The Suzanne L. and Raymond Baber Jr. Fund represents one of the most complete philanthropic journeys in the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan’s history — a 22-year arc that began with a modest donor-advised fund and ended with the largest estate gift the Community Foundation has ever received.

The Babers were people who cared deeply about their community. Suzanne Baber was a teacher and counselor in Waterford Township. Raymond “Bud” Baber, Jr. was a veteran and an advertising executive with Campbell-Ewald. The couple volunteered regularly at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland hospital, attended the United Methodist Church of Lake Orion and supported local nonprofits. They were married for 48 years. Together, they built a life of meaning in their hometown of Lake Orion, nearby Oxford and northern Oakland County.

In 1997, the Babers established a donor-advised fund at the Community Foundation to ensure they could support the causes they cared about throughout their lifetimes and far into the future. A donor-advised fund provides support for charitable causes by an individual, family, business or foundation, and gives them the ability to make grant recommendations.

The Babers’ early grants from their donor-advised fund were modest and made to well-known organizations: $250 to the Old Newsboys’ Goodfellow Fund of Detroit, $500 to the Detroit Zoological Society, $500 to Oxford Community Schools. The fund was a flexible, accessible starting point for a lifetime of strategic giving and the Community Foundation was a philanthropic partner from day one, providing resources, relationships and expertise.

“Bud and Suzanne’s story is a relatable one for people who are interested in giving to charity, but want some support along the way,” says Randy Ross, vice president of Donor Services at the Community Foundation. “We met them where they were and built trust with them over many years as their giving journey evolved. Along the way, they interacted with many Community Foundation staff. They weren’t seeking praise or recognition. Instead, they were kind, thoughtful and humble people who wanted to support the causes they cared about in southeast Michigan.”

As the Babers’ capacity for giving grew over time, they wanted to share their good fortune with the community in new ways. The Community Foundation team worked with them to evolve their charitable strategy, incorporating a greenways field of interest fund, a charitable gift annuity and, ultimately, a nearly $15 million endowment that continues to benefit organizations in northern Oakland County and throughout southeast Michigan.

The Babers’ story is not one of a couple born to vast wealth. It’s a story about starting where you are with what you have. That’s where legacy can begin — not with a grand gesture, but with a first step.

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Are you interested in starting a donor-advised fund? Let’s talk about your giving goals and how we can help you achieve them. From donor-advised funds to planned gifts, we’re here to help you fulfill your philanthropic goals in your way. Join us in investing in southeast Michigan’s future.

Contact our Donor Services team today.
313-961-6675 | [email protected] | cfsem.org/experts

Legacy Lives Here: Next up in the series

This year-long series tells the story of Suzanne and Raymond “Bud” Baber’s giving journey across four installments. It highlights how the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan built trust with the couple over decades, in partnership with their professional advisors. A charitable strategy that began with modest gifts from the Babers’ donor-advised fund evolved into a greenways field of interest fund and, eventually, a generous planned gift that continues to benefit organizations in northern Oakland County and throughout southeast Michigan.

• Meet the Babers: Longtime Lake Orion residents Suzanne and Raymond “Bud” Baber establish a modest donor-advised fund at the Community Foundation in 1997 to support causes they care about in their hometown and beyond.
• Community Impact: The results of the Babers’ generosity include an accessible gazebo in Brandon Township, instruments in the hands of budding young musicians in Pontiac and a leafy green trail in northern Oakland County. The couple’s generosity improves lives and strengthens communities.
• Relationships Matter: Handwritten notes, deep community ties and a personalized giving strategy reflect the Babers’ close collaboration with their professional advisors and the Community Foundation team over the years.
• A Final Gift: Suzanne meets at a local coffee shop with her Community Foundation partner to define the legacy she wants to leave behind on behalf of herself and her husband, Bud — a generous gift that continues to benefit southeast Michigan today.

This story first appeared in the Spring 2026 REPORT Newsletter