2020 Results
meeting challenges with collaboration, connection & trust
Leading with Trust
A Message from Board Chair Mary Frey Bennett
“This past year has been a lesson in humility and vulnerability. COVID-19 laid bare our nation’s disparities and inequities. As philanthropists, we have long been advocating for social justice, but when 2020 turned our world upside down, we realized that much more intentional work is needed.”
Leading While Listening & Collaborating
A Message from President Holly Johnson
“When we reflect on 2020 there will always be a collective sigh with memories of isolation, worry and stress. But I hope it also will be remembered as an inflection point where we built new muscle, better understood the barriers that foster inequity and deepened meaningful relationships.”
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Rising to the Occasion
How Local Philanthropy and Community Responded to the Global Health Crisis
The coronavirus pandemic has been referred to by many as “the great equalizer,” but we know that this does not accurately capture the reality of the situation. While we are all at risk of infection, we are not all equally affected by the virus and the corresponding public health response. The pandemic amplified existing inequities, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable in our communities, including communities of color, older adults and low-income populations. The lasting effects of this virus will be wide and deep and are greatly impacted by the social determinants of health in our communities. Thus, it was and continues to be critical to apply an equity lens to the planning and implementation of short- and long-term response efforts.
Follow the link below to learn more about our community partners and the Frey Foundation response.
Committed to Serving Better
Staying the Course with a New Grant Portal and Reconfigured Community Space
Prior to the inescapable disruptions brought by 2020, the Frey Foundation embarked on a journey to better serve community partners with the initiation of two ambitious projects—streamlining the grant management and application process with a new online grant portal and improving on-site community space and technology. Rather than pausing these projects to exclusively navigate the uncertainties of the pandemic, we committed to moving forward knowing that, in the long-term, both resources will serve our partners as they work to address critical community needs.
Watch the video and follow the link below to learn more about both projects.
GRANTMAKING
STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS IN WEST & NORTHERN MICHIGAN
by program area
Building
Community
$1,188,250
18 grants
Children &
Families
$837,700
14 grants
Community
Arts
$1,170,000
9 grants
Environment
$510,000
8 grants
Family &
Philanthropy
$831,500
42 grants
TYPE OF SUPPORT
by amount granted in dollars
GRANT SIZE
by number of grants awarded
AVERAGE
GRANT SIZE
$49,320
HELPFUL LINKS