Grand Rapids Community Foundation
185 Oakes Street Southwest
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49505
United States
Mission
Our mission is to build and manage our community’s permanent endowment and lead the community to strengthen the lives of its people.
Most Meaningful Change
Challenge Scholars, a program we initiated three years ago, is making a significant impact on increased academic achievement. We are ensuring that critical health and human services are being delivered at school-base sites, providing resources for math and literacy coaches and removing barriers for students and families living in poverty to quality public education, including college.
1922 Year Founded
26 Paid Staff (Full-Time Equivalent)
$285,605,378 Endowment Value
$8,000,000 Total Annual Grantmaking
Organization | Grand Rapids Community Foundation |
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Address 1 | 185 Oakes Street Southwest |
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Address 2 | Did not answer |
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City / Town | Grand Rapids |
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State / Region | Michigan |
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ZIP / Postal Code | 49505 |
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Country | United States |
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Continent | North America |
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Map Address (If Different) | Did not answer |
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Map City / Town (If Different) | Did not answer |
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Map State / Region (If Different) | Did not answer |
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Map Zip / Postal Code (If Different) | Did not answer |
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Map Country (If Different) | Did not answer |
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Phone | 616-454-1751 |
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Email | dsieger@grfoundation.org |
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Website | www.grfoundation.org |
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Organization Leader (Name, Title) | Diana Sieger |
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Primary Contact’s Name | Did not answer |
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Primary Contact’s Position | President |
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Year Founded | 1922 |
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Mission Statement | Our mission is to build and manage our community’s permanent endowment and lead the community to strengthen the lives of its people. |
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Organization Description | Community Foundation |
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Other Description | Did not answer |
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Approximate Size of the Population Serviced | 1,000,000 |
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Total Paid Staff (Full-Time Equivalents) | 26 |
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Total Unpaid Staff (Full-Time Equivalents) | 2 |
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Total Board Members | 12 |
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Organization’s Total Income in Last Fiscal Year | $47,491,523 |
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Organization’s Gifts Income in Last Fiscal Year | $21,179,411 |
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Organization’s Total Expenditures in Last Fiscal Year | $11,770,820 |
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Organization’s Grantmaking Budget in Last Fiscal Year | $8,000,000 |
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Does Organization Have an Endowment | Yes |
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Value of Endowment (or Financial Reserves) as of the End of Last Fiscal Year | $285,605,378 |
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Change in Financial Status Over Last Three Years | Significant improvement |
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Factors that Played a Role in the Origins of Your Organization |
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Community leadership | Played an important role |
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Philanthropic gifts | Played a slight role |
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Grassroots activism | No role |
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Inadequate government services | No role |
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Changes in the political environment | No role |
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Changes in the economic environment | Played a slight role |
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Government initiative funding | No role |
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Foundation initiative funding | No role |
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Bilateral or multilateral initiative funding | No role |
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Favorable legal or fiscal policies | No role |
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Time Spent Working in Following Areas |
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Neighborhood | Fair amount of time |
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Locally | Lots of time |
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Regionally | Fair amount of time |
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Nationally | Very little time |
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Internationally | None |
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Rate Importance of the Following Functions |
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Grantmaking | Centrally important |
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Having local people as leaders in the organization | Centrally important |
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Seeking local donations | Centrally important |
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Having a gender balance in the organization | Important but not central |
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Board reflective of community diversity | Centrally important |
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Building an endowment | Centrally important |
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Serving donor needs | Centrally important |
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Acting as a fiscal intermediary for the community | Slightly important |
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Building inclusion and trust in the community | Centrally important |
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Pursuing equity | Centrally important |
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Accountability to local people | Centrally important |
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Raising money for grantmaking annually | Centrally important |
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Community development | Centrally important |
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In the Last Year, Extent to Which Programming and/or Grantmaking Involved Work in the Following Areas |
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Arts and culture | Little |
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Education | Lot |
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Environment | Fair amount |
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Health | Lot |
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Human and social services | Lot |
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Human rights | Fair amount |
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International relations | Not at all |
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Religion | Little |
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Economic development | Fair amount |
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Conflict resolution/bridging different parts of the community | Fair amount |
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Information technology | Little |
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Strengthening local or regional government | Fair amount |
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Housing | Fair amount |
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Children | Lot |
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Water | Little |
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Alternative energy | Little |
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Disaster relief | Not at all |
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Advocacy with authorities | Fair amount |
