Community

2014 annual report

Welcome.
Whether you are a rst-time reader or longstanding contributor
to the Capital Region Community Foundation, we hope the
stories in our annual report will inspire you to help us continue
to improve the quality of life in mid-Michigan.
By giving to the Community Foundation and joining hundreds
of other donors, your contribution will go far in addressing the
most pressing needs and promising opportunities in our
communities today and forever.
Wont you join us? Together, were changing lives.
For good. For ever. For everyone. 3
For good. For ever.
sm
The mission of the Capital Region Community Foundation
is to serve the charitable needs and enhance
the quality of life in Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties.
We serve and seek out a wide range of donors to build
permanent endowments that are used to meet
the changing needs and interests of our community.
Confirmed in compliance with National Standards
for U.S. Community Foundations
Capital Region Community Foundation 4
CONTENT
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A commitment to community
A global classroom
Legacy society 2013 by the numbers
Michael and Deborah Harrison established the Jean D. Harrison
Charitable Fund in memory of Michaels mother. They use the
fund to support causes that were important to Jean throughout
her lifetime, including the arts and the environment.
Many refugee youth who come to Lansing arrive as older teens,
and they ofen dont have enough time to earn all of the credits
needed to graduate from high school before they age out of the
public school system at 20. The Global Institute of Lansing is
changing that for Lansing refugees.
The Capital Region Community Foundations Legacy
Society was established in 2010 to honor the people and
families who will leave an indelible mark on our community
through a bequest or other planned gif. Wont you join us?
Together, were making a diference.
In 2013, we distributed 598 grants totaling more than
$3.4 million to support many worthy causes and make our
community a better place for everyone. Because of the
generosity of our donors, our community will continue to
grow and thrive forever.
For good. For ever. For everyone.
By mail
330 Marshall St., Suite 300
Lansing, MI 48912
By phone
(517) 272-2870
By email
info@
crcfoundation.org
Online
http://
crcfoundation.org
Follow us on Twitter
@givelansing
Like us on Facebook
www.facebook.com/givelansing
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Connect
An impact on our waterways
Teens giving back
The Community Foundations 2013 Impact Grant was awarded
to the Eaton Conservation Districts Middle Grand River
Organization of Watersheds program to protect and preserve
the history and natural resources of our Grand River watershed.
The Community Foundations Youth Action Committee is a
group of three dozen high school students from across our
region who volunteer throughout the community. Theyre
also responsible for awarding nearly $50,000 in grants
to organizations that work to make life better for kids.
On the cover:
A student sees the world through the eyes
of a mole in Fenner Nature Centers Nature
A-Bounds! program.
Read about the program on Page 22.
Photo by Eat Pomegranate Photography
Capital Region Community Foundation
Overview: Founded in 1987,
we are a permanent and growing
pool of philanthropic resources
supported by hundreds of
compassionate donors to
benefit charitable organizations
doing important work in our
communities.
Area served: Ingham, Eaton and
Clinton counties.
Status: We are a 501(c)(3) public
charity.
Number of funds: More than
400 funds and growing!
Total assets: More than
$81 million (12/31/13 audited).
Grants awarded: More than
$39 million since 1990.
Fast facts
6
Welcome to your
community foundation
JazzFest Lansing
Courtesy photo
S
ince 1987, weve been helping generous people like you express their passion
for giving. We know that giving is as individual as the giver, and it is a reflection
of you your values, your interests and your hopes for the future.
Our goal is to be your trusted partner in giving, and our vision is to make it easy
and fulfilling.
We ofer personalized philanthropy to each of our donors and house more than 400
charitable funds in order to help turn good intentions into great accomplishments.
Through our work with you, we are the leader in growing philanthropy across mid-
Michigan and enhancing its enduring impact on the quality of life.
By giving through the Capital Region Community Foundation, you are well on your
way toward making a diference in the life of this community now and always.
For good. For ever. For everyone.
David Trumpie
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As a partner of the foundation, you are joining a family
of donors who have diverse interests yet share common
traits a giving spirit and the desire to strengthen their
community.
Community foundations are independent, tax-exempt public
charities founded by visionary local leaders. They create a
permanent pool of charitable funds on behalf of hundreds
of donors to ensure that the important work of community
Keep on growing: Garden projects empower neighbors to grow, prepare and eat healthy food to become better connected with the community.
organizations can continue long-term. The first community
foundation was started in Cleveland in 1914, and the idea has
grown since to more than 1,600 across the globe. Every county
in Michigan is represented by a community foundation.
By giving through Capital Region Community Foundation,
you are joining a worldwide network of like-minded
people who want to create positive change in their own
communities.
The advantages of giving through the Community Foundation
Capital Region Community Foundation 8
You have to care about the world if you want to change it.
So take some time to sit down, relax and read this annual report.
The Capital Region Community Foundation ended the year
with a record $81 million in assets. I am proud to say that
every board member was also a donor to the foundation.
Growing the foundations assets to more than $100 million
is our next important milepost. At $100 million, our ability to
help many more worthy programs and causes will increase
tremendously, adding millions of dollars to our foundations
grant-making capacity.
So join the Community Foundation in this journey, and take
a big step in moving forward to help people right here.
Please enjoy this look back at 2013, and help change the
world tomorrow for good and forever.
When you are done reading, I know you will care even more
about the many charitable needs in our region, and it will be
easy to see how the Capital Region Community Foundation
helps people and organizations change the world every day.
Then, if you havent made a donation, please consider joining
the Capital Region Community Foundation family with a gif.
Anyone making a big or small gif can share a legacy that will
help shape the world in the future for good and forever.
In 2013, the Community Foundation really did care, and we
changed the world many times in very human ways.
It was an honor to serve as chair of the Board of Trustees in
2013. Caring about people and helping to make this world
a better place is what the Community Foundation did by
successfully granting more than $3.4 million.
From our 2013 board chair ...
