Community foundations play an important role in creating a vibrant community for future generations to enjoy. By working together with other community leaders, we help initiate new projects and programs that work toward those goals.
One such community project was the Bay County Road Map to the Future: Action for Positive and Collaborative Community Growth published in February 2014. Under the leadership of BACF and the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, this community visioning document came from eighteen months of listening to direct input from more than 300 local leaders. The results were a set of key elements and priority objectives necessary for community success.One such community project was the Bay County Road Map to the Future: Action for Positive and Collaborative Community Growth published in February 2014. Under the leadership of BACF and the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, this community visioning document came from eighteen months of listening to direct input from more than 300 local leaders. The results were a set of key elements and priority objectives necessary for community success.
To be outstanding, a community must have:
- a robust and diverse economy,
- a deep sense of place,
- a pool of talented workers and leaders,
- and the ability to meet the needs of the less advantaged.
The Road Map provides a framework for Bay County to direct its activities toward common goals that will transform a good community into a great one.
We know that to create real change, it doesn’t take the work of just one individual or one organization. It takes many, coming together and believing that the best is yet to come for our community. We are honored to work alongside you, our area’s leaders, donors, and residents to create positive change.
Please read on for highlights on how Bay Area Community Foundation is working to move the objectives of the Road Map forward.
Great Lakes One Water Partnership
Great Lakes One Water PartnershipThe Road Map identified that our water resources are part of creating a strong sense of place. At the end of 2018, BACF partnered with shoreline community foundations and conservation partners from the United States and Canada to create a regional plan of action to preserve Lake Huron for future use. Together, with community input, we are developing a plan to protect our important natural resource and reduce the amount of polluted water that enters inland lakes, streams, and eventually Lake Huron through effective stormwater management.
Route Publication
Alongside many other community partners and leaders, we were excited to bring an electronic publication to Bay County in 2018 to tell positive stories about our area’s businesses, nonprofits, activities, opportunities, and individuals. Route tells the story of Bay County and its people. It helps the public—both near and far—understand what makes our community special and unique. Route is an important community initiative because it provides a narrative backdrop in support of the four dimensions of a thriving community, as identified in the Road Map. Read this publication and subscribe to receive weekly emails full of positive stories by visiting www.routebaycity.com.
To and Through College
A post-secondary education has become increasingly critical not only for our residents, but for our community as a whole. Research shows that people who achieve a post-secondary degree tend to be healthier and happier—less likely to get involved in crime or suffer from illness, and more likely to volunteer, vote, and engage in their communities.
BACF supports student efforts to get to and through college through scholarship programs, especially the Bay Commitment Scholarship which has invested $2 million in tuition support for Bay County’s first-generation college students. In addition, our Great Lakes Bay College & Career Resource Center opens the doors of opportunity by meeting potential students where they are at and supporting their career and education explorations in a hands-on way.
On average each year, the Resource Center directly assists more than 350 individuals, and Bay Area Community Foundation awards nearly $500,000 in scholarships to area students pursuing post-secondary degrees. Bay County recently achieved its highest level of degree attainment in its history—33.4% of adults ages 25-64 have an associate degree or higher.
I am proud to serve my community through my role at BACF. As a Program Officer, I collaborate with nonprofit, government, church, and school partners in Bay and Arenac counties to navigate our grant opportunities and find the right funding alignment. From project conception to post-award, I am your main contact for all things grants. Connecting organizations and donors who share the same vision and passion is at the heart of my work.
