It’s Community Foundation Awareness Week! Community foundations are unique within the nonprofit world and are dedicated to meeting the evolving needs of their communities.
Here are six ways CFGF creates lasting change across Genesee County, and how community foundations nationwide strengthen the places we call home. #CommunityFndWeek
#GranteeSpotlight: @mothersjoyinstitute set out to serve 32 Flint families this grant cycle. They reached 85. Through parenting education, wellness programming, and the Family Safe-Space, MOJI creates room for families to heal and connect — including grandparents raising grandchildren and mothers navigating the justice system. Proud to support their work this Mother's Day!
📸: Mothers of Joy Institute for Parenting and Family Wellness
In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we're sharing the story of Jay Kommareddi, who moved from India to Flint and spent decades giving back through volunteering, advocacy, and philanthropy.
Read how she and her husband Prasad built a legacy of generosity in Genesee County at the link in our bio. #AAPIHeritageMonth
The Community Foundation of Greater Flint has promoted Lydia Starrs, MSW, to Vice President of Community Impact, effective May 11, 2026. Starrs has served the Community Foundation since 2017 and will report to Dan Kildee, President and CEO as a member of the leadership team.
As Vice President of Community Impact, Starrs will provide strategic leadership for the Community Foundation’s grantmaking, scholarship program, learning, and the Community Foundation’s community leadership efforts across Flint and Genesee County. She brings nearly a decade of service at the Community Foundation, and a career rooted in listening to communities and turning what she hears into meaningful investment.
Congratulations, Lydia! Read the full press release at the link in our bio 🔗
There's still time to nominate! 📣 We've extended our award nomination period through May 8, so if you know a woman making a difference for women and girls in Genesee County, or a neighbor whose heart is in this community, now is the moment to honor them.
Libby Award — Presented by the Flint Women & Girls Fund of CFGF, this award honors a local woman whose achievements and contributions carry on the legacy of lifelong philanthropist Olivia P. "Libby" Maynard. → cfgf.org/libbyaward26
Lynn Williams Neighbor Spotlight Award — From neighborhood clean-ups to youth mentorship to everyday acts of kindness, this award celebrates the community heroes who embody neighbors helping neighbors. → cfgf.org/spotlightaward
Nominations close Friday. Don't let your community hero go unrecognized!
Good food, great company, and a shared commitment to putting clients first. Professionals from wealth management, estate law, nonprofit consulting, and more gathered at the @flintfarmersmarket last week to build the kind of relationships that make a difference for the people they serve. Shoutout to @steadyeddyscafe for the fresh breakfast!
To learn more about the Trusted Advisors Group (TAG) of CFGF and upcoming events, visit cfgf.org/tag.
It's graduation season, and we're celebrating! 🎓 The Community Foundation of Greater Flint is proud to have supported Flint and Genesee County students through scholarships on their journey to graduation. The future is bright!
With a quick scan, anyone can have access to resources from approximately 400 agencies and organizations across Flint and Genesee County, ranging from counseling, legal help, crisis services, and more.
@flintcrimestop and the Greater Flint Community Safety Collaborative (CSC) gathered community leaders at @sbevusa to launch “Rights, Resources, and Support: A Victims’ Awareness Initiative” and a Community Safety Collaborative Dashboard. The launch coincides with National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.
Learn more and see the dashboard at the link in our bio! #crimevictimsrightsweek
What happens when a patch of grass outside the school becomes a pollinator garden, a food garden, a greenhouse, and an orchard? In a special Earth Day episode of Philanthropy Speaks podcast, @davison_community_schools educators Ryan Kelsey and Pam Ruggiero join host Jennifer Farrington to share how an outdoor classroom is changing the way students connect with nature, their food, and their community. Listen now at cfgf.org/psearthday #EarthDay 🪴🌎
January’s National Day of Racial Healing observance sparked something even deeper.
When racial healing practitioners Regina Laurie, Kristin Stevenson, and Sarah Sullivan presented at the observance, they left wanting to take things further.
On April 15, they hosted We Are the Ones: A Call to Courageous Collective Action at the @flint_public_library . The workshop drew on insights from their trip to Selma, Alabama last year, dug into the concept of Kingian nonviolence, and opened up conversation around building the Beloved Community. Participants added their hopes for Flint and Genesee County to a Wishing Tree, connected in small groups, and left with personal action plans in hand.
The workshop was presented with partners: the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, @rmfapplewood , the Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Fund of CFGF, Greater Flint Health Coalition, and the Sankofa Project for Social Justice.
📷: @jhatter
You may have heard of Qualified Charitable Distributions, but this week, we made Qualified Cookie Deliveries! Yesterday, our Development team, courtesy of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint’s Trusted Advisors Group (TAG), brought cookies to some trusted advisors in our community, such as Taylor & Morgan, CPA, @plantemoran , and @lewisandknopfcpas . These professionals are not only helping clients align their financial goals with their values, but working hard to field last-minute tax inquiries!
Trusted advisors in Genesee County can stay connected and join the network by visiting cfgf.org/tag. #TaxDay