Capital Region Community Foundations 2013 board chair, Robert Kolt (lef), with president and CEO Dennis Fliehman.
Robert Kolt
2013 Board Chair
For good. For ever. For everyone. 9
You have a giving spirit and you want to do some good. We can
help you to do better! Your generosity will have more impact
by giving through the Capital Region Community Foundation.
More and more people today are turning to their community
foundations to make their giving more efective, permanent,
meaningful and local. Afer all, generosity is our only business.
Accessibility: You dont need to be a millionaire to be a philanthropist.
You can open most charitable funds with a minimum of $10,000.
Flexibility: You can set up any type of fund that meets your needs:
A donor-advised fund lets you make all the decisions about giving;
A field of interest fund allows you to devote gifs to a particular field;
A designated fund allows you to give exclusively to the nonprofit(s)
of your choice; and
A scholarship fund helps support deserving students according to your
wishes.
Timing: You can decide whether you want to create fund during your lifetime
and see the impact of your support, or you may make a planned gif that will help
our community forever.
Responsiveness: Youll find us actively involved in our community; youll
see our names and faces on our website. Our entire staf is available to answer
your questions.
Inclusivity: Our grants and our development eforts focus on all segments of
our region.
Credibility: We make it our business to understand the needs of the
community and to be knowledgeable about the nonprofit organizations that
address those needs most efectively.
Permanence: We ofer a permanent source of community capital. Gifs made
today will not only increase in value many times over, but will support unforeseen
community needs for generations to come.
Double the impact of your generosity: The small administrative
fee you pay on your fund at the Community Foundation supports our work in
advancing the quality of life in this community, while you simultaneously support
the causes you care about.
Thank you.
Capital Region Community Foundation
The Capital Region Community Foundations Legacy Society was
established in 2010 to honor the people who will leave an indelible mark
on our community through a bequest or other planned gif.
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A legacy that lasts
forever
For good. For ever. For everyone.
Robert and Jane Becker
John E. and Jewel T. Bos
Eleanor A. Doersam
David and Connie Donovan
Ronald and Sue Eggleston
Dennis and Linda Fliehman
Betty Giuliani
Camron and Lisa Gnass
Michael and Deborah Harrison
C. Richard and Susan Herrold
Thomas E. and Lynne M. Hofmeyer
Mark and Marcia Hooper
Beth M. Hubbell
Charley and LeaAnne Janssen
Robert Kolt and Sue Wagner
Paul and Evie McNamara
Thomas J. Messner
Charles and Helen Mickens
Leon and Carol Monroe
Patricia K. Munshaw and Dana Brazil
Gerald L. Olson
Richard and Lorayne Otto
Nancy Passanante
Pamela A. Paul-Shaheen
Frank H. and Patricia Reynolds
Stuart D. Sleight
Kathleen M. Soltow
Heather Spielmaker
Peggy A. Parke and Denis W. Sullivan
Raymond R. Ziarno
Legacy Society members
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Too ofen, these thoughtful gifs go unrecognized because
they come at the end of a donors life. The Legacy Society is
our way of acknowledging your commitment to the future
today. It enables us to thank you for your generosity.
Our Legacy Society celebrates those who have chosen the
Community Foundation as a way to improve mid-Michigan for
future generations through a bequest or other planned gif.
Becoming a member is simple: Include the Capital Region
Community Foundation in your estate plan through your will
or trust, or make a contribution via a charitable gif annuity, life
insurance, retirement fund assets or a charitable remainder or
lead trust. And, be sure to notify us of your plan so that we can
include you on our membership rolls.
Legacy Society members will always be recognized for leaving
a record of generosity and support for the charitable causes
of our community for future generations to see, respect and,
hopefully, emulate.
You may choose to remain anonymous in your philanthropy
with us. However, participation in the Legacy Society can be
an inspirational experience and may encourage others to look
toward the future and how they too may have an enduring
impact.
As beneficiary of your deferred gif, the Community Foundation
is charged with the trust and responsibility of carrying out
your wishes. We have a permanent commitment to recognize
and address community needs and take advantage of high-
impact funding opportunities. Your gif helps us achieve that.
If you already have made this provision in your estate plan,
please let us know so your name can be added to the Legacy
Society. If youre interested in joining the Legacy Society
or if you think you may already qualify please call us.
We look forward to welcoming you to our growing list of
individuals and families committed to securing the future of
our community. Together, were making a diference.
Capital Region Community Foundation
by the numbers
GIFTS
In 2013, we received 1,423 gifs
worth more than $3.1 million. Our
total assets as of Dec. 31, 2013:
$81,083,449.71.
Net assets by fund type:
Undesignated
Field of Interest
Designated
Donor-advised
Agency
Scholarship
$6,766,798.51
$18,670,335.37
$2,754,842.37
$6,826,650.44
$36,569,681.09
$8,124,708.85
The accounting firm of Maner,
Costerisan & Ellis, PC, annually audits
the Community Foundations financial
statements and has once again
expressed an unqualified favorable
opinion.
We are grateful to each and every
one of our donors.
Because of your generosity, our
community will continue to grow
and thrive forever. Thank you.
Together, were making a diference.
Find a complete list of our
2013 grants and donors
online at crcfoundation.org.
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For good. For ever. For everyone.
Grants
In 2013, the Capital Region Community Foundation distributed 598 grants totaling
more than $3.4 million to support many worthy causes and make our community
a better place.
From scholarships and afer-school programs to health screenings and housing
assistance, those charitable dollars are making a real diference, helping improve the
lives of thousands of people in mid-Michigan.
Since we began making grants in 1990, the Community Foundation has distributed
nearly $39 million.
Funds
The Community Foundation holds a collection of more than 400 charitable funds created
by individuals, families, businesses and organizations. In 2013, we added 17 new funds.
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Capital Region Community Foundation 14
A responsibility
to contribute
Former Ingham County Circuit Judge Michael Harrison and his wife, Deborah
Harrison, a longtime community volunteer, are enthusiastic about the importance
of giving back whether its time, talent or treasure.
