The post Lenawee YOUTH Council awards $25,000 in grants for local youth-based projects appeared first on Lenawee Community Foundation.

Fall of 2023 kicked off the 8th annual Lenawee Cares campaign, and once again many generous donors, like you, made gifts. Now it is time to get those contributions where they can achieve the greatest good in our community.

Grant applications are being accepted from Lenawee health and human service organizations from March 1 until April 1. Starting March 1st, information regarding the application will be available on social media and the website or you may also contact the Foundation with any questions. Applicant organizations must complete the Lenawee Cares Application form, as well as provide standard information required for grant administration. The full list of required documents can be found on the website under Grant Instructions. Grant requests will be reviewed by the Lenawee Cares Advisory Board in an extensive assessment and discussion process, prior to making recommendations to the Lenawee Community Foundation Board of Directors for approval. Recipient organizations will be notified in June.

The dollars raised are distributed throughout the year to local nonprofit organizations that know our community needs best and are poised to help Lenawee thrive. Lenawee Cares was established in 2016, and thanks to you and additional campaign donors, the Lenawee Cares Campaign has been able to administer over $3 million in donations to our neighbors in need through the work and knowledge of our local nonprofit organizations – a true team effort!

The Lenawee Community Foundation focuses on improving the HEALTH and HAPPINESS for everyone living in Lenawee, while also providing HOPE for a better future. Lenawee Cares works to fund health and human services with an emphasis on assuring that basic needs are met for our friends and neighbors in Lenawee. Together we improve the life for everyone in Lenawee County, ensuring our community is safe, viable, and thriving.

Contact Paula at 517.263.4696 or forlenawee@lenaweecf.com to learn more.

#

Sarah Bayles is an active Lenawee Cares Advisory Board member and works at Kapnick Insurance.

Paula Trentman serves as Vice President & Director of Grants and Programs of the Lenawee Community Foundation. Your Community Foundation assists individuals, corporations, and organizations in fulfilling their charitable goals for our community. For information about how your business, any group, your family, or you can volunteer to build a better community, call 517.263.4696 or contact forlenawee@lenaweecf.com.  We would be delighted to be of service as you invest time, talent, and treasure now and forever.

The post Lenawee Cares Grants appeared first on Lenawee Community Foundation.

You might think that it would be much easier to distribute funds than to raise them, but if you asked Lenawee Community Foundation volunteers, they would tell you it is hard work.  It is not an easy job to ensure that you are awarding donated dollars to achieve the greatest good. 

The important work of determining grant recommendations was recently conducted by an incredibly dedicated group of young volunteers – Lenawee YOUTH Council. 

Twenty-six years ago, the Lenawee Community Foundation received a $1 million grant from the Kellogg Foundation to engage youth in community philanthropy.  Through our Lenawee YOUTH Council, local teens conduct a grant-making process annually.  To date, they have awarded over $900,000 in grants to local youth programs and the million-dollar fund has grown to more than $1.3 million.  Additionally, the teens have volunteered, sponsored college visits, explored careers, offered summer leadership camps and served on nonprofit boards, including the Lenawee Community Foundation board.  That’s the power of endowment – investing in our youth and investing in endowed funds for the future of our community!

Their grant-making process is rigorous and youth-led.  They ask for youth involvement in the programs they fund, request information on how youth assets will be built, and make recommendations to the Lenawee Community Foundation Board of Directors for the programs that will help local youth the most.

This year awards were made to: Adrian Center for the Arts, Adrian Community Preschool, Adrian District Library, Adrian Symphony Orchestra, Associated Charities of Lenawee County, Catholic Charities of Jackson, Lenawee & Hillsdale Counties, Clinton Township Library, Holy Family Catholic Youth, Hospice of Lenawee, Lenawee Imagination Library, Stair District Library, and Tecumseh High School Drama Club.

Thank you to all who made this work possible.  Thank you to the volunteers who spent countless hours reviewing grants to ensure that all donated funds are used in the best way possible, creating the greatest impact.

