The Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation (GTRCF) has announced the launch of a new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) fund.

GTRCF’s DEI Fund will be used to support a variety of organizations and initiatives, including Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and LGBTQ+ led organizations; DEI training and learning; and other partners, programs and opportunities promoting equity and inclusion. 

“While the DEI Fund is new to the community foundation, it is a manifestation of our long-held mission—to enhance the quality of life in our region for all people,” David Mengebier, president and CEO of GTRCF and CMF trustee said. “To achieve healthy, resilient, thriving communities in the region, all people must have equitable and inviolable access to the resources they need to reach their full potential. That’s why we are committed to using our leadership, resources, and voice to build toward a better future for the diverse people and places of our region.”

The fund will be dedicated towards DEI efforts in Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska and Leelanau Counties.

The community foundation has previously supported DEI efforts in the community, awarding grants to nonprofit partners such as the Native Justice Coalition, Justice for our Neighbors and Arts for All of Northern Michigan as well as the city of Traverse City for anti-racism training for law enforcement, among others.

Earlier this year, GTRCF shared insights from its evolving DEI learning journey with CMF. 

Staff had formed a DEI working group early on dedicated to exploring how to embed DEI into all aspects of the organization’s work. Since then GTRCF has engaged staff and board in anti-racism training and adopted new DEI-related policies and practices.

“We cannot fully accomplish our mission unless we’ve integrated diversity, equity and inclusion into every aspect of our work,” Mengebier shared with CMF. “The first steps have been around listening and learning from the BIPOC leadership in our community.”

Grant decisions for GTRCF’s new fund will be made by a review committee with a diversity of representation from BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities, allies and equity leaders and advocates. 

The new DEI fund is another result of GTRCF’s commitment to its ongoing DEI journey. 

Want more?

Learn more about GTRCF’s DEI Fund.

Read more about GTRCF’s DEI learning journey.

Is your organization on a DEI learning journey? Share your story with the CMF team as we lift up opportunities for peer engagement and share emerging practices with our entire CMF community.