Grand Rapids Community Foundation 2010/2011 Annual Report | gifts, growth, grants & leadership | Carlos Sanchez, Community Action Committee volunteer at Grand Rapids Community Foundation Dear Friends: This has been a year of growth and innovation for Grand Rapids Community Foundation. Our grantmaking and fund development eff orts were strong, and the endowment grew to pre-recession levels. We continued our work in ending homelessness, and we launched a ground-breaking education program. We worked on strengthening relationships with new, diverse and younger audiences through our Friends Advisory Council. This group has helped us understand the community and philanthropic views of our future donors. The Community Foundation was honored with a Pillar Award from the Women’s In June we launched a key education initiative with Grand Rapids Public Schools’ Resource Center for maintaining a workplace that empowers female employees. Harrison Park School. The Challenge Scholars Program will help create a college-going We also were named an Elite winner in West Michigan’s 101 Best and Brightest environment at the PreK to 8 school, starting with math and literacy coaches, a college Companies to Work For competition and were nominated for several other awards. pathway coordinator and after-school and summer programming for all fourth grade The Community Foundation staff is among the fi nest working professionals in students. As this class moves on, a fourth grade class will be added each year. By the Grand Rapids. time the fi rst class graduates from Union High School in 2020, more than 2,000 students will be tracking toward higher education. And yes, we’re providing college In this report you’ll read stories about several grants we awarded thanks to your scholarships for Challenge Scholar graduates. This multimillion dollar leadership gifts. We encourage you to look at the entire list of grants and see the wide variety initiative was launched with a grant of $250,000 and your past support made it possible. of causes the Community Foundation, its donors and donor advisors support. This year grants and scholarships totaled just over $10 million. The annual report this year incorporates a bit of social media. As you read through, you’ll see some word clouds. These clouds were created in response to questions we You and other donors, as always, were generous with gifts. This fi scal year the asked the community on both Facebook and Twitter. The responses were thoughtful development staff secured over $12 million in new donations. We welcomed 22 new and insightful. Thank you to all the people who took the time to respond. funds to the Community Foundation. This was a sad year for us, too. Three longtime friends of the Community Foundation passed away—Bill Martindill, Peter Cook and Thank you for your continued support, confi dence and feedback. Jim Carpenter. Bill was 100 years old; Peter was 96 and Jim 95. All three gentlemen loved Grand Rapids, served on boards and committees across the county and were model community philanthropists and leaders. We like to think their longevity and generosity are connected! As of June 30, 2011, our assets were $250 million, and the endowment experienced investment growth of 21.3 percent. That brings us to the asset level we were at when the market plunged in 2008 and 2009. As we write this, the market is still fl uctuating, Diana R. Sieger, Carol J. Karr, President Chair of the Board not favorably. We hope it will become more stable soon. 2010/2011 ANNUAL REPORT • 3 Financial Highlights Assets by Fund Type Community Funds $ 22,353,381 Designated and Nonprofi t Funds 25,689,057 Donor Advised Funds 60,330,885 Field of Interest Funds 24,401,488 Operating/Special Project/Building 6,977,155 10% 10% 7% 2% Scholarship Funds 16,797,601Designated Field of Scholarship Supporting Unrestricted Funds 87,545,946and Nonprofi t Interest Funds Organization: contents: Funds Funds Red Brick Supporting Organization: 9% 24% 3% 35% Building II Inc. 6 grant profi les Red Brick Building II Inc. 6,122,048 Community Funds Donor Advised Operating/ Unrestricted Funds Special Project/Building Funds 12 donor profi les Total Assets $ 250,217,561 18 gifts 34 grants Grants Authorized 37 scholarships and Paid 38 funds Authorized Paid Academic Achievement $ 2,869,525 $ 2,110,666 42 understanding the foundation Arts and Social Enrichment 456,888 841,365 43 fi nancials Economic Prosperity/ 45 board of trustees / leadership Vibrant Neighborhoods 2,464,355 2,976,563 Healthy Ecosystems 730,817 651,367 4.6% 7.3% 0.6% 46 staff / committees Arts and Social Healthy Unclassifi ed Healthy People 3,447,628 4,105,266 Enrichment Ecosystems 47 for professional advisors Unclassifi ed 60,515 60,515 28.6% 24.6% 34.4% 48 becoming a philanthropist Total $ 10,029,728 Academic$ 10,745,742 Achievement Economic