Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation

For good. For ever.

306 South University Avenue Mount Pleasant, MI, 48858 United States

(989) 773-7322

Our mission is 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.

Tim and Mary Ann O’Neil Community Impact Fund

Tim and Mary Ann O’Neil are proud to call Mt. Pleasant home. They moved here in 2001 from the Metro Detroit area and instantly fell in love with the community. Originally from Buffalo, New York, Mary Ann, an attorney, followed her husband to Mt. Pleasant when he accepted a job as a history professor at Central Michigan University. Mary Ann said that moving from a city to a small town was a big step, but it is one they do not regret. “Everyone was so kind and welcoming,” Mary Ann said.

Tim and Mary Ann O'Neil

In 2015, to celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation sought to raise $1 million in community impact funds. This opportunity proved the perfect time for Tim and Mary Ann to start a named endowment fund that would provide for the community that has become their home. Unlike others, community impact funds can be used to support any charity addressing community needs. “We trust the Foundation to know about pressing community needs and to make the best decisions about how to use the earnings from our fund,” Mary Ann said.

The couple hopes the fund will empower others to give or to start their own community impact fund in order to help the local community. “A community impact fund is the best mechanism to make sure funds remain local where they can be utilized in a flexible way.”