As northwest Michigan leaf peeping approached prime time, over 500 representatives of the state’s public and private foundations, big and small, attended the Council of Michigan Foundations 42nd conference at Grand Traverse Resort this month.
These are the people who share the mantra: “for good, forever…”
Kellogg, Frey, Dow, Skillman, Ford, General Motors, Mott and Fisher all joined smaller public and private foundations for several days to explore and celebrate growing the impact of Michigan philanthropy.
The event carried a distinct NW Michigan and Upper Peninsula tenor. Along with foundations from here to the Soo, our Oleson Foundation, Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation and Rotary Charities played key roles in planning and presentation.
Gregg Smith makes an introduction at the Council of Michigan Foundation’s annual gathering at the Grand Traverse Resort.
Plenary speakers included Jim Clifton, longtime CEO of Gallup, a global leader in public opinion research. Author of the “Coming Jobs War,” he believes that if democracy is the will of the people, we should find out what that will is. In discussing a fundamental shift in the proverbial “American Dream,” he engaged conference attendees in a conversation about philanthropy’s role in helping the millions of “actively disengaged.”
Monday’s luncheon plenary was led by Melody Barnes, chair of the Aspen Institute’s Forum for Community Solutions. It was formed because the ultimate success of community collaboratives requires resources, support for infrastructure, and the opportunity to engage with like-minded practitioners to leverage impact. A graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, Ms. Barnes admitted to never being Up North during her law school days. Discussing the role that philanthropy can play in ensuring government, business and nonprofits are pulling together in the same direction, she was joined by panelists Tony Allen, president/CEO of the Skillman Foundation, Detroit; and Bill Rustem, former director of strategy for Governor Rick Snyder.
World-renowned social theorist and TedX speaker Hildy Gottlieb closed the three-day conference by tying together virtually everything heard at the event, through the lens of her over 15 years of research and experimentation into the factors that create change. The questions you ask will make all the difference at your foundation and in the community you care about, Hildy advised. “Creating thriving communities is not a matter of innovative new ideas. It’s about changing the assumptions that go into those ideas.”
The conference capstone had to be Monday evening’s reception at the City Opera House in downtown Traverse City. Interlochen music educator Bill Sears and some of his Arts Academy students provided entertainment that segued to a “Take It From The Top” production featuring talented performers currently appearing on Broadway. Through a unique association with Michigan State University’s Wharton Center, manager of the COH, Take It From The Top connects professional performers to students in Michigan communities, inspiring appreciation and participation in the arts. Monday’s production was a toe-tapping, hand clapping stunning musical salute to the music of Motown. Old hat kinds of stuff to Broadway perhaps, but definitely not Front Street fare. The evening concluded with “dine-around” reservations at the downtown’s foodie establishments.
As the conference closed Tuesday afternoon, participants were presented with Northern Michigan apples — to munch and reflect as they wended their way home.
A big bite of North Country hospitality was already sampled.