Prosperity/ Healthy People Vibrant Neighborhoods Net Annual Returns as of June 30, 2011 2007: 14.9% 2008: -3.7% 2009: -19.2% 2010: 13.4% 2011: 21.3% Commmunity. What does this word mean to you? Is it the place you live? Is it a group of people with whom you share an interest? Does your culture defi ne your community? Is community where you work or volunteer? However you defi ne community, Grand Rapids Community Foundation likely touches it. Our fi ngerprint, voice and leadership is seen and heard throughout Kent County. Our grantmaking and leadership initiatives impact the lives of thousands of people in the community. As a reader of this annual report, you are part of the Community Foundation’s community, and we are grateful for your support. > why is it important to shop at a local farmers market, and what do you like about it? 6 • GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION > what we’re doing to help people live healthier lives Grant to Food Fair Network: $150,000 A grant to the Fair Food Network supported the Double Up Food Bucks program. Recipients of Food Assistance Benefi ts are eligible for tokens that can be used to buy Michigan grown fruits and vegetables. Each token is a twofer, giving people twice the amount of healthy food for the dollar. It is estimated that 100,000 pounds of Michigan-farmed produce will be sold through the program, and 109,000 Food Assistance Benefi ts recipients in Kent County will benefi t from fresh local food. Tom and his two brothers farm 350 acres in Lowell, on land their dad bought in 1950. They grow berries, cherries, peaches and plums. Tom’s at Fulton Street Farmers Market each week until he’s out of fruit, so arrive early! > what makes a successful entrepreneur? creative problem solving skills robust physical and intellectual infrastructure talent access to valuable market data support and encouragement from fellow businesses entrepreneurs need strong community, community needs strong entrepreneurs environment that embraces risk and reward assistance with business plan talent to grow beyond the start-up to grow talent 8 • GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION > what we’re doing to help grow our business climate here Grant to FastTrac: $85,000 One of the great things about Grand Rapids is that entrepreneurs are recognized as valuable assets, vital to the community’s growth. Through grants like the one we made to FastTrac, we help people with great ideas create viable businesses. We also help support established enterprises like the Midtown Neighborhood Association, which manages Fulton Street Farmers Market. We made a $150,000 grant for market expansion. Urban Pizza is a year old take-and-bake pizza restaurant on Wealthy Street, near Cherry, featuring unique pizzas named for communities around Michigan. Malikah participated in FastTrac New Venture entrepreneur training at the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center— housed at Grand Valley State University—and honed her skills in marketing research, business legal structures and fi nance. > what makes a volunteer experience meaningful, and where do you volunteer? 10 • GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION > how we’re helping experienced adults fi nd great volunteer jobs ENCORE! Team Grant to God’s Kitchen: $10,000 Soup’s On! is a major fundraiser for Catholic Charities of West Michigan and God’s Kitchen. Before their popular gourmet soup supper, community members, students and visiting celebrities hand paint bowls, which are glazed, fi red and then sold or given as Soup’s On! souvenirs. The take-your-bowl event generates signifi cant revenue and exposure for the organization. God’s Kitchen was awarded an ENCORE! Team grant to bring the bowl making operation onsite and use experienced volunteers over age 50 to create a bowl making studio and gallery space for year-round sales. Richard is usually found in the kitchen, but lends a hand where needed. He helped prep the space for the God’s Kitchen Gallery and Studio, which opened in September. God’s Kitchen provides meals to people in the Heartside neighborhood. John Wheeler doesn’t make music, he makes music happen. Last summer he designed and funded a program with the Community Media Center and Mackinaw Harvest Music Group, a professional recording studio. Master technicians and professional musicians teach a dozen musically inclined teens the basics of studio recording. “We teach them how music is produced and directed, how to blend instruments and make music behind the scenes,” John said. Students experience teamwork, attention to detail and dependability. “I’m hands on. I go to the studio, meet the kids and just mill around and see what they’re doing. I can see they’re enthusiastic and excited. If just one or two fi nd a career and stay here, it will be worth it,” John said.