News

a message from our president

I am privileged to be the president of the Charlevoix County Community Foundation, your trusted resource for philanthropy. I could talk for days about how we help people make a difference close to home, but today I would love to share what makes C3F so unique:

We’re Local - The Community Foundation was established over 30 years ago to improve the quality of life for people in Charlevoix County and to raise permanent charitable capital to do that work for the people and places we all love. All of our grantmaking funds are dedicated to that goal.

Variety - Whatever matters most to you – the environment, the future of our communities, young people, the arts – the Community Foundation cares about that too, and is working to make a difference across a variety of issues in Charlevoix County.

Lasting Impact - Most of our 350 funds are endowments, which means that they were established to provide charitable resources forever in the names of those who established them.

I’m so proud of the milestones we’ve reached this year. In 2024, we awarded $4 million in grants – our largest amount ever! Our dedicated staff of 6, guided by our 15-member Board of Trustees, work every day to connect generous donors with local nonprofit organizations, schools, and municipalities. It might even surprise you to learn that last year 72% of all gifts to the Community Foundation were $250 dollars or less. There’s a misconception about charitable giving that only big gifts matter, but the Community Foundation is for everyone who wants to make a difference close to home.

On behalf of all of us at C3F, thank you for being part of the work to enhance the quality of life for all in Charlevoix County, now and for generations to come.