News

In the spirit of a new year and decade, we’re largely looking forward in this newsletter. 2019 was another strong year, thanks to our generous community! This spring, we will share news of gifting, granting and investment performance—as well as new staff hires, as we expand our abilities to serve Washtenaw County.

The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF) recently awarded over $1 million in grants from the Glacier Hills Legacy Fund (GHLF) to support vulnerable seniors and their caregivers in Washtenaw County. The GHLF was established through the generosity of Ann Arbor's Glacier Hills Senior Living Community and Trinity Health Senior Communities of Livonia, MI.

AAACF is pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications! Available Grant Programs Include the Anna Botsford Bach Fund for Seniors Grant Program and the Youth Council Grant Program.

The 2019 Year-End E-News is released now. See the new Youth Council members that now span county wide! Read updates on YACF, a Legacy of Learning, and much more.

AAACF and the Washtenaw Coordinated Funders are excited to be co-funding, in partnership with the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, to bring the Catchafire platform to Washtenaw County!

The Ypsilanti Area Community Fund (YACF) welcomed a packed room at the Eagle Crest Clubhouse on November 19th to hear an update and exciting plans for continuing the “community voice” work begun this year. YACF is working toward their Impact Statement.

On November 13th, a group of past Aquademics champions gathered together to celebrate the establishment of the Aquademics Scholarship at AAACF to celebrate the lasting legacy of the program and to encourage the continued pursuit of academic excellence by local youth of color.

We are pleased to introduce the new Youth Council members who are joining the committee this academic year! They represent a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives across Washtenaw County, which are critical to the thoughtful decisions of the Youth Council. These local high school students oversee annual grants of $80,000+ and volunteer in the community.

In this issue read highlights of the Stern Legacy Celebration, learn about CultureMakers, and stay up to with year-end deadlines and reminder.

Although we have widely shared news of Helmut Stern’s amazing $16.2 million estate gift—the largest gift in AAACF’s history from an individual, Friday the 13th of September provided an auspicious opportunity to celebrate and share more of his background and lasting legacy with the community!