The gift is designated for the "Growing the Greater Good" campaign to raise $5 million for endowment and programming to take the Johnson Center to the next level of excellence. The funds will assist the center in expanding the programs and services offered to charitable foundations and the nonprofit sector and allow the center to disseminate them to a wider audience.
In its short tenure, the Johnson Center has established itself as a pioneering philanthropic leader and distinguished itself for serving as a bridge between research-based knowledge available and the practitioners whose work directly improves the quality of life in the region, state and the nation.
As an example of its work in the nonprofit sector, one Johnson Center program conducted a regional demographic comparison for the Women's Resource Center. The center conducted surveys, focus groups and interviews that helped establish a baseline understanding of the employment status of women in Ottawa, as well as Kent and Muskegon counties.
"We are very gratified with this support," said Joel Orosz, interim executive director of the Johnson Center. "Community foundations provide critical assistance for the areas they serve, and our job is to help all foundations make the most of their grant dollars as they try to benefit those in need."
The Grand Haven Area Community Foundation, located in Grand Haven, Michigan, and founded in 1971, is a permanent community endowment built by gifts and bequests from thousands of individuals, families, and organizations. The foundation is committed to improving and enhancing the quality of life in the Tri-Cities area. Guided by a volunteer Board of Trustees made up of community leaders, the foundation serves donors and makes grants to outstanding charitable projects and programs primarily benefiting the foundation's service area of northwest Ottawa County, Michigan.
For more information, contact Joel Orosz at (616) 331-7585 or GVSU News and Information Services at (616) 331-2221.
