“We can do this” at the Community Foundation

18 November 2011

by Kay Sparks, Guest Blogger

I first discovered the Community Foundation of NCW when my aunt left me a small inheritance. She had been the first in her family to graduate from high school and I wanted to start a scholarship in her name at her alma mater in Michigan. The staff at CFNCW helped me do that, honoring my desire to be involved in the screening process, which meant conference calls and coordinating time zones. They made it easy by having an application process I could ‘tweak’ in my own way, but didn’t have to create myself. It’s worked for 10 years and will continue forever—a real comfort for my family.

A few years later when a few of us from my faith community got interested in establishing an affordable housing land trust non-profit to ensure long-term housing affordability, I thought of the CFNCW as a resource for  how to do it and who else to involve. True to form, the staff helped us not only gather other like-minded folks, but also organizations and municipalities that were already involved and very well-educated about this.  Low and behold, we didn’t need to establish a non-profit – one had already existed that was interested in using the land trust model!  That not only helped us get a jump-start, it also provided them with our energy and interest as volunteers – a bonus for us both.

Since that time, I find myself going to CFNCW when I need help. Whether it’s attending a workshop about fundraising or ‘picking their brains’ to identify community resources—other interested folks, entities that have knowledge and expertise that we can tap into or potential funding sources. They have helped me move from an “I can do this” to a “We can do this” mentality. 

Kay is a board member at the Women’s Resource Center, avid quilter, and makes outstanding cookies!