I would like to be Bill Gates, but not for the money, Michael said. I watch what he
and his wife do with their money, and theyre so extraordinarily generous. Theyre
giving for such significant purposes.
The Harrisons generosity also is significant. Whether it was helping in the beginning
stages of the creation of Impression 5 Science Center and the Wharton Center
Inner Circle, establishing educational scholarships or funding endowments for
free mammograms and macular degeneration research, Michael and Debby take
their charge to do good to heart.
There are a variety of needs in Lansing. There are so many opportunities for
people to make a big diference, Debby said. The time is right for the Community
Foundation to be able to do more, and hopefully people will realize CRCF is a
wonderful vehicle for doing so.
The Harrisons were the recipients of the 2014 Lansing Chamber of Commerce
Community Service Award. In a video honoring their work, Michael said, Debby
and I appreciate how fortunate we are. ... This is truly a labor of love without the
labor. We have received back more than what we have given. We sincerely hope
others may join us.
The Community Foundation is secure, its safe. It has built a
track record of that in its 24 years of granting. Generous people
will know their money is safe and well-invested for the benefit of
our community, forever.
Deborah Harrison
For good. For ever. For everyone. 15
Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce
In 2010, the Harrisons established the Jean D. Harrison Charitable Fund in memory of Michaels mother. Jean was a great
supporter of all things that made the Earth beautiful, Debby Harrison said. The Harrisons use the fund to support causes that were
important to Michaels mother. We are able to continue to give to what she so enjoyed, Debby said. The Community Foundation
enables us to give to organizations such as Fenner, WKAR and the Nature Conservancy in her honor.
Capital Region Community Foundation 16
David Cutler has fond memories of growing up in DeWitt in
the 1950s.
I really like the people there, the community, and I
especially liked going to DeWitt High School and playing
sports, he said.
Those fond memories, coupled with the success Cutler
has had as the key technical brain behind the Microsof
Windows operating system, has enabled him to give back to
the community he loves.
In 2013, Cutler established the David Cutler Endowed
Scholarship Fund with a gif of $310,000. Scholarships will
be awarded to DeWitt High School seniors who excel in
academics and athletics, as Cutler did.
Cutler, who lives in Seattle, said the idea for the scholarship
grew out of his involvement in endowed scholarships he
established at the University of Washington and Olivet
College, his alma mater.
I thought it might be kind of neat to establish an endowed
scholarship at the high school level so students could
compete with other members of the community for a
scholarship rather than competing with nationwide
students at the college level, Cutler said. This scholarship,
hopefully, will help many deserving students go to college
who may not have been able to do so otherwise.
National honor: In 2007, President George W. Bush presented David Cutler with
the National Medal of Technology and Innovation for designing and implement-
ing standards for real-time, personal and server-based operating systems.
I like to help people help themselves. Helping someone
get an education is an opportunity for someone to raise
their standard of living and hopefully perpetuate the
cycle. I was very fortunate to get a scholarship at Olivet
College and certainly never could have gone to college
without a scholarship.
David Cutler
DeWitt native helps
student athletes
For good. For ever. For everyone. 17
Cutler said hes a fan of the concept of endowment.
Its an investment that gives in perpetuity, Cutler said.
I look at this endowment as just the start, and I certainly
plan to add to it over the coming years. I hope other people
will see the benefit of a scholarship endowment and how it
can help to fund scholarships for worthy students in their
community.
While a student at DeWitt High School, Cutler participated
in football, basketball, baseball and track. A combination of
athletic and academic scholarships enabled him to attend
Olivet College.
In an interview with the Lansing State Journal announcing
the establishment of this scholarship, Cutler talked about
the importance of athletics.
They teach us teamwork and introduce us to the importance
of competition, he said. There are few things we do in life
that are not done in conjunction with other people. This
includes work, at home and at play.
Cutler said sports help people learn how to get along and
work together to accomplish goals. They also build strong
friendship bonds. He said his greatest sports memory
is the 1961 football season at Olivet College, when he
was the starting quarterback. The team finished the season
with an 8-1 record afer losing nearly every game the
previous season.
I look back on that season and think about what we
accomplished by working together and playing at our
highest possible level, he said. That season cemented
several lifelong friendships that I still enjoy today.
Capital Region Community Foundation
DIANE GODDEERIS
Always learning: Scholarships from the Michigan Nurses Foundation help pay for continuing education for nurses.
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More than 100,000 nurses are working to keep Michigan
residents healthy. Theyre caring for patients and studying
to keep their skills and knowledge fresh and sharp.
So who is taking care of them? Other nurses.
The Michigan Nurses Foundation has an endowment fund
that awards research grants, and two scholarship funds to
help current nurses pay for continuing education and to aid
nursing students. MNF also ofers grants to nurses who are
battling addiction.
As I went through nursing school, I had people support
me in so many diferent ways, said Diane Goddeeris, a
registered nurse at Sparrow Hospital. She and her husband,
John, created a scholarship fund to help nurses.
For working nurses, its very dificult to find the time and
money to be able to attend the conferences and classes
theyre required to attend to maintain their license,
Goddeeris said. Because of that challenge, its ofen the
administrators who are going to these trainings, yet the
people who are at the bedside, giving the care, are not
The Michigan Nurses Foundation advances nursing by awarding
education scholarships and providing research grants. The
foundation also provides grants to support nurses who are
recovering from addiction.
Nurses support nurses
with endowment funds
For good. For ever. For everyone. 19
the ones who have the opportunities to see the latest and
greatest practices and research. These scholarships aim
to change that.
Jesusa Vasquez, president of the Michigan Nurses Foundation
and an RN at Sparrow Hospital, said the foundation is seeing a
tremendous investment benefit from having an endowment
fund with the Capital Region Community Foundation.
