Thirty years ago in December, the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation was fully recognized by the IRS as a public charity – a 501(c)3 organization as determined by the Internal Revenue Code. Unlike the Foundation’s 25th anniversary in 2015, there could be no gala event bringing together community members to celebrate this next milestone. Like most local nonprofits, the Foundation had to adapt in 2020 to meet the needs of donors, scholarship and grant recipients, community partners, and local leaders.
“We had to be creative this year,” said Board President Mary Ann O’Neil. “Committees and the Board met virtually, altered plans to connect with donors, sought out new ways to be supportive of our grant recipient organizations, and tried to utilize our network to amplify important messaging in the community.”
The Foundation produced its first Planned Giving Guide in 2020, but in-person meetings to discuss giving options were a challenge. Instead, the Foundation mailed free copies of the Guide to donors by request and to local attorneys who specialize in will and estate planning.
Eight new funds were established in 2020 at the Foundation, including a temporary COVID-19 Community Response Fund for Isabella County started in March. Before any new money was raised, the Foundation committed $100,000 in existing resources to local organizations impacted by the virus. This amount covered all Community Response grant requests awarded by the United Way for nonprofits in Isabella County in 2020. Remaining grant funds are now available for distribution in 2021.
In April, ninety-five community volunteers met in creative ways to review 1,077 scholarship applications, and ultimately the Foundation awarded 106 scholarships totaling $120,100 during a virtual celebration in June.
Fundraising has been difficult for most local nonprofit organizations during the pandemic, making it even more important for the Foundation to deploy resources to those working to meet critical needs. For the second consecutive year, the Foundation awarded more than $1 million in grants in 2020. Two competitive grant rounds resulted in July and November awards, more than 30 organization funds were tapped by local nonprofits, and those with donor advised funds stepped up in a big way to recommend more than $400,000 in spending. Over the course of the last thirty years, the Foundation has granted more than $9 million total.
The Foundation strives to be a resource to those we serve, and that includes supporting the organizations to which we have granted financial resources. In the early months of the pandemic, the Foundation offered weekly support sessions online for local nonprofits trying to identify resources and problem solve. We covered everything from PPE sources to PPP loan qualifications. Strong relationships with community foundations in northern Michigan meant that a Leadership Learning Lab could still be offered, remotely, to local nonprofit leaders. More than thirty organizations serving Isabella County residents also gained access to skills-based volunteers on a virtual platform called Catchafire, for help with operational and capacity-building projects. This kind of assistance safeguards our financial investment in the local organizations that make real impact on members of our community. It is an extension of the stewardship our donors have come to expect.
Not only does the Foundation help people find and fund the causes they love; but we also seek to cultivate bold solutions for a strong, vibrant, and inclusive community. The Foundation supported a second year of publication for Epicenter Mt. Pleasant in 2020, with help from key funding partners like Dow, Isabella Bank, and MidMichigan Health. The weekly, community-based publication continues to gain new subscribers and grow in engaged readership across social media. Collaboration with community foundations in Bay, Midland and Saginaw resulted in a regional approach to increase Census 2020 completion rates because we know an accurate count is vital for federal funding of education, economic development, housing, public health, and critical infrastructure.
Approached by WNEM-TV5 in May, the Foundation collaborated with Central Michigan University, Shepherd Public Schools and multiple law enforcement agencies to distribute more than 20,000 free cloth masks throughout Isabella County. The Foundation’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) created a video thanking essential workers for their efforts, and subsequently received the Russell G. Mawby Media Usage of the Year Award from the Michigan Community Foundations Youth Project (MCFYP). #MaskUpIsabella, a campaign to encourage community members to wear face coverings in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19, was launched this fall. The Foundation hosted a #Unselfie Photo Contest in November and ten Isabella County residents received $100 local gift cards for submitting masked photos of themselves, further encouraging safety precautions, local giving, and local shopping.
The Foundation could not host social events this summer, or its annual breakfast this fall. Instead, Board and staff used the time to submit updated policies and procedures to assure compliance with the latest standards for community foundations. Staff saw the challenge of working remotely as an opportunity to begin the yearlong process of transitioning to a new platform for fund accounting, donor communication, online giving, grant and scholarship management. #GivingTuesday on December 1 marked the first online giving campaign utilizing the new system. Board members offered personal gifts of $7,500 as match, challenging community members to give to Community Impact Funds via the Foundation’s website. More than $16,000 was raised and will add to the dollars invested for the benefit of Isabella County’s future.
2020 presented challenges unlike any previous year, but the Foundation’s resolve to enhance the quality of life for all citizens of Isabella County remained the same. The Foundation is grateful for the support of our annual sponsors and professional advisors, the commitment to 100% giving among our Board and staff, the dedication of nearly 200 volunteers serving on committees, the generosity of donors of all ages making gifts of all sizes, and the resiliency shown by local organizations meeting the direct needs of our community this year. Foundation staff look forward to greeting community members at the Hersee House once again in 2021. Exciting things are already happening with the Community Foundation in 2021. We have some big announcements coming up, so make sure to subscribe to the Foundation’s e-newsletter Community Matters via mpacf.org, or follow us on social media channels for the latest updates.
