November 2018

Giving Thanks.

As human beings, it’s in our nature to help.

The Cadillac Area Community Foundation has been a community-based, philanthropic organization for over 30 years;  The Foundation has defined six areas that our grantmaking is focused on.  They are: Arts & Culture, Economic Development, Education, Youth, Recreation & Environment, and Health & Human Services.

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October 2018

Join Us to Create Change through the Women’s Giving Circle

The Cadillac Area Women’s Giving Circle is a network of women with a shared passion— they make a difference, they give back, and they want to create real change in issues that affect the quality of life for women and girls.

The Giving Circle pools the charitable gifts of our members into the Cadillac Area Women’s Giving Circle Fund, leveraging the power of every dollar to create real and sustainable change by funding programs and services that address issues of safety, health, and equality for women and girls in the Cadillac area.  Since August 2009, the Circle has awarded over $140,000 in grants.

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September 2018

Donor Advised Fund vs Private Foundation

As giving has increased, so has the popularity of Donor-Advised Funds.  A Donor-Advised Fund is a separately identified fund or account that is maintained and operated by a section 501(c) (3) organization, which is called a “sponsoring organization.”  The Cadillac Area Community Foundation is a qualified sponsoring organization, and houses numerous Donor-Advised Funds.

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August 2018

You’re invited…..to make the gift of a lifetime.

You are invited to join the most generous and forward-thinking members of our community, by joining the Legacy Society of the Cadillac Area Community Foundation.  Our Members all have made the commitment to support the future of our community through an estate gift to the Cadillac Area Community Foundation.

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July 2018

Volunteers are the Cornerstone of our Community Foundation.

A community foundation is a nonprofit organization that operates in a fiscally responsible manner so that resources can be most fully utilized to support their mission.  For the Cadillac Area Community Foundation, this means utilizing the talents of volunteers to help power the organization.

Our Volunteer Board of Trustees take on tremendous responsibility.  They are a voting Board with full authority and responsibility to develop policies, procedures and regulations for the operation of the organization; to monitor the organization’s financial health, programs and overall performance; and to provide the Executive Director with the resources to meet the needs of those the organization serves.

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June 2018

Scholarship Season!

The Cadillac Area Community Foundation received over 65 Scholarship applications this past spring, and awarded over $37,000 in scholarships with the help of our Scholarship Committees.

Those applications were from students interested in studying in all areas; and they applied for Scholarship Programs which specialized in General Education, Graduate Studies, Elementary Education, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Performing Arts.  Scholarship requirements varied and covered everything from educational achievements, income levels, civic involvement, extra-curricular participation, community volunteerism, overcoming adversity, and even good citizenship.

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May 2018

Mixing Passion with Purpose

Two years ago, a 10 year old boy, Riley Bigger, made a request of the Cadillac City Council.  He   asked what it would take for the City to install a wheelchair accessible swing at the playground on the Keith McKellop Walkway.

 

Riley came up with the idea when he was attending a church conference and saw parents lift children from their wheelchairs into swings.  When he returned to Cadillac he was determined to see a type of swing added to the city park that is wheelchair accessible next to the ADA compliant playground.   The City of Cadillac thought it was a good idea too, and so Riley began to fundraise for his project.

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April 2018

Young Volunteers: The Benefits of Community Service

Our youth are increasingly looking for opportunities to improve our community and school programs.  Youth volunteerism builds discipline, respect for others, develops leadership skills, and interactions with students that they might not otherwise encounter.  These youth volunteers are driven to give back to their community and school.  Often, they enjoy engaging with adults.

The personal benefits of community service are very rewarding.  Youth that are involved in community or school service groups are likely to have a strong work ethic, learn to manage their time, and less likely to get into trouble.

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March 2018

March is Reading Month— When a Community is dedicated to young readers!

In June 2013, a group of business professionals decided to bring a very special program to our community called the Dolly Pardon’s Imagination Library.  The donation of $20,000 from a local manufacturer launched the program.

Today, Dolly Pardon’s program spans four countries and mails over 1 million books each month to children around the world.  In participating communities, parents can sign up for the program at no cost, to receive a monthly delivery of a book for their child until they are of age to enter kindergarten.

Participating communities demonstrate their dedication to young readers by making donations to fund the program.  Local businesses, nonprofit organizations, foundations, and citizens all donate to the program so that the books are sent at no cost to families.  100 percent of the donations go toward the purchase of books.

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