Our money is working harder for us than ever before,
Vasquez said. We were able to double the amount of
scholarships were giving to nurses because of that.
Its really about having generations of nurses help the next
generation, Goddeeris added. Not everyone is going to
need each of the scholarships we ofer, but its important
that theyre available. Theres definitely a need.
So far, MNF has been able to meet all the requests for
scholarship support and assistance. And now that were
with CRCF, we feel we have a more solid financial base to
help nurses, Vasquez said.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Michigan Capital Region is one of the more than 80 local agencies that has an endowment fund with the Community Foundation.
More than 80 nonprofit organizations and public
entities have established endowment funds at
the Capital Region Community Foundation. Many
nonprofits started their funds to help them develop
greater financial stability and to provide their donors
with a way to support them with planned or legacy gifs.
AGENCY FUNDS
Nonprofits not only benefit from pooled investments
and the Community Foundations administrative
services and endowment-building expertise, they also
receive the essential materials and tools to help them
market their fund to their donors. Want to learn more?
Email us at info@crcfoundation.org today.
Capital Region Community Foundation 20
Flexible
funding
forever
For good. For ever. For everyone. 21
The Community Foundation builds flexible community endowment
to ensure there are philanthropic resources available for future
generations to meet the communitys most pressing needs and
promising opportunities.
We cant predict the future, but we can prepare for it.
So many of the solutions our charitable dollars make possible now are the result
of gifs made by yesterdays donors, who recognized that todays needs may not
be tomorrows. Unrestricted gifs require not only generosity, but also donors
confidence, trust and vision for the future.
Giving is very personal; we all have specific causes and charities were passionate
about supporting. At the same time, we feel part of a larger community and want to
see it thrive. For more than a generation, thousands of people like you, giving gifs
ranging from $5 to $5 million, have pooled their resources in our communitys flexible
endowment. By giving together, they have achieved greater impact today and for
future generations.
These unrestricted dollars are the heart of our competitive grantmaking. The
Community Foundation typically receives applications requesting nearly four times
the amount of money available for grants from unrestricted funds.
The flexibility of unrestricted gifs allows the Community
Foundation to use our expertise to make the best possible
community investments.
For donors interested in general causes, field-of-
interest funds let them identify an area of personal
passion such as human services, the arts, the
environment, youth, seniors, economic development,
animal welfare or housing. Within that area of interest,
the foundation will identify the best philanthropic use of
the funds distributions.
Since we began awarding grants in 1990, the people of
mid-Michigan have relied on the Community Foundation
as an efective, trusted hub of philanthropy. We work
with people, nonprofits, businesses and community
partners to promote efective philanthropy and
connect people who care with causes that matter.
Wont you join us? Together, were changing lives.
Capital Region Community Foundation 22
Nature A-Bounds!
Photos by Eat Pomegranate Photography
Story by Robin Miner-Swartz
Right in the heart of Lansing, kids are getting lost in the woods.
Dont worry, thats a good thing.
Thanks to a $14,750 grant to Fenner Conservancy, Fenner Nature Centers
Nature A-Bounds! program is serving more than 1,650 Head Start students in
Ingham, Eaton, Clinton and Shiawassee counties by getting them active in the
outdoors. Whether the kids and their families are interacting with the environment
at their local nature center, their school or their own backyard, theyre getting a
clear message: Unplug and get outside. Theres so much to be discovered out there!
For good. For ever. For everyone. 23
The Community Foundations grant was exactly what Fenner
needed to bring the Nature A-Bounds! program to life.
We had received a grant from the
PNC Foundation for the program,
but it was less than we budgeted
for, said Jason Meyer, Fenners
executive director.
The Community Foundation
grant enabled us to hire a full-time
stafer to run Nature A-Bounds!
The program will send us into 15
Head Start schools over the next
three years to deliver outreach
nature programming on-site and to work with teachers
to implement a week-long nature lesson.
Meyer said Nature A-Bounds! also shows teachers how they
can use their school grounds for nature lessons, and it pays
for field trips to their local nature centers to keep learning.
We know the kids in Owosso
arent going to come to Fenner, so
we pay for them to go to DeVries
Nature Conservancy, Meyer said. If
theyre on the west side of Lansing,
they go to Woldumar. Weve done
staf training now at all the nature
centers. Its a huge program.
And as the first year of the program
wrapped up, teachers were already
calling Fenner to see about getting on the schedule for the
new school year.
Fenner Nature Center is an
environmental education center
encompassing 134 acres of green
space. Its mission is to connect people
to nature in the heart of Lansing
through conservation, education and
stewardship.
Now run by the nonprofit Fenner
Conservancy, the property includes
more than four miles of trails, including
two handicap-accessible, paved trail
loops.
Inside the visitor center, check out
their collection of live native reptiles
and amphibians; watch songbirds,
deer and wild turkeys through the
large picture windows; and explore
the hands-on childrens exhibits.
When was the last time you went wild?
FACTS ABOUT FENNER
Capital Region Community Foundation 24
Nature A-Bounds! aims to engage the entire family in
environmental education.
Liz Roxberry, Fenners NAB coordinator, said you dont
have to live on rolling acres of land to experience nature.
We consistently hear, We dont have a great big swath
of land where we can take our kids to learn, Roxberry
said. Part of what we do with NAB is show them you can
learn about nature in a parking lot. You can look at edge
ecology, where nature bumps up against man-made
things. You can look at a downspout and look at water
ecology in ways that are meaningful, even though its on
a smaller scale.
Its a great message for those who may not have these
wide expanses that we do at Fenner to still get out, enjoy
it and learn.
As a result, Roxberry said, more families are coming back
to Fenner to learn about how they can be more involved
in simply being outside.
Part of our in-kind contribution is to ofer memberships
to low-income families so they can get reduced-cost
programming through Fenner, she said. We may not
see the impact from this for another 10 or 15 years, but
its important. Fenners mission is longterm sustainability
for everyone. The more we can share that message, the
better were going to be long term.