#

Paula Trentman serves as Vice President & Director of Grants and Programs of the Lenawee Community Foundation.  Your Community Foundation assists individuals, corporations, and organizations in fulfilling their charitable goals for our community.  For information about how your business, any group, your family, or you can volunteer to build a better community, call 517.263.4696 or contact paula@lenaweecf.com.  We would be delighted to be of service as you invest time, talent, and treasure now and forever.

The post YOUTH Council Grants appeared first on Lenawee Community Foundation.

The Lenawee YOUTH Council (LYC) is a Lenawee Community Foundation program dedicated to providing young individuals in Lenawee County (ages 12-21) a space in which they can participate in community service projects, collaborate with others, and develop leadership skills. Meetings are held on a bi-weekly schedule on Mondays at the Lenawee Community Foundation office or online via Zoom. Lenawee YOUTH Council welcomes all youth throughout Lenawee County, ages 12-21, and is always open to new members.

Each year, LYC offers an opportunity for nonprofits, local schools, and other youth groups to receive grants for projects that support youth in Lenawee County. To be considered for financial rewards, applying groups must meet the following requirements: they must demonstrate community value, show evidence of building or supporting youth assets, involve youth volunteers, have a youth coordinator (age 12-21), and benefit other youth in Lenawee County.

Preference is given to proposals that will result in the growth of youth assets as defined in the Search Institute Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors survey. This survey determines the health and well-being of teenage people by assessing forty major developmental experiences, or youth assets, of adolescence.

Applicants are advised to contact the foundation prior to requesting a grant. All grant applications are due April 3 by 5:00 PM. Grant recipients will be notified by June 30, 2023.

Lenawee YOUTH Council members will review grant applications for eligibility and will make recommendations to the Lenawee Community Foundation Board of Directors. Reviewers will base their decision on several factors: whether the group has already received funding, the communities in which the project supports, the number of beneficiaries, and the number of youth assets that will be increased.

A total of $25,000 will be awarded as grants. Applicants can request up to $2,000 in funding.  Funding is not guaranteed; some applicants may receive partial or no amount of their original request.

Please contact Paula Trentman with any questions or concerns regarding Lenawee YOUTH Council or LYC Grant Application at 517.263.4696 or paula@lenaweecf.com

#

Written By:

Sienna Rodriguez is a JC/LISD Academy student and member of the Lenawee YOUTH Council.

The post The Lenawee YOUTH Council Accepting Grants. appeared first on Lenawee Community Foundation.

The Lenawee Leadership Award honors individuals or couples, who exemplify the underlying principle that the future of our county will be determined by the quality of its leadership. Selection criteria include residency and volunteer service in Lenawee County, leadership over time, and volunteerism in a variety of ways in the areas of civic projects, culture, health, education, or social services. Formerly known as the Maple Leaf Award, The Lenawee Leadership Award acknowledges the county-wide focus and encompasses all aspects of the quality of life in Lenawee. The award is a perfect fit with the Lenawee Community Foundation, its philanthropic leadership, and its mission to enhance the quality of life of the citizens of Lenawee in the areas of civic projects, culture, health, education, and social services.

The Stubnitz Award recognizes a person demonstrating exemplary commitment to Lenawee County through volunteering with health and human service organizations and assisting with meeting the basic needs of local residents. This award is named in memory of Maurice Stubnitz, founder of Stubnitz-Greene Spring Corporation in Adrian in the 1930s, and community philanthropist. The award recipient will exemplify Lenawee Cares, a program of the Lenawee Community Foundation.

The Incito Award honors a young person, age 40 and under, who has emerged as a community leader by demonstrating a commitment to volunteerism, philanthropy, and leadership with Lenawee Cares and other organizations in our community. The award is named ‘incito’, which is defined to inspire, excite, spur, increase, hasten, or urge forward. The award will recognize an active volunteer, who volunteers through Lenawee Cares and exemplifies a spirit of caring.

The Lenawee Community Foundation is honored to recognize outstanding community volunteers and leaders, and the impact they have on our community today and into the future. Please consider submitting a nomination for The Lenawee Leadership, Stubnitz, or Incito Award.

