Inspired Giving. Lasting Impact. Leading Change.
Since 1984, the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan has invested nearly $1.5 billion in people, communities and organizations to help ensure everyone in our region can thrive. We serve Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, Livingston and St. Clair counties with generous support from thousands of donors, individuals, families and businesses.
What We Do:
- Advise donors on how to make lasting impact in the region
- Build long-term assets through endowments
- Serve as a trusted convener, partner and funder in community problem-solving
- Create lasting, positive change through thoughtful philanthropy
2024 By The Numbers
$1.3 Billion in Assets
5,000+ Donor Relationships
250+ Nonprofit Endowment Partners
$128 Million to Nonprofits through 4,700 Grants
$113 Million+ New Gifts Received
Our Vision:
Southeast Michigan is a place where everyone thrives.
Our Mission:
We build the resources, relationships and expertise required to expand equitable access to opportunities. Our mission is to make southeast Michigan a desirable place to live, work and play for all residents, today and tomorrow.
40+ Years of Community Impact
Southeast Michigan thrives when people have access to opportunities, essential services and vibrant public spaces. This is the theory of change behind our work. We invest in five focus areas to help build strong, connected communities.
Our focus areas guide how we support long-term solutions and measure the impact of our grantmaking.
- Economic Opportunity: Creating pathways to stable employment, entrepreneurship, and financial security for individuals and families.
- Health Equity: Increasing access to quality healthcare, improving health outcomes, and providing essential services to meet basic needs.
- Youth and Education: Supporting literacy, youth development, and lifelong learning—from early childhood to adulthood.
- Arts and Culture: Strengthening creative contributions to the civic, social, and cultural infrastructure that enhances the region’s vibrancy.
- Public Space and Environment: Investing in parks, trails, and climate-smart infrastructure that improve environmental health and quality of life.
Commitment to Endowment
Strong nonprofits and communities require long-term financial stability. That’s why endowments are at the heart of our work. The Community Foundation helps donors and organizations build permanent endowments that provide sustained funding year after year. Our endowed funds generate lasting resources to respond to evolving needs and invest in long-term solutions.
Our Endowment Efforts Focus on:
Building Community Capital:
We help donors and organizations create permanent funds that address today’s needs while preparing for tomorrow’s challenges.
Supporting Nonprofit Sustainability:
Hundreds of nonprofit organizations have established agency endowment funds with us to secure their future.
Strong Financial Stewardship:
We manage funds with expert oversight, helping to grow assets while making annual distributions that support vital programs.
Creating Lasting Legacies:
Through planned giving and estate gifts, donors can make a permanent impact on the causes and communities they care about most.
Our Values:
- Innovation: Nurturing cutting-edge ideas and responding to evolving community needs.
- Leading Change: Identifying and investing in regional solutions to complex challenges.
- Operational Excellence: Managing resources effectively to maximize community impact.
- Collaboration: Convening funders, nonprofits, and community partners to drive measurable change.
- Trust and Integrity: Ensuring transparency, stewardship, and donor trust.
Our Roles
- Build long-term assets for the region through endowment.
- Be an action-oriented thought leader.
- Be a trusted convener, navigator and partner in community problem-solving.
- Pursue continuous improvement across our business.
Non-Discrimination Policy
The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan is committed to geographic representation throughout the region and within our organization, including our staff and volunteers. In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals, employment decisions at the Community Foundation will be based on merit, qualifications and abilities without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, height, weight, political or union affiliation, disability or any other factor prohibited by law.
In our grantmaking, we strive to support programs and organizations that demonstrate a commitment to geographic representation through their policies, practices, and actions. Programs or organizations that are found to unlawfully discriminate in the provision of services or management practices may be deemed ineligible for funding consideration, required to return any grant awards, or rendered ineligible for future support.