Meyer said the Community Foundations support is
invaluable for Fenner. This is one of those grant programs
where everything just worked.
And it keeps getting better, Roxberry added.
When I was 7, I discovered leeches. I had no idea thats what they
were, and I was pretty sure I was the next Darwin. That was an
amazing time in my childhood. Its why Im so invested in the education
work I do at Fenner. I want kids to have those experiences as soon as
possible so they can have the benefit of it as long as possible.
Liz Roxberry, Fenner program manager
Broadening horizons
For good. For ever. For everyone. 25
Capital Region Community Foundation 26
Story by Robin Miner-Swartz
Photos by Eat Pomegranate Photography
Pictured: GIL student Mercia
For good. For ever. For everyone. 27
Learning
in Lansing
Many refugee youth who come to Lansing
arrive as older teens. They ofen dont
have enough time to earn all of the credits
needed to graduate from high school,
regardless of educational history or even
English-language fluency. Students age
out of the public school system at 20, with
or without a diploma.
Lansing Community College, St. Vincent
Catholic Charities, Lutheran Social Services
of Michigan, teachers and foster parents
of refugee youth worked together to
determine how to address this problem.
They saw first-hand the negative impact
the lack of a diploma was having on the
students.
In December 2010, the Global Institute
of Lansing welcomed its first class.
Capital Region Community Foundation
GIL is the only organization in mid-Michigan
that enables these refugee and immigrant
students to earn accredited diplomas.
Although some GED programs exist, the GED
tests tend to be insurmountable for English
language learners.
Its a neat group of people to work with,
said Paula Frantz, program administrator for
GIL. Theyre so grateful for the opportunity
and theyve really become family here.
Seeing the diferent cultures come together
is also kind of unique.
Students enrolled at GIL are from Nepal,
Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Bhutan, Liberia,
Guatemala, Congo, Vietnam and Mexico.
Theyve had students in past years from
about a dozen other countries, including
Tanzania and Afghanistan.
They all become such good friends and
they help each other out, Frantz said.
The program provides the students with
teachers, tutors, classroom time and
computers. Its open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
weekdays in the First Presbyterian Church
of Lansing. Students come and go as their
schedules permit.
Many of them are working and have family
commitments, so they go through the
program at their own pace, Frantz said.
Each June, GIL holds a graduation ceremony.
Michigan State University donates caps
and gowns, and GIL buys tassels for the
students to keep. June 2014 marked the
fourth graduating class; 42 students have
completed the program so far.
Weve never had to turn a student away,
Frantz said. Our dream someday is to
become our own private school.
The $15,000 grant we received from the Capital Region Community Foundation
enabled us to enroll 22 new students this past academic year. It was our largest
class since we opened. We were also able to purchase some supplies for the
classroom, which is huge. So ofen were buying things out of our own pockets.
Paula Frantz, GIL program administrator
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For good. For ever. For everyone.
A classroom of their own: GIL students Eugenie (upper lef), Bakhit (upper right), Sadick and Leedia (opposite page).
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Capital Region Community Foundation 30
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For good. For ever. For everyone. 31
Protecting
our waterways
MGROW program awarded 2013 Impact grant
Capital Region Community Foundation
T
he Community Foundations 2013 Impact Grant was
awarded to the Eaton Conservation Districts Middle
Grand River Organization of Watersheds program.
MGROW was established to protect and preserve the
history and the natural resources of the Middle Grand
River watershed by promoting education, conservation,
restoration and recreational activities.
The Middle Grand River Watershed covers more than
1.25 million acres in Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties.
Its the second largest and most populous watershed in
Michigan. Eventually, all the water flowing into the entire
Grand River Watershed makes its way to Lake Michigan.
The $75,000 impact grant provides the experienced,
professional staf necessary to address the specific needs
identified by each local watershed and water quality
program MGROW serves.
Water is a vital and essential resource for human life and
community sustainability. Without clean water we cannot
32
For good. For ever. For everyone.
expect our communities to thrive, said Rachael Loucks,
watershed coordinator. Whether our communities value
agriculture, access to food, public green space, recreation,
fishing, industry, health or energy, water is a piece of it all.
Andrea Stay, executive director of the Eaton Conservation
District, said receiving the Community Foundations impact
grant came at the perfect time for the program.
There are numerous watershed planning and
implementation initiatives taking place in our community
right now, Stay said. This couldnt have come at a more
vital time to capitalize on our resources as a region.
CRCFs annual awarding of the impact grant is designed to
benefit organizations that maximize their impact by working
together for a common cause.
The MGROW project is an excellent example of how like-
minded groups came together for the greater good of our
region, said CRCF president and CEO Dennis Fliehman.
We are excited to see the progress of this project!
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Capital Region Community Foundation 34
Your dollars at work
in your community
Because of the generosity of our donors, grants from our charitable funds support hundreds of
community-based organizations striving to make our region a better place to live. These grants
advance the arts, improve education for all, enhance and protect the environment, ensure vital human
services for the most needy and promote community development that serves the common good.
By providing crucial support to a wide range of community organizations, the
Capital Region Community Foundation helps empower dedicated people to carry out their
organizations mission while building community assets, managing current issues vital to our
regions well-being and preparing for future needs. All of this fosters community spirit and helps to
create a more vibrant, thriving region for everyone.
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Kevin W. Fowler/Lansing Community College
LCC Foundation: From unemployed to employed
In 2000, someone 50 or older needed 14 weeks to find a new job; now its taking
57 weeks. These resume gaps ofen are a deterrent to employers. A $14,940 grant
to the Lansing Community College Foundation provides targeted, intensive job-
seeking assistance to a growing segment of older workers who are being lef behind.
Cathy Wilhm is the director of the Center for Workforce
Transition at Lansing Community College, and she works
with job seekers at Capital Area Michigan Works. When the
recession hit, she noticed the demographics of people in the
CAMW service center were changing there was a marked
increase in older job seekers.
