Photo: Detroit Institute of Arts Photo by Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Donors Suzanne and Raymond “Bud” Baber, Jr. made one request when they established their fund at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan in 1997: The Lake Orion couple asked that there be no restrictions placed on which types of charitable organizations the fund could support. 

The Babers knew they couldn’t anticipate what the community would need in 2025 or 2035, so they gave the Community Foundation flexibility to respond in the future.  

That trust was the gift within the gift. 

Confidence in the Community Foundation 

The Babers were compassionate people who cared deeply about their community.   

In 1997, they established a donor-advised fund (DAF) at the Community Foundation that allowed them to take an active hand in making grants to nonprofits throughout southeast Michigan. That was the Babers’ starting point, but the couple knew they wanted to continue supporting the places and causes they cared about beyond their lifetimes. So, their fund agreement indicated that, after their passing, it would become an endowed field-of-interest fund at the Community Foundation. 

Rather than locking in a specific organization, a field-of-interest fund supports a broader area, and the Community Foundation handles ongoing grantmaking as needs and opportunities in that area evolve. Endowing the fund means that it is invested for the long term, with a portion of it deployed annually for grantmaking.  

“We have confidence in the ability of the Community Foundation to make grants from this fund to support the most worthwhile charitable organizations and activities over time,” the Babers’ fund agreement states. “We do not wish to restrict, in any way, the types of charitable organizations and activities that may receive support from the Suzanne L. and Raymond Baber Jr. Fund.” 

While the Babers specified that their fund should remain unrestricted, they asked that preference be given to certain organizations that benefit northern Oakland County, particularly the Lake Orion-Oxford area they called home; beloved regional nonprofits like the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra; and causes that were close to their hearts, including education, arts and culture, and parks and recreation, among others. 

Donors’ intent endures nearly 30 years later 

Nearly 30 years after it was established, the Babers’ flexible fund continues to make grants to nonprofits that impact all five of our focus areas: Economic Opportunity, Health Equity, Youth and Education, Arts and Culture, and Public Space and Environment. 

Thanks to their trust in the Community Foundation to honor their intent, the Babers’ legacy remains responsive, durable and able to support whatever the community needs next. 

Suzanne L. and Raymond Baber Jr. Fund examples of impact 

Economic Opportunity 

• Nonprofit: Avalon Housing 
• Grant awarded: $75,000 
• Purpose: This grant supported the Community Building Program at Avalon Housing, which encourages a strong sense of community among affordable-housing residents and provides them with the support they need to thrive through community enrichment programming. 

Health Equity 

• Nonprofit: Oxford Township Fire Department 
• Grant awarded: $12,465 
• Purpose: This grant supported the Oxford Township Fire Department’s pilot program offering free, monthly CPR classes to the public for a 24-month period. The goal was to increase the number of people in northeast Oakland County who have the knowledge and confidence to perform CPR. 

Public Space and Environment 

• Nonprofit: Brandon Township 
• Grant awarded: $29,300 
• Purpose: This grant supported a universally accessible gazebo and recreation area at the Brandon Township Community Park.  

Youth and Education  

• Nonprofit: YMCA of Metro Detroit 
• Grant awarded: $75,000 
• Purpose: This grant supported Teen Achievers, which is a high school success program that focuses on post-secondary opportunities. The program consists of five pillars: academics, college knowledge, positive relationships, life skills and positive identity, including mental health support. 

Arts and Culture 

• Nonprofit: Accent Pontiac (in partnership with the Pontiac School District) 
• Grant awarded: $40,000 
• Purpose: This grant helps expand high-quality, after-school music education programming to students at Pontiac High School. All programming is free to participating students. 

Work with us 

Let’s talk about your giving goals and how we can help you achieve them. From the immediacy of donor-advised funds to long-term gift planning, we’re here to help you fulfill your charitable and philanthropic goals. Join us in investing in southeast Michigan’s future.  

Contact our Donor Services team today.

This story originally appeared in our Fall/Winter 2026 REPORT Newsletter