Support Our Region Broadly to Strengthen Our Communities

Northwest Michigan is known for its clear blue lakes, rolling dunes, thick forests, and miles of scenic shorelines. The area mixes small-town charm with ample outdoor recreation opportunities along with strong local agriculture and a robust seasonal tourism industry. 

The region also celebrates civic pride and a strong sense of place and connection, which means that this place we love belongs to all of us and that we, in turn, are responsible for shaping it into a connected, supported, and empowered community that can benefit all of us today and the generations to come. 

Our region has both shared resources and shared challenges, including around healthcare and mental health services, housing and homelessness prevention, food security, early childhood and K–12 education, environmental and land conservation, arts and culture, youth development, services for older adults, veterans’ support, and local economic resilience. 

To tackle these wide-ranging issues, it’s important to support our region broadly. This means investing in entire systems, not only in one need area. Broad support of our community can stabilize entire networks and ensure balance between communities so that rural areas can thrive like their urban counterparts.

One of the ways to support our region in this holistic manner is to uplift our local nonprofit sector. There are over 1 million nonprofits in the United States, and northwest Michigan is home to over 2,250 nonprofit organizations that are responding to the needs of our community. 

According to the Michigan Nonprofit Association, 10 percent of the state’s population is employed by a nonprofit, which generates billions of dollars in wages as well as billions more into the state’s economy. These organizations help community members work together to address societal issues but also help drive economic growth, which then strengthens our communities. 

What’s more, these organizations are part of a larger framework of businesses, government entities, and civic groups that are working to support our community and a brighter future for all.

Many nonprofit organizations act to fill gaps in housing, health and human services, and education that are often left unaddressed by private and government entities.

Some of these nonprofits are on the front lines, responding immediately to urgent needs. Others work behind the scenes, aligning resources, convening partners, or investing in long-term solutions. What both types of nonprofits share is a passion for our local communities and a desire to spark positive change. 

Given that many of our communities are geographically dispersed, collaboration across organizations and sectors is vital to the success of our region. What disrupts one disrupts everyone, and that which lifts one individual or family can lift all. Because the needs of our region are complex and interconnected, local resources and funding must consider our larger network of community partners.

As community members, we have a shared responsibility to address regional needs through cross-network support and through meaningful conversations that can develop locally informed solutions. Both you and I can help support our region broadly by taking these action steps:

Give: Gifts of any size to nonprofit organizations can be immensely impactful. Monthly giving in particular is a great way to contribute to the sustainability of our local organizations and the services and programs they offer to us and our neighbors. It’s important to support the work you can already see as well as the long-term work that isn’t yet visible.

Learn: Seek out information on the needs of our region so that you can be better prepared to take action to support the community. Learn more about the varied, interconnected needs that exist as well as the people who are doing the work on the ground to address these needs. Take that a step further and share what you have learned with folks in your network or neighborhood. Acting as an ambassador for a local nonprofit can help spread their mission and impact in the community. 

Get Involved: Local issues require local solutions, and you can make your voice heard in support of our region through advocacy efforts and/or by joining a local, regional, or state government or civic group. Another action step would be to get involved with a particular organization by giving your time or knowledge through volunteering or joining a board. By donating your time or experience, you can help expand the toolbox that the organization is using to do their important work.

Building a connected, well-supported, and empowered community is our shared responsibility, and no one person or organization can do it alone. By working together to build and strengthen the systems that support your community, you are helping to ensure our region remains resilient and strong not only for the present, but also for generations to come. 

Mercedes Bowyer is the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation’s Director of Development. She has worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 25 years and holds a certificate in Fundraising Management from Lilly School of Indiana University and a Master of Arts in Museum Studies from the University of Oklahoma.

 

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