Nominations are due by February 21, 2023. The nomination forms for the awards are available on our website — www.lenaweecf.com. Click on About in the top toolbar, and then Awards in the dropdown list. If you have questions or would like a nomination form mailed or emailed to you, contact Cynthia Heady at the Lenawee Community Foundation at cynthia@lenawee.com or 517.263.4696

#

Cynthia Heady is the Director of Development & External Engagement of the Lenawee Community Foundation. Your Community Foundation assists individuals, corporations, and organizations in fulfilling their charitable goals for our community. For information on how to get involved with the Lenawee Community Foundation and help to build a better community, call 517.263.4696 or contact cynthia@lenaweecf.com.

The post LCF Seeking Award Nominations appeared first on Lenawee Community Foundation.

The Lenawee Leadership Award honors a person or couple, who exemplify the underlying principle that the future of our county will be determined by the quality of its leadership. Formerly known as the Maple Leaf Award, previous recipients continue to be recognized and are listed on the Foundation’s website. The prestigious award has a county-wide focus that mirrors the Lenawee Community Foundation’s mission to enhance the quality of life in Lenawee and increase health, happiness, and hope for us all.

Jackson Baker was selected to receive the 2022 Lenawee Leadership Award. Baker is a lifelong resident and active in many areas of advocacy throughout Lenawee County. He is a Tecumseh High School graduate, and co-owned and operated Baker Brothers, from 1986 to 2015. Baker and his wife Betty have been married for 34 years and together they have raised two children. Baker brings a wealth of experience to his council position and served as Mayor of Tecumseh for six years prior to his current term. Baker currently serves on the following boards and committees, City Council Study Session, Closed Meeting, Tecumseh Downtown Development Authority, the Employees Retirement Board, Chair of the Local Development Finance Authority, and City Council. Tecumseh City Government has been a model of consistency for a long time and Jack Baker’s leadership is primarily responsible. Baker is highly visible and easily accessible to every resident and understands the pulse of the city.

Two additional award recipients have been honored from the Lenawee Community Foundation. The Stubnitz Award and Incito Award were carried on when Lenawee Cares was established, as a campaign of the Foundation.

De’Angelo Boone is the 2022 recipient of the Stubnitz Award. The Stubnitz Award is presented annually to a person or couple demonstrating exemplary commitment to Lenawee Cares, our community, and volunteerism in Lenawee. The award is named in memory of Lenawee’s philanthropist and businessman, Maurice Stubnitz. Boone is currently employed as the Community Outreach and Volunteer Manager for Habitat for Humanity of Lenawee County and is the author of two books. He is the founder and Sr. Pastor of City of Refuge Ministries International and the founder/director of the Meal Assistance Program and was instrumental in the formation of the A3-All About Adrian Resident Coalition. Boone serves as the treasurer of the Adrian Human Relations Commission, the Vice President of the Community Action Agency Advisory Committee and is a board member of the ProMedica Charles & Virginia Hickman Hospital and the Community Action Agency of Lenawee. He volunteers as a member of the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Resiliency Committee and the Southeast Michigan Migrant Resource Council. Boone works relentlessly in our community to raise awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion. He advocates for individuals who are disenfranchised and isolated from resources and services.

The 2022 Incito Award recipient is William Southard. The Incito Award was established in 2011 to recognize a young person, age 40 or under, who has emerged as a community leader and demonstrates a commitment to volunteerism, philanthropy, and leadership with Lenawee Cares and other organizations in our community. Southard has been a Pillars Club Member of Lenawee Cares since inception and in January 2022 he became a member of the Lenawee Cares Advisory Board, promoting Lenawee Cares daily is a true passion. For the past 4 years Southard has served as the Vice-President of The Daily Bread and is currently serving as the President. Southard is a member of the Old National Bank Association and Community Engagement Committee.

-continued-

He volunteers his time serving on the Lenawee Community Foundation’s Knight Fund Grant Committee and is the Committee Co-Chair of the Lenawee County Association of REALTORS, in Adrian. Southard is a lifelong resident of Lenawee County and offers his time freely to assist with community endeavors, he is a positive influence, a role model for us all and he makes a difference in our community.

