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ALPENA — Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan and its affiliate foundations are joining in a nationwide celebration of Community Foundation Week, which started Tuesday and runs through Monday.

The week’s purpose is to recognize the increasingly important role these philanthropic organizations play in fostering local collaboration and innovation to address persistent civic and economic challenges.

In our region, CFNEM is celebrating its 50th year of serving Northeast Michigan as a leader in philanthropy and grantmaking, and the individuals who helped build the foundation through their giving.

“We are so thankful to every donor who has ever given a donation to one of the funds held here at the Community Foundation,” said CFNEM Executive Director Patrick Heraghty. “Each gift is a story of caring for our neighbors and a legacy for our community. Every grant that comes from these funds is a snapshot of how we are working to address our community’s needs and enhance the quality of life for those living in and visiting our region. With a new strategic plan that we will be sharing soon, we are more determined than ever to continue, and improve, our impact in Northeast Michigan.”

For more than a century, community foundations have served as a trusted partner and resource whose effect can be seen in the lives of millions and in the vibrant neighborhoods that continue to thrive through their mission-driven work. During this time, community foundations come together to share and reflect on the stories of impact over the past year. They are independent, public entities that steward philanthropic resources from institutional and individual donors to support local nonprofits and represent one of the fastest-growing forms of philanthropy.

In Northeast Michigan, CFNEM has awarded over $57 million in community grants and scholarships since its inception in 1974. It is also working alongside other community foundations bordering Lake Huron through the Lake Huron Forever initiative to improve and ensure the health of our lake, which affects so much of our daily lives. The Foundation’s Giving Tuesday Northeast Michigan Campaign has raised over $1.8 million in support of local nonprofits, inspiring giving across the region. Particularly in the youth community, the Foundation’s Youth Advisory Councils, or YACs, have led grantmaking for programs affecting their peers, all while learning the important role philanthropy plays in a community’s overall success.

Community Foundation Week was created in 1989 by former president George H.W. Bush to recognize the work of community foundations throughout America and their collaborative approach to working with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to address community problems. Community Foundation Week coincides with National Philanthropy Day on Nov. 15.

The Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan is a charitable organization committed to providing people who care about the future of our area with unique and effective ways of supporting their community now, and for generations to come. Led by a volunteer board of local citizens, the foundation oversees a group of permanently endowed funds from a wide range of donors. Gifts of all sizes from individuals, families, businesses, and agencies are invested in a balanced, well-managed portfolio to build endowments, enabling support for students and local community nonprofits now and forever. Those interested can learn more at cfnem.org.