Definition of the word "volunteer": A person who voluntarily offers himself or herself for a service or undertaking. A person who performs a service willingly and without pay. Volunteers are worth their weight in gold and an important resource for any nonprofit. They...
Bill Corkill
Survey: Child Care in Otsego County
Could you take a few moments to help gather information on the child care available in Otsego County? Accessible and affordable childcare is a barrier faced by families, and the ALICE (asset limited income constrained, employed) report released yesterday...
Reflections on Nine Years
As the executive director of a nonprofit, I report to the board of directors. That means that depending on the size of the board, I have had 7-17 bosses at any given time in the last nine and a half years. Lucky for me, the OCF board nomination process has...
Congratulations, Dana Bensinger!
During the 2020 Gaylord Area Chamber of Commerce annual awards ceremony, OCF executive director Dana Bensinger was awarded the Daune Weiss Memorial Business Person of the Year award. This award is given to a business owner or manager who best exemplifies Daune Weiss'...
Introducing the Mark Brown Fund
His love for the great outdoors was one of the main reasons Detroit native Mark Brown moved to Gaylord in 2014. Mark loved the slower pace, being in nature and several "up north" hobbies, especially hunting. Mark always appreciated that he'd had the...
New Scholarship Funds and a $2,500 Opportunity
The Otsego Community Foundation (OCF) scholarship application opens up online today, February 2nd. We are excited to announce there are a few big changes, including two new scholarships, as well as a substantial increase in one of the existing awards. New funds...
Introducing OCF New Board and Committee Members
The operations of the Otsego Community Foundation (OCF) are governed by a volunteer Board of Directors made up of community members. We are happy to announce the addition of Justine Hees and Brandie Meisner to the board starting in January. They will be filling the...
Are You 12-19 Years Old? Help YAC Make Grant Decisions
The Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) of the Otsego Community Foundation needs to hear your voice. You can do this by participating in the Youth Needs Survey. The Youth Needs Survey is used to identify the concerns of the youth in the community and region, and this...
Grant Makers Information Session via Zoom
There will be a Grant Makers information session at 4:00 pm on Wednesday, January 6th, via Zoom. This informational session is for nonprofits, educators and government agencies considering submitting an application to the 2021 Community Grant Program through the...
Extreevaganza Raises Record Funds
We are so thankful for each and every one of you who helped make this year's Extreevaganza a record-breaking event, raising over $82,000. We would have loved to have been with you all in person but we hope this alternative was truly a celebration of all that we as a...
Charitable Giving Under the CARES Act
As we wrap up 2020 let’s talk about a few charitable giving opportunities created by the CARES Act that may help you do more for the cause you love most. Keep these three tools in mind as you map out year-end tax planning: Even for taxpayers who take the...
Reinvesting in Our Community
To assist in this challenging time, Consumers Energy and Otsego Community Foundation feel that reinvesting into the community is vital, as well as supporting small businesses and their employees. We provided a dollar-for-dollar match for DMA Bucks purchased through...