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Job training | Little |
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Nongrantmaking Services Offered to Community in Recent Years |
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Convening for issues of local concern | Often |
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Promote collaboration between grantees | Occasionally |
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Promote understanding of public policy | Occasionally |
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Training/capacity-building for local organizations | Occasionally |
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Advocacy | Occasionally |
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Loaned staff | Never |
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Research | Rarely |
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Community needs assessment | Occasionally |
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Leadership development | Occasionally |
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Internships | Occasionally |
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Providing space for local organizations | Never |
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Access to information technology | Rarely |
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Publishing/knowledge sharing | Rarely |
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Main Trends Over the Past Year in Geographic Area Served |
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Poverty | No change |
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Crime | No change |
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Trust among different sections of the community | Getting worse |
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Equitable distribution of resources and services | No change |
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Social position of marginalized groups | No change |
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Responsiveness of authorities | No change |
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Appropriateness of public policies | No change |
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Value of community assets | Getting better |
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Quality of the environment | Getting better |
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Number of people and organizations working to change and improve their community | Getting better |
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Levels of innovation and risk taking in addressing community problems | Getting better |
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Networks and links between different parts of the community | Getting better |
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Gender equity | No change |
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Charitable giving through the community foundation | Getting much better |
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Number of people and organizations involved in philanthropic giving | Getting better |
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Extent to Which Organization Can Claim Tangible and Measurable Achievements in the Past Three Years |
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Poverty | A few small achievements |
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Crime | Do not work in this sphere |
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Trust among different sections of the community | A few small achievements |
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Equitable distribution of resources and services | A few small achievements |
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Social position of marginalized groups | Work in the sphere but no measurable achievement |
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Responsiveness of authorities | A few small achievements |
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Appropriateness of public policies | Work in the sphere but no measurable achievement |
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Value of community assets | Some important achievements |
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Quality of the environment | A few small achievements |
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Number of people and organizations working to change and improve their community | Some important achievements |
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Levels of innovation and risk taking in addressing community problems | Some important achievements |
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Networks and links between different parts of the community | Some important achievements |
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Gender equity | Work in the sphere but no measurable achievement |
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Charitable giving through the community foundation | Some important achievements |
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Number of people and organizations involved in philanthropic giving | Some important achievements |
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Active Partnerships |
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Formal community associations and groups | Lot |
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Informal associations of citizens | Little |
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Non-governmental organizations | Lot |
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Local government | Lot |
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National government | Little |
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Universities | Lot |
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Schools | Lot |
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Businesses | Lot |
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Other Institutions Helpful to Our Work |
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National association of grantmakers | Very helpful |
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Regional association of grantmakers | Neither helpful or unhelpful |
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Global Fund for Community Foundations | N/A |
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Particular foundation | N/A |
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Other organization | N/A |
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Involvement of Local People |
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Regularly survey local people about our programs | Yes |
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Local people are engaged in the delivery of our work | Yes |
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Local people control what our organization does | Yes |
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Have local people represented on our board | Yes |
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Have regular sessions where local people advise us what our programs should do | Yes |
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Actively engage local people as volunteers | Yes |
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All of our board is composed of local people | Yes |
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Account to local people about our successes and failures each year | Yes |
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Assistance in Overcoming Main Difficulties Faced in Developing Organization Further |
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Increased funding | Important |
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Better legal or fiscal environment | Important |
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More volunteers | N/A |
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Access to advice or technical assistance | N/A |
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Better local culture of giving | N/A |
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Stronger civil society | Neither important nor unimportant |
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More responsive authorities | Neither important nor unimportant |
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Other | Did not answer |
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Most Meaningful Change that Organization Has Helped to Bring About in the Last Three Years | Challenge Scholars, a program we initiated three years ago, is making a significant impact on increased academic achievement. We are ensuring that critical health and human services are being delivered at school-base sites, providing resources for math and literacy coaches and removing barriers for students and families living in poverty to quality public education, including college. |
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