The Petoskey News-Review
Published 11:55 a.m. ET June 7, 2016
GAYLORD — The Otsego County Community Foundation joins a long list of highly respected local businesses and organizations that have been Honored Industry each year since Alpenfest began six decades ago. The foundation was formed as a “community savings account” in 1992 and became incorporated as a nonprofit a few years later.
Today, OCCF manages 65 charitable community funds established by individuals, families, businesses and nonprofit organizations. Although it is one of the smallest community foundations in the state of Michigan, OCCF has approximately $3.5 million in assets and reached a milestone last year of providing $1 million in community grants since it began.
In 2015, OCCF awarded $143,000 in grants to 36 area nonprofit organizations. Some of these were part of the annual Community Grant Program, others were designated by donor funds, and some through nominations on Facebook with the “I Love My Community Grant” program recently launched by OCCF. Additional ways the foundation helps to “Give, Gather, Grant and Grow” the Otsego County community is through annual scholarships ($11,000 awarded in 2015), mini grants to educators in Gaylord, Johannesburg and Vanderbilt through the UAW Local 388 Educator Fund, and workshops throughout the year to assist nonprofits in their operations.
As Honored Industry, the Otsego County Community Foundation will be recognized throughout the Alpenfest celebration and saluted with the other award recipients at the Alpenfest Honors Luncheon on Tuesday, July 12. Luncheon tickets will go on sale later this month.
For more information, contact the Gaylord Area Chamber of Commerce at (989) 732-6333. To learn more about the Otsego County Community Foundation, visit www.otsegofoundation.org or call (989) 731-0597.