The Lenawee Community Foundation works to assist people in creating legacies and investing in Lenawee. You can donate $30 to send Imagination Library books to a preschool child for a year; volunteer; leave 10% in your will or trust to benefit Lenawee; endow annual gifts to your favorite nonprofits or make gifts or bequests for your hometown. Contact the Foundation for help in creating your legacy. Gifts and legacies work for Lenawee County. Now and forever.

Additional information about the Lenawee Community Foundation or any of its programs or services can be obtained by calling 517.263.4696.

Cynthia Heady is the Director of Development & External Engagement of the Lenawee Community Foundation. Your Community Foundation assists individuals, corporations, and organizations in fulfilling their charitable goals for our community. For information on how to get involved with the Lenawee Community Foundation and help to build a better community, call 517.263.4696 or contact cynthia@lenaweecf.com. We look forward to collaborating with you.

The post 2022 Annual Awards appeared first on Lenawee Community Foundation.

The Lenawee Leadership Award honors a person or couple, who exemplify the underlying principle that the future of our county will be determined by the quality of its leadership. Formerly known as the Maple Leaf Award, previous recipients continue to be recognized and are listed on the Foundation website. The prestigious award has a county-wide focus that mirrors the Lenawee Community Foundation’s mission to enhance the quality of life in Lenawee.

Ben Negron was selected to receive the 2021 Lenawee Leadership Award. Ben is a lifelong resident of Adrian and active in many areas of advocacy throughout Lenawee County. Ben’s work in the community since 2004 has been an extension of the work his parents have been doing, helping others through their church ministry since 1978. As the founder and former executive director of HOLA, Hispanics Of Lenawee Alliance, Ben guided the mission of the organization that positively impacted many lives and organizations in Adrian. Ben is on his second tour as Store Director of the Adrian Meijer where he sits on the Corporate TMRG Mosaic Diversity and Inclusion Group. He is an authorized instructor with the Google organization teaching the Applied Digital Skills curriculum at Lansing Community College. Ben serves on the board of directors at Siena Heights University in Adrian, the Lenawee Community Foundation in Tecumseh, and is an active member of the City of Adrian Ethics Board of Commissioners.

Three additional award recipients would have been honored at the Lenawee Community Foundation Annual Meeting if it had been held. The Stubnitz, Community Pillar, and Incito Awards were carried on when Lenawee Cares was established, as a program of the Foundation.

Lois and Graham Fleming are the 2021 recipients of the Stubnitz Award. The Stubnitz Award is presented annually to a person or couple demonstrating exemplary commitment to Lenawee Cares, our community, and volunteerism in Lenawee. The award is named in memory of Lenawee’s philanthropist and businessman, Maurice Stubnitz. The Flemings are long-time residents of Lenawee County having moved here in 1963. Lois was an elementary school principal in the Tecumseh Public School System and Graham was an engineer for Wacker Chemical Company both retiring over 30 years ago. Lois and Graham are lifelong volunteers in our community. They have dedicated themselves to making Tecumseh and Lenawee County a better place to live, grow, and work. They have volunteered with the Tecumseh District Library, they help Santa through the Tecumseh Service Club, the TCA, Red Cross, SCORE, and the Lenawee Community Foundation. They are business and educator mentors, lead bike tours, and would donate fresh produce that they grew on their farm. Lois and Graham value humor, family, friendships, being active, community, sharing, and hard work. They set goals, stay focused and share what they have with others. Fleming’s philosophy: we are all in the same boat – those that can need to care for the old, those who are hungry, and in need. They believe in paying it forward and do so in many ways.

The Lenawee County Health Department is the 2021 recipient of the Community Pillar Award, which is presented to an individual, couple, or business to recognize the outstanding impact on our community through Lenawee Cares. Martha Hall serves as the Health Officer at the Lenawee County Health Department, leading a diverse team of public health professionals who serve to protect the health and well-being of Lenawee County residents. The Health Department team consists of 35 individuals who provide personal health and environmental health services, fulfilling the mission to promote a safe and healthy environment for everyone in Lenawee County.