Job searching today has changed significantly from when
they first entered the workforce, Wilhm said. Some of them
dont know how to use a computer to look for jobs. They were
getting to a point of desperation in their search.
So Wilhm and the LCC Foundation looked at ofering
workshops to help older job seekers learn how to fill out an
online application, write a resume and interview for a job.
What employers are looking for really hasnt changed much,
but HOW theyre looking for it has, and there really werent
any resources to help this older population, she said.
Wilhm who talks a mile a minute and exudes enthusiasm for
her work and this program started ofering job expos targeted
at those 50 and older. She said the feedback was instant and
positive. They said, Were doing something with our peers. We
dont feel like were competing with young people.
LCC is committed to this program, said Peggy Hellwig,
scholarship coordinator for the LCC Foundation. We exist to
bring resources to the college and its students of all ages. This
program has a huge impact.
Helping these people find jobs improves the overall health
of our community, Wilhm added. Were helping people see
they do have value.
Capital Region Community Foundation 36
National Council on Alcoholism:
A lifeline for low-income residents
Over the past five years, the statewide
substance abuse system has gone back to its
roots, returning to a recovery method of care.
A $10,000 grant to the National Council on
Alcoholism/Lansing Regional Area provides
low-income people in our region with
treatment for addiction.
If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, you have to
manage those diseases for the rest of your life, said Pat
Wheeler. With addiction, weve been treating it like its an
acute disease even though its chronic. That doesnt work.
Wheeler, executive director of NCAs Lansing region,
said people and insurance companies looked at a
month-long stay in a treatment program as some kind
of magic spell. Change is dificult, she said whether
its remembering to drink eight glasses of water a day or
making a conscious decision not to use a substance.
We go back to whats comfortable for us, she said.
If whats been comforting for you is alcohol or drugs,
its very hard to change that.
The Community Foundation grant helps NCA cover
the costs of treatment for low-income people battling
addiction. We usually see between 800 and 1,000 people
a year through our residential and outpatient programs,
Wheeler said. More than 90 percent of them require some
level of subsidy.
We want to be able to give people enough case
management and recovery coaching and individual
therapy to keep them in treatment, keep them sober and
give them time, she said. CRCFs grant is most helpful in
supplementing this.
The best thing you can do for families is to get somebodys parents sober. Thats how kids
learn what the diference is between using and not using and what that can do to a family.
Pat Wheeler
For good. For ever. For everyone. 37
Friends of Ingham County Parks: Free school field trips
More than 1.25 million people enjoyed Ingham County parks in 2013, and 13,000
of them were students. A $10,000 grant to the Friends of Ingham County Parks
enabled 303 school groups to visit Hawk Island Park, Burchfield Park (pictured),
Lake Lansing Park North or Lake Lansing Park South without paying a rental fee.
Weve had hard times in the parks department in the past
few years, said Karen Fraser, financial coordinator for Ingham
County. We were told the parks were non-essential in the
county budget. I understand it; we have to have a health
department. But parks are such a vital part of our community.
In addition to Frasers work for the Ingham County Parks, she
is also the staf liaison to the nonprofit Friends of Ingham
County Parks, serving as secretary, treasurer and director of
development. Our parks are her passion.
So the grant from the Community Foundation that enabled
the Friends to continue ofering free field trips to school
groups was especially important to her.
The day we got this grant, I was so excited because I know
how much these field trips mean to the teachers, Fraser said.
Theyre operating on a shoestring budget, struggling to even get
a bus to go on a trip. If you throw in the $75 shelter rental fee, they
arent going to come. With this grant, teachers have the comfort
of knowing this piece is free. Its a win-win for the community.
The grant covers the cost of the seasonal staf who handle
group reservations and clean and stock the picnic shelters
and restrooms before and afer each groups visit.
Lansing is GREAT, Frasier said. We may not have any
Rockefellers here, but we have a lot of good people who love
and care for our community.
Capital Region Community Foundation 38
Danna Segrest /Williamston Theatre
Williamston Theatre:
Capital improvement projects
When your building is more than 100 years old,
chances are a lot needs to be fixed. An $8,716
grant to the Williamston Theatre enabled the
organization to upgrade working areas for
the staf and artists and make improvements
that will enhance production values and the
audience experience.
The Williamston Theatres building began its life as a
retail store in the 1890s and was adapted more than a
century later to contain a three-quarter thrust stage in a
black-box style auditorium. It currently seats 104 people.
Since opening the theater in 2006, the staf has worked
constantly to improve the facility and has made major
improvements to the building and production capabilities.
This is unsexy stuf we have to do to the building, admits
Emily Sutton-Smith, who is an actress, producer and
development director for the theater. But it dictates what
our future holds. Were trying to strike a balance between
the structural integrity of the building itself and what we
need to do to improve production quality.
As the only professional theater in the greater Lansing
area, Williamston Theatre has produced nine world
premieres of new works by Michigan playwrights, and
mounted regional and state premieres of countless other
productions.
The theater is an anchor that draws people to the
Williamston community all year long, said Barbara Burke,
executive director of the Williamston Area Chamber of
Commerce. Theyre eating in our restaurants, shopping
in our retail stores, and just browsing around Williamston.
What a boost to our economy.
This does not necessarily have anything to do with the play were doing right now, but its
essential to our ability to keep our doors open.
Emily Sutton-Smith
Onstage: Aral Gribble (lef) and John Seibert star in
The Woman in Black at the Williamston Theatre.
For good. For ever. For everyone. 39
Hospice of Lansing
Hospice of Lansing: Point-of-care laptops
The Electronic Medical Records mandate in the Afordable Care Act meant a switch
from paper charts to computers for health-care providers. A $15,000 grant to Hospice of
Lansing enabled the organization to buy laptops for their nurses, which not only put them
in compliance with the mandate but also gave them more time to spend with patients.
