Partner Partner Content 50 years, 50 stories: Anna Botsford Bach Fund

Continuing a Legacy of Care

Originally opened in 1909 at State and Kingsley, the Anna Botsford Bach Home offered older women in Ann Arbor without family or resources a safe place to live out their retirement years. In 1927, the Bach Home moved to a spacious 17-room residence on West Liberty where it continued to operate until 2002, when it was no longer feasible to keep the facility open. Intent on continuing the Bach Home’s mission long after it closed, its Board of Directors transferred proceeds from the property’s sale and other assets to the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation to establish a permanent endowment to support the needs of local seniors.  

2013 marked the 10th anniversary of The Anna Botsford Bach Fund for Seniors, which has awarded more than $1.14 million in grants to support local programs that help seniors and their caregivers – including those at Neighborhood Senior Services, Housing Bureau for Seniors, Jewish Family Services, Catholic Social Services, and the Blueprint on Aging. Jill Kind of Catholic Social Services notes how important the Fund’s grant support has been: “By 2030, the number of people in Washtenaw County age 65 or older is projected to grow three-fold, which places increasing demands on families and programs for seniors. The Bach Fund has made it possible for local agencies to expand their services and help more seniors live independently for as long as possible.”

One of the many ways the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation
supports all that is good in our community.

Read more “good” stories at: aaacf.org/stories