The 2021 Incito Award recipient is Catrina Ossmann. The Incito Award was established in 2011 to recognize a young person, age 40 or under, who has emerged as a community leader and demonstrates a commitment to volunteerism, philanthropy, and leadership with Lenawee Cares and other organizations in our community. Catrina believes in paying it forward and that even small acts of kindness can make a difference and empower others. She is currently serving as the president of Adrian Morning Rotary and coordinates the Lunch Buddies program by recruiting new volunteers for the mentoring program at Adrian Public Schools. She volunteers as a Fluency Friend at Michener Elementary and as a technology tutor at the Adrian Senior Center. Catrina has previously served on many local boards and committees including Lenawee District Library, Communities In Schools of Lenawee, Zonta of Lenawee, and Young Professionals Lenawee. Catrina loves to network and is an active member of BNI Lenawee and the Adrian Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Lenawee Community Foundation works to assist people in creating legacies and investing in Lenawee. You can donate $30 to send Imagination Library books to a preschool child for a year; volunteer; leave 10% in your will or trust to benefit Lenawee; endow annual gifts to your favorite nonprofits; or make gifts or bequests for your hometown. Contact the Foundation for help in creating your legacy.

Additional information about the Lenawee Community Foundation or any of its programs or services can be obtained by calling (517) 423-1729.

Gifts and legacies work for Lenawee County ‘for good, for ever’.

#

Cynthia Heady is the Project Manager of the Lenawee Community Foundation and assists individuals, corporations, and organizations in fulfilling their charitable goals for our community.

The post 2021 Award Recipients appeared first on Lenawee Community Foundation.

Lenawee YOUTH Council (LYC) is a program of the Lenawee Community Foundation where young people across the county grades 6-12 gather together to participate in community projects, volunteer, meet new people and learn. The meetings are currently conducted every other Monday on Zoom due to COVID-19. New members are always welcome!

LYC hosts a youth grant process each year where non-profits, local schools, or youth groups can receive awards for projects that will benefit Lenawee County youth. Projects must meet the following eligibility requirements to be considered: demonstrate community value, build youth assets, have a youth coordinator (age 12-21), involve youth volunteers, and benefit young people in Lenawee County.

Priority will be given to proposals that will result in the growth of the youth assets demonstrated by the Search Institute Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors survey. This survey serves as a tool to assess the health and well-being of middle and high school-age people. It does so by surveying seventh, ninth, and eleventh graders on 40 key areas that young people need to succeed.

Interested applicants should contact the foundation prior to requesting a grant. Grant applications are due April 1, before 4:00 PM.

Lenawee YOUTH Council members will review grant applications for eligibility and will make recommendations to be approved by the Lenawee Community Foundation Board of Directors. The decision will be carried out after taking into respect a variety of factors: already received funding, geographic area served by the project, number of beneficiaries, and youth assets that will be increased as a result of the project. Members will discuss all the details and create collective recommendations. Two LYC members will present the recommendations to the Board of Directors at the May board meeting.

A total of $25,000 will be awarded as grants. Applicants can request up to $2,000 in funding. Submissions may receive full, partial, or no funding.

Please reach out to Paula Trentman with any questions or concerns regarding Lenawee YOUTH Council or LYC Grant Application at (517) 423-1729.

#

Ilsiia Shakirova is a Tecumseh High School student, Lenawee YOUTH Council member, and member of the Lenawee Community Foundation Board of Directors.

The post Lenawee YOUTH Council Grants RFP – Written By: Ilsiia Shakirova appeared first on Lenawee Community Foundation.

The Lenawee Leadership Award honors individuals or couples, who exemplify the underlying principle that the future of our county will be determined by the quality of its leadership. Selection criteria include residency and long-standing volunteer service in Lenawee County, leadership over time, and volunteerism in a variety of ways in the areas of civic projects, culture, health, education, or social services. Formerly known as the Maple Leaf Award, The Lenawee Leadership Award acknowledges the county-wide focus and encompasses all aspects of the quality of life in Lenawee. The award is a perfect fit with the Lenawee Community Foundation, its philanthropic and intentional leadership, and its mission seeking to enrich the quality of life of the people in our region.

The Stubnitz Award recognizes a person demonstrating exemplary commitment to Lenawee County through volunteering with health and human service organizations, and assisting with meeting the basic needs of local residents. This award is named in memory of Maurice Stubnitz, founder of Stubnitz-Greene Spring Corporation in Adrian in the 1930’s, and community philanthropist. The award recipient will exemplify Lenawee Cares, a program of the Lenawee Community Foundation.