We were working on paper, said John Person, executive
director of Hospice of Lansing. That meant, in order for
anyone to have information about a patient, they had to talk
to someone who had that file, or they had to go get the file.
Hospice of Lansing serves 10 counties. It covers about 2,500
miles of territory.
To have one of our nurses have to come in to the ofice to pick
up a paper trail just did not make any sense, said Heather
Vida, director of fund development. It added up to a lot more
mileage cost and staf time. The eficiencies that were able to
add with the computers really made a big diference.
The laptops work whether they are connected to the Internet
or not. Theres a secure, online syncing process the computers
go through each day to update patient data.
Now people dont have to travel from the ofice to go to work.
They can leave for the job right from where they are. Our
director of operations will say to some of them, Why are you
here? when she sees them in the ofice, Person said, smiling.
The addition of the laptops also enables nurses to cover each
others patients when emergencies or weather necessitate
schedule changes. Now everyone has access to the patient
information they need.
Without CRCFs help, trying to implement the point-of-care
system and purchase the laptops would have been very
dificult, Vida said. Words cant express the gratitude for
that, because it makes such a huge diference for us. It really
is life-changing.
Youve enabled us to give time back to nurses and patients.
Capital Region Community Foundation 40
Peckham, Inc.
Economic Opportunity: A $15,000 grant helps 17 AmeriCorps members provide economic coaching to Peckham clients.
Peckham, Inc., is a nonprofit community vocational
rehabilitation organization. Its a unique combination
of a business and a human services agency.
Through Peckhams Economic Opportunity Coaching
Program, 17 AmeriCorps members provide economic
coaching services to low-income Peckham clients,
primarily refugees and those with disabilities. These
services help the clients and their families move
toward financial stability. AmeriCorps members lead
classes and coaching sessions and follow up with
clients on short- and long-term goals.
Before we had this grant, we relied on our case
managers to update peoples resumes and help
them apply for new jobs, said Michelle Mathis, who
manages the AmeriCorps program. With 80 to 100
people in your caseload, its just not realistic to be able
to do that for every person.
The grant enabled Peckham to hire 17 AmeriCorps
members to deliver personalized assistance.
The whole mission of Peckham is to promote self-
suficiency and provide people the support they need
to overcome barriers to employment, Mathis said.
Our clients have really benefited from being able to
sit down one-on-one with an AmeriCorps member to
get the attention they need to manage their finances
and help them find employment in our community.
Without those CRCF dollars, we wouldnt be able to do
what were doing.
For good. For ever. For everyone. 41
Building Twentyone
Afer-school interaction: A $4,600 grant to Building Twentyone provides program support and scholarships to Lansing-area students.
It takes 21 days to form a habit, and our most influential
habits are formed before the age of 21.
With that in mind, Benjamin Schartow set out to create
Building Twentyone, a free, student-led afer-school
teen center in south Lansing for students in seventh
through 12th grade.
Its a safe and supportive afer-school environment,
Schartow said. Students can get help with homework
from teachers and tutors, share and reflect on their day,
find positive support among peers and staf, create
crafs, play sports and more. Weekend concerts and
special events at the center generally cost about $5.
The center opened in 2011 and in 2013 moved to a new
location, sharing space with Journey Life Church. One
of the perks of the new space: An indoor skate park.
While running the skate park does give Building
Twentyone a small source of income, donors and
grants drive much of its funding including a $4,600
grant in 2013 from the Community Foundation.
Its great being able to hang out and actually get my
homework done without procrastinating, said Jordyn
Henley, an eighth-grader at Holt Junior High. I was
able to join a program to help me with my writing
so I could be a better non-fiction writer. You can find
your passion here. Its a great opportunity to be able
to hang out with friends, support them in their studies
and in their talents.
Capital Region Community Foundation
Tomorrows Child
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Back to sleep: A $14,030 grant supports the program Infant Safe Sleep: Translating Best Practice into Behavior Change.
We work to prevent infant death and support families
who have experienced an infant death, miscarriage
or stillbirth, said Sarah Scranton, CEO of Tomorrows
Child.
The CRCF grant Tomorrows Child received is for the
reinvention of a statewide campaign to educate
people on safe sleep for infants.
It turns out that while most people will say they know
a baby should be put on its back to sleep, many still
arent doing it.
Its about convenience and comfort. If you
have a screaming baby, you want the baby
to be quiet because youre exhausted too,
said Mary Adkins, program director. Babies
really DO sleep better on their stomachs.
For moms, its intuitive, Adkins said: My baby sleeps
better, and I need to sleep, so why wouldnt I do this?
But its also dangerous. It greatly increases the risk of
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Were all guilty of discounting messages that dont
seem relevant to us, Adkins said.
Tomorrows Child is working with childcare providers,
parents and healthcare professionals just about
everyone who touches the lives of parents and babies
to answer the question, What would make you
realize you need to do this?
For good. For ever. For everyone.
Many Hands Foundation
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Filling bellies: The Many Hands Foundations Weekend Survival Kit Program received a grant of $15,000 in 2013.
Roughly 10,000 children in Ingham County struggle
with hunger outside of school, making them twice
as likely to have to repeat a grade or need special
education. On average, these kids are one to two grade
levels behind.
The Weekend Survival Kit Program serves children
who are food insecure during non-school hours,
specifically on the weekends. It does this by discreetly
distributing food bags to the students to take home for
weekend meals.
Founder Jef Gorseline started the Many Hands
Foundation in 2012 in Williamston, and has watched
it grow to serve nearly 1,900 kids in Haslett, Okemos,
Lansing, East Lansing, DeWitt, Williamston and Dansville.
Its amazing how fast it exploded, said Gorseline,
whose day job is as an investment advisor. I wish I
could do this every day.
Packing sessions are held monthly at Okemos
Community Church and are entirely volunteer-run.
Theyll pack 2,000 bags in an hour and 15 minutes.
