To celebrate 50 years of good and close out a year-long celebration of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation’s 50th Anniversary, we have one more story to share and hope our community will help us write it. On Tuesday, May 6 AAACF will provide $500,000 in matching funds to inspire our community to give generously – generating $1 million for 50 local nonprofits in 24 hours.
Since 1963, the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation has awarded more than $33 million in grants and scholarships, changing thousands of lives and seeding local organizations and programs that are now valued assets to our community. Robert Kerschbaum, AAACF’s first executive director shares his vivid recollections of the organization's early years.
For 30 years Ypsilanti’s Rutherford Pool provided a community gathering spot for people of all ages and backgrounds. Closed in 2011, Friends of the Rutherford Pool set out to raise more than $1 million to build a new state-of-the-art facility. With help from a $50,000 grant from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, the brand new pool will open Mary 23 - just in time for summer!
Ypsilanti physician Dr. George Hull believed that quality health care should be available to all residents. Back in 1926, a $50,000 memorial foundation was established in his honor. In 2006, the Foundation’s Board transferred those assets to the Ypsilanti Area Community Fund to provide ongoing support to local health and human service agencies.
Research shows that the most cost-effective strategy for helping the chronically homeless is to provide safe housing coupled with support services. In 2011, St. Joseph Mercy Health System made a $1 million pledge to establish a permanent endowment at the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation as a source of funding. AAACF matched that generous gift with an additional $1 million.
Established in 2005, the Community Foundation of Plymouth has awarded more than $182,000 in grants and scholarships to enrich the lives of its residents. Supporting the Michigan Philharmonic’s outreach programs, funding playground equipment for children with special needs, and helping low income students attend summer camp are just a few examples.
"It Happens Here", a message SafeHouse Center shared in a county-wide marketing campaign, reminds all of us that domestic violence and sexual assault put many in our community in real danger. Since 1975, SafeHouse has been available to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in crisis situations, helping 5,081 survivors in 2012 alone. More than $130,000 in grants from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation has helped SafeHouse save hundreds of lives.
Bob Dunlap loved Ann Arbor and supported many organizations that make it a special place. When he died in 1994, his wife established an unrestricted fund at the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation to honor his memory and support the wider community. Since then, additional funds have been established in Bob’s memory to support Ozone House and to award scholarships to young people for their community service.
Back in 1994, a $120,000 grant from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation helped the Ann Arbor YMCA launch a local affiliate of the national Youth Volunteers Corps program. Since that time, over 1,800 young volunteers have participated in the program, providing 100,000+ hours of community service to support more than 100 local nonprofits across Washtenaw County.
When Morse "Bunny" Barker died in 1982, his sister, Virginia Brousalis, honored his memory by establishing the very first scholarship fund at the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation. Since 1984, the Morse B. Barker Memorial Scholarship Fund has awarded nearly $1 million in scholarships to more than 1,500 students.
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