If you are short on time, I’ll cut to the chase: please take and share AAACF’s survey on local capital investments in Washtenaw County: 1) for institutions (if you received Entrypoint’s email) and 2) for individuals.

If you have a few moments… read on!

At AAACF, we’re data geeks – not for the sake for data, but for the sake of enabling better lives for residents of Washtenaw County. Data, and particularly data that’s by the community and for the community, is fuel for the foundation’s engine.

Another source of fuel for our work is our $140 million endowment, which is the source of millions of dollars in local grants and scholarships every year. In April 2019, AAACF’s Board took an historic and bold step by designating 1% of these investment assets for Washtenaw County-based companies and deals. This means that in addition to grants and scholarships, AAACF is now going to use investments to make positive local change. As we enter this new space, we know we need investing partners and we perceive there to be a lively, active ecosystem of local investors who are already investing directly in our local economy. “Perceiving” is not enough, so now it’s time for AAACF to close the gap between perception and reality by gathering data and insights from residents and local institutions.

To do this, the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation has commissioned Revalue and EntryPoint, to create the 2020 Washtenaw County Capital Report. We will collect, analyze, and surface findings about the ways in which capital is being invested in Washtenaw County. EntryPoint is a MI-based research institute, nationally known for its data, insights, and knowledge work in advancing entrepreneurial ecosystems. It is our goal for these insights to guide the Community Foundation’s local investments and, just as important, to serve as the basis for new partnerships with like-minded local investors. We are able to launch this community-based research initiative through a catalytic grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.

We invite you to join us in this quest for insights into how people and institutions currently invest locally, and whether there’s potential for all of us to join forces to magnify our collective impact. Our survey, custom-designed by EntryPoint, is an anonymous, confidential, and secure survey about your institutional or personal investing activities within Washtenaw County. The survey is open through March 6, 2020. There are three versions of the survey:

1. A survey specific to institutional investors; and
2. A survey specific to individuals who are professionally advised by wealth managers, trust officers, or registered investment advisors; and
3. A public survey open to all residents in Washtenaw County, for those individuals who have actively invested in, or loaned money to, a company located in Washtenaw County in 2019.

Please note: institutional investors should have received an email from EntryPoint for their survey directly. For all those taking the survey: thank you! If neither of these surveys apply to you but you know someone who should take it, please share this blog with them.

Our capital research report will be released later this year, so keep following along with us. We’ll share updates and additional opportunities to engage with AAACF throughout our learning and investing journey. With your participation, we can use a data-informed approach to invest in better lives and a stronger local economy!