Community Foundation Advocates for Newaygo County in Lansing

Shelly Kasprzycki shared local concerns with Governor Gretchen Whitmer and spoke about philanthropy’s partnership with state government.

Fremont Area Community Foundation staff and partners have made several trips to Lansing this spring to advocate for Newaygo County, share local stories, and highlight areas of concern.

In mid-April, Lola Harmon-Ramsey, director of impact and engagement, spent the day in Lansing as part of the Council of Michigan Foundations’ (CMF) Foundations in Lansing event. The day was focused on early childhood issues and included meetings with Representative Joseph Fox and Senator Rick Outman. A month earlier, Harmon-Ramsey and Trustee Julie Burrell visited Washington D.C. for Foundations on the Hill, hosted by United Philanthropy Forum and CMF.

On April 23, five members of the Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) and their staff advisors, Maria Gonzalez and Patti Wheater, attended Michigan Prevention Association’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol. YAC high school students and advisors joined a group from Corewell Health Gerber Hospital and the Headway Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition for the event.

(l-r) Kaleb Phillips, Cayman Ramsey, Rachel Maddox, Morgan Pope, and Naomi Scripps on the steps of the Capitol

The YAC group included Rachel Maddox and Cayman Ramsey of Fremont, Naomi Scripps and Morgan Pope of Newaygo, and Kaleb Phillips of Grant. They attended sessions on how to talk to legislators and the differences between advocacy and lobbying. They also met with Representative Fox and Senator Outman to share how tobacco use and vaping impacts their peers, schools, and community.

On May 6, Shelly Kasprzycki, president and CEO, joined a group of Michigan philanthropic leaders in Lansing to meet with Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The group talked about philanthropy’s partnership with state government and discussed concerns about how pending budget challenges could impact communities. The event was sponsored by the Office of Foundation Liaison, a nonpartisan cabinet-level position that was initiated and supported by members of CMF and the state.

President and CEO Shelly Kasprzycki was part of a group of philanthropic leaders who met with Governor Gretchen Whitmer in Lansing on May 6.