Community Foundation Celebrates During Annual Breakfast

The Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation hosts its Annual Breakfast each fall to recognize volunteers and to celebrate new endowment funds, new grants, and community leadership efforts. The public is invited to the complimentary event, which took place most recently on November 3, 2022 at the Comfort Inn Conference Center. More than 150 people participated in this networking opportunity and witnessed a program highlighting community progress through philanthropy. More than 50 annual sponsors, including Isabella Bank, Mercantile Bank of Michigan, The Morey Foundation, and Mt. Pleasant Abstract & Title, made the event possible.

During the breakfast, the Community Foundation celebrated 1,800 gifts made in 2021 totaling $1,954,121. At yearend, Foundation assets exceeded $30 million, and more than $10 million in grants had been awarded over the course of the organization’s thirty-one years.

Development Committee Chair Steve Pung shared the results of Give Local Isabella, which takes place the first Tuesday of May each year. This year, community members made more than 450 donations that totaled over $82,000 for the long-term sustainability of 21 important charitable organizations in Isabella County.

Those present for the breakfast received the first copies of the Foundation’s 2021-2022 Legacy Magazine, which features some of the eighteen new endowment funds that have been established over the last two years. Video clips from two 2022 scholarship recipients were shared. A virtual Scholarship and Endowment Celebration took place in June featuring 102 scholarship awards totaling $139,500. To get to that point, volunteers reviewed nearly 1,000 applications.

Three emerging nonprofit leaders were celebrated for their selection and participation in an eight month Leadership Learning Lab this year. Bryan Chapman of Clothing INC, Maria Goodhall of PACE Central Michigan, and Kati Mora of Middle Michigan Development Corporation received applause. The Foundation also highlighted continued support for Isabella County nonprofit organizations through Catchafire, a network of more than 100,000 skilled volunteers across the country. Thirty organizations serving Isabella County residents have access to this incredible virtual platform at no cost. To date, Isabella County nonprofit organizations have leveraged a total of $131,495 in pro bono services through Catchafire.

Perhaps the highlight of the breakfast event, the Community Foundation announced 23 new grant awards totaling more than $186,000. Some in the audience gasped as Grant Review Chair Nancy Ridley announced a $43,500 grant to replace the roof at Christian Counseling of Mid Michigan, which will enable the organization to continue providing critical mental health services to Isabella County residents. “This is a blessing,” remarked a CCMM board member. “Thank you for allowing us to stay focused on helping as many kids as we can!”

The largest grant awarded was for $53,664.15 to purchase three LUCAS devices. These automatic CPR machines will ensure that community members receive high quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The room erupted in applause with the good news for the Mt. Pleasant Fire Department. Community Foundation grantmaking in 2022 has now surpassed the $1 million mark.

To conclude the event, Vice President Marcie Otteman shared some of the accomplishments of the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation over the last six years, the period covered by the organization’s concluding strategic plan. More than $10 million in contributions to Foundation funds have been made. Not only did the Community Foundation launch Give Local Isabella to support organization funds, but also hundreds of Planned Giving Guides were distributed to encourage fellow community members to consider the legacy they might leave through permanently endowed funds. Many new families joined the Denison Legacy Society.

Over the last six years, internal operations were made more efficient with the implementation of new integrated software, and an improved online giving platform and fund advisor/manager portal were launched. The organization spent less on administrative expenses than was raised for administrative revenue each year, which further protects their ability to function as an organization when investments values fluctuate. The Foundation recently added a fourth professional staff member, a Communication and Donor Stewardship Officer.

Dozens of community leaders 25-50 years old joined the organization’s committee structure. The Foundation implemented a new application and review process for grants and scholarships, and provided more applicant technical assistance than ever before. They built relationships around the community that resulted in proactive grants, and made it possible to support the fundraising and development of what has become the William and Janet Strickler Nonprofit Center.

Otteman talked about collaboration for a Complete Count in the 2020 Census. And, smiled as she recalled the Board putting their covered faces on billboards to encourage community members to Mask Up Isabella! in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. “I know I am proud of the ways the Foundation works to lead in community, and I am very excited about ways we might lead together in the future,” she said.

Over the past six years, the Foundation has supported Epicenter Mt. Pleasant, a digital magazine funded by a coalition of Isabella County organizations that tells the story of an evolving Mount Pleasant and Isabella County. In each weekly publication, readers are exposed to bold startups, emerging places, catalytic talent, transformative projects, and ideas across the region. Brian Boyle of Issue Media Group was there for the annual breakfast and talked about leveraging the power of solutions-based and narrative journalism. Epicenter Mt. Pleasant tells the story of an evolving Isabella County, featuring positive stories of growth and innovation. Breakfast attendees were invited to submit story ideas for upcoming editions of Epicenter.

What is the Community Foundation and who is involved?

The Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation is a tax-exempt public charity that seeks to enhance the quality of life for all citizens of Isabella County, now and for generations to come, by attracting and holding permanent endowed funds from a wide range of donors, addressing needs through grant making, and providing leadership on key community issues. Our vision is to shape the future of Isabella County by helping people find and fund the causes they love; and cultivating bold solutions for strong, vibrant, and inclusive communities.

A Board of Trustees comprise of 24 members oversees the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation. Nearly 200 local community leaders serve on Foundation committees and advisory boards. The Foundation is engaged locally with the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce, and with colleagues throughout the state via the Council of Michigan Foundations. The Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation has received accreditation with the nation’s highest standard for philanthropic excellence. National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® establish legal, ethical, effective practices for community foundations everywhere.

The Annual Breakfast showcased more than 60 different charitable organizations, schools and units of government that partner with the Community Foundation in various ways.