Each bag comes in around a cost of $5 including the
bag itself and typically contains enough food for seven
meals and snacks. Bags are distributed to elementary
students every other week throughout the school year.
Were hoping to get to 3,000 kids next year, Gorseline
said. We know were making a diference. We need to
do more.
Capital Region Community Foundation 44
Otto Scholarship recipient Emily Howitz
at the 2012 SEC Championship Game in Atlanta
For good. For ever. For everyone. 45
Scholarship
funds
In 2013, 112 students benefited from $142,650 in scholarships to help them pay for college.
The Capital Region Community Foundation holds 38 scholarship funds.
THANK YOU, MR. & MRS. OTTO!
Emily Howitz graduated magna cum
laude from the University of Alabama
in May 2012 with a bachelors degree
in marketing, and received her
masters in marketing in 2013. She
received a job ofer as a business
analyst with Cerner Corporation in
Kansas City, Missouri.
I am very excited and I am very, very
thankful for the Otto Scholarship
I received that helped me reach my
goals, Emily said. Thank you!
Capital Region Community Foundation 46
1
We are a local organization with deep roots in the
community.
2
Our professional staf has broad expertise regarding
community issues and needs.
3
We provide highly personalized service tailored to each
persons charitable and financial interests.
4
Our funds help people invest in the causes they care
about.
5
We accept a wide variety of assets, and we can facilitate
even the most complex forms of giving.
6
We partner with professional advisors to create highly
efective approaches to charitable giving.
7
We ofer maximum tax advantage under federal law for
most gifs.
8
We multiply the impact of gif dollars by pooling them
with other gifs and grants.
9
We build endowment funds that benefit the community
forever and help create personal legacies.
10
We are a community leader, convening organizations
and coordinating resources to create positive change.
10 reasons people choose to give through their community foundation
For good. For ever. For everyone. 47
2014
Board of Trustees
We are grateful for the volunteer service that board members
provide to our community through the foundation.
Denise Schroeder
Board Chair
Alerus Retirement
Solutions
Kira Carter-Robertson
Chair-elect
Sparrow Specialty
Hospital
Andy Hopping
Treasurer
Community volunteer
Christina Ferland
Audit Chair
Plante Moran
Brian Priester
Marketing Chair
Lansing State Journal
Kate Snyder
Grants Chair
Piper & Gold
Public Relations
Robert Kolt
2013 Board Chair
Nominating Chair
Kolt Communications
Mark Alley
Emergent
Biosolutions
Savannah Brogan
Student trustee
Lansing Catholic H.S.
Joe Dewan
Student trustee elect
Lansing Catholic H.S.
Michael Flowers
Board of Water and
Light
Bo Garcia
Lansing Community
College
Joan Jackson
Johnson
City of Lansing
Rachel Lewis
Bethany Christian
Services
Rachel Michaud
Gillespie Group
Helen Mickens
Secretary
Thomas M. Cooley
Law School
Douglas A. Mielock
Foster, Swif, Collins &
Smith PC
Joe E. Pray
Pray Funeral Home
Jack Roberts
Michigan High School
Athletic Association
Laurie Robison
CATA
John Sirrine
John M. Sirrine and
Associates
Dennis W. Fliehman
President and CEO
Richard Comstock
Vice President
of Finance
Traci Goulding
Executive Assistant
& Scholarship Admin
Lisa Levandowski
Finance Associate
Robin Miner-Swartz
Vice President
of Communications
Pauline Pasch
Senior Program
Oficer
Capital Region Community Foundation staff
Ashley Gulker
YAC Advisor
April M. Clobes
MSU Federal Credit
Union
Robert L. Trezise Jr.
Leap, Inc.
Capital Region Community Foundation 48
Youth Action
Committee
High school clubs have come a long way.
Did your alma mater ofer you the opportunity to be a philanthropist? Thats exactly what Michigan teens in every county of our
state have the chance to do today.
There are dozens of groups of teen givers all over Michigan who work through community foundations to help young people in
need people they dont even know have access to healthy food, tutoring, arts and cultural opportunities and recreational
programs.
The groups, called Youth Action Committees (YACs), got their start in the 1990s, when the W.K. Kellogg Foundation issued a
challenge to Michigan community foundations: For every $2 raised for unrestricted endowment funds, Kellogg would give $1
to a youth endowment fund so teens could give grant money forever. Today, the collective assets of Michigans youth funds are
nearly $40 million, and the funds provide $2.5 million to Michigan communities every year.
For good. For ever. For everyone. 49
Each regional committee is made up of high school students committed to changing their communities through philanthropy.
They learn about fund development, youth empowerment and grantmaking. They volunteer with nonprofits that help other
young people in their communities. Thousands of teens have served on YACs across the state.
The Capital Region Community Foundations YAC has three dozen students, representing more than a dozen high schools in
Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties. These kids serve meals in shelters, volunteer at the annual Special Olympics games and
work during the school year to make our community better for all kids and teens.
They are also grantmakers, reading dozens of applications and making decisions about how tens of thousands of dollars are
distributed.
In 2013, our YAC awarded $43,806 to 24 nonprofits in mid-Michigan. An additional $4,550 went to 14 local elementary and
middle school classrooms for environmental and anti-bullying projects.
YACers (from lef) Jonah Kazmierski, Garrick Bradley, Joe Dewan and Sydney Harvey
volunteering at the 2014 Special Olympics Region 8 games at Michigan State University.
Capital Region Community Foundation 50
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How wonderful that no one need wait a single
moment to improve the world.
Anne Frank
Thank you.
For good. For ever. For everyone.
The Capital Region Community Foundation meets the Council on Foundations
National Standards for operational quality, donor service and accountability
in the community foundation sector.
NONPROFIT
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
LANSING, MI
PERMIT NO. 689
330 Marshall St., Suite 300
Lansing, MI 48912
Connect with us:
Phone: (517) 272-2870
Email: info@crcfoundation.org
Online: crcfoundation.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
givelansing
Twitter: @givelansing