in our community. The Community Foundation provided support for basic needs during the Great Depression. In the 1940s, we launched our scholarship program to address the shortage of nurses and other healthcare workers during World War II. With the emergence of HIV/AIDs, we collaborated with many organizations and administered the AIDS Fund beginning in 1990. In the 1990s, the rate of child abuse and neglect was alarming, so we collaborated with Kent County and child welfare agencies to create prevention programming. Core issues like affordable housing and education have been central to our work throughout our history.

Today, as we lean further into our commitment to racial, social and economic justice and building an inclusive economy, we are reminded of how far the tools of philanthropy have brought us. We are also reminded of how much our definition and understanding of what it means to be a philanthropist has evolved. With the support of our many partners who have given of their time, financial resources and thought partnership, the Community Foundation has invested $265 million (and counting) in grants and scholarships to make bold change possible in West Michigan.

I am excited about the future of our community and the work we will continue to do together by leveraging the tools of philanthropy.

Throughout our centennial year, we will be gathering stories and aspirations to understand our community’s collective vision for the future of Kent County. This will inform our work in our next century of service and impact. Please visit GRFoundation.org/Centennial and follow us on social media @GRCommFound to learn more.