Sara Ward Named Vice President
The Board of Trustees of the Charlevoix County Community Foundation are pleased to announce that Sara Ward has been promoted to the position of Vice President, effective January 1, 2022. In her new role, Ms. Ward will be responsible for overseeing the grantmaking and development functions of the Community Foundation. Ms. Ward has served as the Community Foundation’s Director of Development and Donor Services since 2016 with demonstrated success working with donors and nonprofit partners.
“Sara Ward has distinguished herself on our staff as a person of exceptional talent and integrity,” said Don Jess, Chair of the Board of Trustees, adding, “and we are very pleased to expand her role.” Chip Hansen, President of the Community Foundation echoed those thoughts. “Sara has made a positive impact on our organization from the day she arrived,” he said, noting, “her engagement and her ability to build healthy relationships have been keys to growing our charitable resources and our local impact.”
Ward’s promotion comes as the Charlevoix County Community Foundation enters its 30th year of operations, with total assets of approximately $60 million and annual grantmaking exceeding $2.5 million. “The Community Foundation has been a remarkable story,” Hansen said. “The founding Board of Trustees had the right idea back in 1992 . . . that a community foundation might be the perfect place for donors to exercise their charitable intentions in a positive way.”
A graduate of The University of Michigan, Ward started her nonprofit career with the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan in Petoskey. From 2007 to 2015 she served as the Program Officer at the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation.
Ward’s current duties will continue in her new role, with additional responsibility being added gradually throughout 2022 and into 2023, coinciding with plans to continue to staff the Foundation at an appropriate level reflective of the organization’s growth. “For the past five years, the Charlevoix County Community Foundation has been such fertile ground to learn and grow,” Ward said, commenting, “I’m excited for this next opportunity to further integrate donors and community impact as we work with friends and neighbors to make a difference in Charlevoix County.”