By Laura Fitzgerald
Huron County Community Foundation
Community-driven from its formation 30 years ago, the Huron County Community Foundation (HCCF) has grown from a single donation to more than $7 million in endowed assets.
The foundation began with then-county commissioner Martha Thuemmel’s $1,000 seed money. In 1997, HCCF raised $400,000 for a $200,000 matching grant from the Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek.
The Foundation’s first priority was the creation of a Youth Advisory Council, which still meets monthly during the school year and conducts twice-yearly grant rounds to benefit area youth.
Currently, HCCF is engaged in several large capital projects, including a community center in downtown Bad Axe. Having raised approximately $2 million in federal, state, and private donations and grants, the foundation purchased two blighted buildings in a corner of downtown. The hub will include new HCCF office spaces, which will allow the foundation to raise its profile in the community by moving out of its current shared office space with the Huron County Economic Development Corporation.
The community hub also includes a community board room that will be available for local nonprofits and organizations to rent and several co-working spaces that will entice remote workers to stay in the area, whether on vacation or for extended or permanent stays, said Executive Director Mackenzie Price.
The last component of the community hub is several residential units, which creates housing in a county with limited options. Employers in the area often cite a lack of housing as a barrier to attracting and retaining talent, Price said.
Price joined the Huron County Community Foundation team as Executive Director in May 2014. Her twenty years of experience in community foundations includes volunteer work with the Hillsdale County Community Foundation and the Michigan Community Foundations Youth Project, as well as work with the Council of Michigan Foundations providing support for youth philanthropy efforts across the state.
Price is often asked to represent rural philanthropy on a state and national level. She also serves as a member of the Council of Michigan Foundations Community Foundation Committee and the Government Relations and Public Policy Committee.
Sanilac County Community Foundation
Also celebrating its 30th year, the Sanilac County Community Foundation (SCCF) has expanded its original purpose of serving area youth to funding community projects that touch many aspects of life in the county.
The foundation was founded in 1994 with a challenge grant from the Kellogg Foundation. The grant funded the creation of the Youth Advisory Council, which to this day has a strong presence in the community, said Executive Director Joshua Robinson.
This year, the SCCF has surpassed $10 million in its endowment and is on track to establish a record number of scholarships and grants. Robinson said the foundation is expected to award more than 200 grants this year, about 190 of which are scholarships for high school and college students.
While youth scholarships and development are its largest priority area, the foundation also has funds established to benefit first responders, senior citizens, health care providers, community infrastructure projects, and general community enhancement through twice-yearly grant giving cycles. One of the more recent funds is a “Welcome Home” fund, established to provide student loan assistance for individuals returning home to Sanilac County.
SCCF runs a Sanilac Women Who Care giving circle, which holds events aimed at raising funds for local nonprofits. The foundation recently began providing fiscal sponsorship, a service that lends expertise and manpower to a group aiming to form a nonprofit.
Robinson began his position in late 2022. By 2024, he had completed his first full year in this position, marking a significant milestone for the organization.
A native of Sanilac County, Joshua graduated at the top of his class from Sandusky High School before earning a degree in Operations Management from Oakland University, where he also graduated with top honors. At Oakland, he showcased his leadership skills by heading a team dedicated to enhancing student life through the Office for Student Involvement.
Additionally, Joshua has an entrepreneurial background, having successfully owned and operated a live event production company. His vision for the Community Foundation is to ensure that it continually meets and exceeds the expectations of its charitable mission, “For Good. For Ever.,” thereby ensuring a lasting philanthropic impact in the region.
Lapeer County Community Foundation
Starting from humble beginnings, the Lapeer County Community Foundation (LCCF) has brightened the lives of area residents with more than $7 million in gifting over its 28-year history.
In 1995, the foundation was formed as an affiliate of the Greater Flint Community Foundation with a $20,000 grant from Bob and Lura Myers. In two years, the foundation surpassed $1 million in grants through the establishment of its first several funds, including a Kellogg grant to establish the Lapeer Youth Advisory Council. From there, the foundation expanded to impact projects in healthcare, education, the arts, environmental stewardship, and economic development.
