How Can I Give to the GACF?
With the development of a fund, which can be named in memory of or in honor of a loved one, donors wishes will be followed in perpetuity.
The GACF offers these great giving options as a flexible service in meeting the needs of the community and our donors. To download a PDF list of funds within the GACF, click here.
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Advised Funds - You can have on-going involvement in the use of your gift. You work with our grant-making staff in identifying ways to use dollars from your advised fund to address the community needs you care about most. Your recommendations are submitted to our local board of trustees for approval; we then manage distribution of your grant dollars.
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Unrestricted Fund - You can use your gift to meet ever-changing community needs (which often cannot be anticipated at the time your gift is made). We evaluate all aspects of community well being - - arts and culture, economic development, education, environment, health and human services, neighborhood revitalization, and more. Your unrestricted gift is then used to make a difference where it is needed most.
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Field of Interest Funds - You can target your gift to address needs in an important area of community life. Arts. Aging, At-risk youth. Education. Literacy. Health. You identify your personal interest area when making your gift and the GACF Board awards grants to community agencies and programs that are making a difference in the area you select.
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Designated Funds - You can direct your gift to a specific agency or purpose. Help provide ongoing funding for Camp Wah Wah Tay See, Habitat for Humanity, the Senior Center, your church, or virtually any non-profit charitable organization in the area. You identify the organization you wish to benefit through your gift... the GACF staff manages the annual distribution of funds.
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Agency Endowed Funds - Area non-profit organizations can enhance their assets by developing a fund with the GACF. This fund would allow the organizations assets to grow and create long-term financial security and relieve the non-profit's staff of managing the fund. The earnings of the fund are granted at the desire of the agency for the organizations needs specifically. Other donors may contribute to Agency Funds as well. Contact the GACF for agency funds that are already in existance in the family of endowment funds held at GACF.
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Geographic Affiliate Funds - Members of a geographic area or community within the Montcalm county area can create a Fund that directly benefits their specific area. The GACF staff provides administrative services to the Advisory Committee of the Fund who works at raising the endowment of the Fund. All earnings go back to the area as grants approved by the local Advisory Committee and supported by the GACF Board of Trustees. Currently there are two affiliate funds associated with the GACF. The Montcalm Panhandle Community Fund covers the Howard City area of Montcalm county and the Lakeview Area Community Fund covers the area served by the Lakeview school district. Contact the GACF office for more information about giving to these two geographic affiliate funds.
Lakeview Area Community Fund
People give through … not to … the Lakeview Area Community Fund
The mission of the Lakeview Area Community Fund is to enhance the quality of life in the Lakeview area by providing community focused grants.
In the spring of 2001, interested Lakeview citizens discussed the concept of having a community fund that would provide a future-funding base to enhance the quality of life in the Lakeview area. The group learned that this could easily be done by affiliating with the Greenville Area Community Foundation. The GACF would be responsible for administrative tasks for a small fund fee and the Lakeview group could concentrate on raising money and making the area aware of this new opportunity to give back to the community. With volunteers agreeing to become the first Advisory Committee - The Lakeview Area Community Fund (LACF) was on its way!
Since then twelve (13) new endowment funds have become part of the LACF family. They join the LACF Unrestricted Fund and include the Lena Rader Meijer Donor Advised Fund, The Bud Martin Family Fund, the Tamarack District Library Fund, and the Lakeview Youth Fund. Scholarship funds include the Rossman Family Scholarship Fund, the Wales Memorial Scholarship Fund, the Kos Memorial Scholarship Fund, the Joe Cook Memorial Scholarship Fund, the Clair & Alice Ellafrits Memorial Fund, the Elmer & Mary Coon Scholarship Fund and it’s newest fund the Guilfoyle Family Scholarship Fund. Currently, The Lakeview Community Wellness Center has a fund “under construction”. The market value of all funds stands at about $215,000 and over $19,500 has been given back to the community to date. These funds make up the Lakeview family of funds they will benefit the Lakeview area for years to come.
For more information about giving to The Lakeview Area Community Fund contact us
Montcalm Panhandle Community Fund
The mission of the Montcalm Panhandle Community Fund is to enhance the quality of life in the four township area that comprises the panhandle of Montcalm County. This includes the townships of Reynolds, Winfield, Pierson, and Maple Valley, and the communities therein. This will occur through the awarding of grants from permanently endowed funds.
The Montcalm Panhandle Community Fund began in December of 1999 with a modest goal of raising $5,000 to get the fund started. Since that time, fund assets have grown to more than $75,300 as of February of 2008. Local fund leaders hope to continue to build the fund so regular annual grants can continue to be awarded to the community.
In 2005 the first scholarship fund was started. It’s the Pease Scholarship Fund and it awards the Pease Insurance Wrestling Scholarship, as well as, the Cheryl Pease Scholarship each year to students from the Tri County School District. The other fund within the Montcalm Panhandle Community Fund’s family of funds is the Unrestricted Fund which can be used to meet any needs in the area.
The Panhandle Community Fund is working diligently to strengthen and expand its base of leadership and of donors in the four-township area in which it serves – Reynolds, Pierson, Winfield and Maple Valley. Presently, the four-member board of directors consists of Richard Pease, Barb & Bill Rollins, and Fred C. Plath. Interested members of the community are welcome to join the board, give to the funds or start their own.
For more information about giving to the Montcalm Panhandle Community Fund contact:
231 937-6758
email Fred
Richard Pease
Pease Insurance Agency
231.937.4141
email Richard
Alison Barberi
Greenville Area Community Foundation
616.754.2640
email Alison
Donations may be sent to:
P. O. Box 596
Howard City, Mi. 49329
Michigan Community Foundation Tax Credit
A fifty percent direct Michigan personal income tax credit or Michigan single business tax credit applies to all gifts to certified community foundations up to:
- $100 for an individual taxpayer who is single, or married and filing seperately.
- $200 for a married couple filing jointly.
- $5,000 or ten percent of the tax liability before any credits (whichever is less) for resident estate or trust.
- 5,000 or five percent of the tax liability before any credits (whichever is less) for businesses filing single business income tax returns.
Contributions to certified Michigan community foundations such as the GACF allow donors to take as a credit against their State of Michigan tax an amount equal to 50 percent of the gift, up to certain limitations ($100 maximum for an individual return; $200 for joint returns). For donors paying single business tax, they may take as a credit the lesser of 50 percent of the gift up to $5,000 or 5 percent of their single business tax liability. This credit is in addition to those available for donations to public broadcasting stations, Michigan colleges, or universities and public libraries. The tax credit is also in addition to the deduction for Federal income tax purposes.
For more information regarding how the Michigan Community Foundation Tax Credit could enhance your charitable giving, contact the GACF office or talk to your financial advisor.
GACF BOARD VARIANCE POWER: The GACF Board shall have the power to modify any restriction or condition on the distribution of funds for any specified charitable purposes or to specified organizations if in the sole judgment of the board (without the approval of any trustee, custodian or agent), such restriction or condition becomes, in effect, unnecessary, incapable of fulfillment or inconsistent with the charitable needs of the community or area served. (See also Article III, Section 1 (D) of the community foundation Bylaws.)