Local nonprofits play a key role in helping West Michigan thrive. But today, organizations are stretched thin and face significant funding challenges. We see this in the data from industry organizations like The Center for Effective Philanthropy. We know this because our community members are telling us. One way Grand Rapids Community Foundation responds to pressing needs is through our Fund for Community Good, built by generous gifts made over decades. Grants made from this fund are informed by our staff and community.
Fund for Community Good Advisory Committee members use their experience to choose grants to award from unrestricted and Field of Interest funds. They come from many fields—nonprofit, business, education and more. One member, small business owner MarcQus, has volunteered for four years.
“Everybody has a unique perspective. . . To offer that [lived experience] is one of the best, most genuine things that you can do.” MarcQus Wright says.
We build trust and share power with our partners—volunteers, nonprofits and donors. These relationships help committee members make the best decisions for our community.
As community needs change, so will the organizations and programs that the Fund for Community Good supports. Our committee members lean on their networks and listen to community members.
MarcQus says, “Organizations that serve immigrants, anybody who is an underrepresented person, a person of color, or who has typically relied on federal funding—they’re coming to us a lot more. I take great comfort in them knowing, ‘let’s go to the Community Foundation.’”
Pictured: MarcQus Wright, Volunteer Partner
Immigrant Assistance Center of West Michigan, a recent grant partner, provides people with legal help for each step in their immigration journey. Since its founding in 2020, IAC has focused on building trust with clients in a system that is often unpredictable.
“Immigration systems and processes are difficult to navigate and it’s only getting harder. I wanted to create a different experience: an environment that was safe and where trust would never be broken.”
— Raquel Balderas, Founder, Immigrant Assistance Center of West Michigan
As policy changes impact immigrants and their families, Raquel and her team pivoted from legal case preparation to other services, including free estate planning seminars to help clients plan for worst-case scenarios. The grant partnership is unrestricted, so it supports the organization’s daily operations work and can be used for any mission-related purpose.
Raquel says, “Having these unrestricted funds has really allowed us to meet our clients where they’re at.”
In 2026, the Fund for Community Good and Field of Interest funds invested $3,685,551 in community because donors trust us to meet new needs. Grand Rapids Community Foundation will keep adapting and responding to pressing issues by leveraging unrestricted and Field of Interest fund resources.
Pictured: Staff and volunteer partners at a Fund for Community Good meeting | Raquel Balderas, Founder, Immigrant Assistance Center of West Michigan
Coming Together for Collective Impact
Learning and Giving Together