One of the foundation’s more recent achievements include the Lapeer County LEAF Program – a dedicated child savings account program designed to help youth save for post-secondary education. Nearly 5,000 PreK-4th grade children are currently enrolled in the program, with each child granted $25 in seed money from LCCF when their account is established in kindergarten
Over the past several years, LCCF has gifted more than $50,000 to address hunger through local food pantries and soup kitchens. The Feeding Lapeer County Fund was established, distributing more than 10,000 pounds of ground beef to 17 food pantries, addressing a critical shortage of protein.
LCCF has hosted several nonprofit capacity-building workshops designed to help organizational leaders build effective operations, fulfill their missions, and increase community impact. Attendees gain access to a network of other nonprofit leaders and leave with the tools needed to strengthen their organizations, said Executive Director Nancy Boxey.
LCCF has also granted more than $2.5 million of its 28 years supporting outdoor recreation, education, and conservation.
Boxey graduated from James Madison College at Michigan State University before beginning her 27-year career in economic development at the local, county, and state level.
She began her position at the foundation in December 2016, bringing to the role a wealth of community development experience gained through years of dedicated public service in both her professional and volunteer activities.
Her previous positions included working as a Business Retention Specialist with Macomb County Department of Planning and Economic Development, as well as nine years serving as the Director of the Almont Downtown Development Authority. Prior to coming to the Foundation, Boxey served as the lead Economic/Community Development Analyst for the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, where she was assigned to a 24-county region in southeast Michigan.
Tuscola County Community Foundation
In 1997, nine community-minded volunteers banded together to fundraise for a matching Kellogg grant, which led to the formation of the foundation.
In early 1998, the trustees of the William A. and Ruth Janks Foundation and the Claude D. and Etta H. Andrews Foundation agreed to terminate their private foundation status and become part of the new Tuscola County Community Foundation (TCCF). The foundation received $1 million in funding from the Kellogg grant and established its Youth Advisory Committee soon after.
As of the end of fiscal year 2023, the foundation holds assets valued at over $22 million. A total of $8 million has been distributed in Tuscola County communities through grant awards and scholarships to both organizations and individuals since its founding.
Youth development remains one of TCCF’s largest priorities. The Youth Advisory Committee is on track this year to surpass $1 million in grants gifted for youth programs since the organization’s founding, funding everything from local schools’ robotics programs to equipment for sports teams.
In addition to two general grant cycles open to any individual, organization, or nonprofit looking to make a difference in the area, the foundation has also opened several more specific funds in recent years. The Emergency Needs Fund provides support for emergent needs (food, clothing and shelter) that arise for county residents, first responders in times of community crisis, and organizations providing services during times of emergency.
TCCF provides a number of scholarships to high school students and graduating seniors pursuing post-secondary education at Michigan universities, community colleges, and trade schools.
TCCF Executive Director and lifelong Tuscola County resident John Hunter is retired from the State of Michigan, Caro Center (state adult psychiatric inpatient hospital). He held a variety of positions, including unit social worker, Community Services Director, Assistant to
the Hospital Director, and managed a variety of administrative projects.
He was one of the original youth advisors at the inception of TCCF, and held the position until his appointment as the executive director.
He has served on a variety of community boards, including a Tuscola County Substance Use Disorder board, Tuscola Planning Commission and Tuscola Parks and Recreation Commission. He currently serves on the McLaren – Caro Hospital Board of Trustees, the Mid-State Health Network Substance Use Disorder Advisory Board, and the Tuscola Behavioral Health Recipient Rights Advisory Council.
Four County Community Foundation
Established in 1987, the Four County Community Foundation has distributed $8.1 million in grants and $4.1 million in scholarships to the St. Clair, Lapeer, Oakland and Macomb counties.
One of the foundation’s priority areas is to address housing shortages as a means to attract talent and boost economic development, said Executive Director Kathy Dickens. Recently, the foundation addressed this issue by partnering with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority to build a house for an Imlay City family.
The foundation has established funds to honor the four victims of the 2022 Oxford High School shooting. Using these funds, a community garden was recently established to memorialize the victims and promote peace and healing. Another fund established in memory of another victim in the tragedy has been established to promote environmental conservation.
The foundation has established funds to benefit general projects in specific communities, including Almont, Armada, Capac, Dryden, Romeo, Imlay City, Oxford, Metamora, Richmond, and Romeo. Other funds address environmental conservation, food insecurity, mental health, and literacy.