The Incito Award honors a young person, age 40 and under, who has emerged as a community leader by demonstrating a commitment to volunteerism, philanthropy, and leadership with Lenawee Cares and other organizations in our community. The award is named ‘incito’, which is defined to inspire, excite, spur, increase, hasten or urge forward. The award will recognize an active volunteer, who volunteers through Lenawee Cares and exemplifies a spirit of caring.

The Lenawee Community Foundation is honored to recognize outstanding community volunteers and leaders, and the impact they have on our community today and into the future. Please consider submitting nominations for The Lenawee Leadership, Stubnitz, and Incito Award.

Nominations are due by February 26, 2021. The nomination forms for the awards are available on our website — lenaweecommunityfoundation.com/. Click on About Us in the top toolbar, and then Awards in the dropdown list. If you have questions or would like a nomination form mailed or emailed to you, email Cynthia Heady or call at (517) 423-1729.

#

Cynthia Heady is the Project Manager at the Lenawee Community Foundation. She individuals, corporations, and organizations in fulfilling their charitable goals for our community. She can be reached at 517-423-1729 or via email.

The post 2021 Call for Nominations for Awards appeared first on Lenawee Community Foundation.

Last time I shared about the rigorous grants process through Lenawee Cares, a program of the Lenawee Community Foundation.  Because of generous donors, who made gifts or pledges exceeding $509,000, we are now collecting and distributing these funds to local nonprofits, where the greatest good can be achieved.  $405,958 is going to local agencies through grants and designations, and 10% is placed in a permanent endowment.

The balance includes administrative expenses, fundraising costs, and collection loss from individuals, who change jobs after making pledges, so payroll deductions are not paid.  We recently learned just how important the permanent endowment is, when $75,000 was released from the endowment as a match for COVID-19 Response.  Generous donors made gifts which were matched, and to date over $170,000 has been granted to local nonprofits addressing basic needs of local residents during the pandemic.  These grants are in addition to the annual Lenawee Cares grants.

In the first quarter of 2020 nonprofits received more than $198,000 in Lenawee Cares grants, primarily from Gleaner Life Insurance Society and Brazeway employee and corporate gifts. As donors pay their pledges throughout 2020, the remaining Lenawee Cares grants and designations will be paid in equal installments around June 30, September 30, and December 30.
The grants process was carried out by 19 dedicated Lenawee Cares Advisory Board members.  All 18 organizations that applied were awarded funding.  Following are grants, which were approved by the 16-member Lenawee Community Foundation Board, plus donor designations:

• $19,024 to Adrian Community Preschool for three-year-olds
• $1,999 to Adrian Rea Literacy Center for adult literacy
• $19,772 to Associated Charities for clothing and housewares distribution
• $31,863 to Boys & Girls Club of Lenawee
• $19,258 to Catherine Cobb Safe House
• $33,450 to Catholic Charities Child Advocacy Center
• $6,259 to Child Care Network scholarships
• $10,800 to Community Action Agency for stabilizing families living in poverty
• $8,358 to Community Learning Connections
• $13,347 to The Daily Bread for meals
• $17,727 to Habitat for Humanity home construction
• $26,273 to HOPE Community Center for adaptive exercise
• $14,231 to Housing Help of Lenawee for rent/mortgage assistance
• $5,336 to Legal Services of South Central Michigan for eviction diversion
• $15,061 to Share the Warmth homeless shelter
• $5,792 to St. Mary’s of Good Counsel food pantry & dire needs program
• $4,379 to Society of St. Vincent de Paul food pantry
• $11,504 to YMCA for food for children and diabetes prevention

• There are numerous smaller distributions, as well as funding to be awarded to area community programs.

We are blessed to be part of a community where so many people exemplify Lenawee Cares!  If you’d like information or wish to share your time, talent, or treasure, please contact Lenawee Community Foundation at 423-1729.

The post 2020 Lenawee Cares Grants Awarded appeared first on Lenawee Community Foundation.