A Tour Of Northern Michigan’s Nonprofits

June 17, 2016

What are northern Michigan’s priorities? That’s a hard question to answer, but a clue might lie in which nonprofits we chose to fund — and how much we choose to fund them.

We’ve compiled lists of the 10 largest nonprofits in Traverse City and Petoskey. The organizations are ranked based on annual income, as stated in the nonprofit’s most recent Form 990 filing to the Internal Revenue Service, according to records compiled by Guide star, a website that tracks nonprofits.

In many cases, the largest nonprofits are hospitals and their affiliated entities. To make these lists more representative, we’ve grouped healthcare organizations together.

TRAVERSE CITY’S TOP 10

1

Munson Medical Center is Traverse City’s biggest nonprofit. Its income for 2014 was $524,796,006. But that’s just part of it. Numerous other Munson nonprofits are registered in Traverse City — there’s Munson Home Care ($16,747,371); Munson Medical Group ($9,822,533); Munson Healthcare Regional Foundation ($7,855,069); Munson Healthcare ($7,569,742); Munson Dialysis Center ($5,577,788); Munson Home Services ($5,416,005); Munson Mobile Imaging ($3,523,745); Munson Home Health ($2,402,219). For the sake of simplicity, we’ve also lumped into this category other health care-related nonprofits, like North Flight Inc., the air and ground ambulance service, which reported income of $9,100,657; Northwest Senior Resources Inc., a provider of services to help seniors remain independent ($9,597,459); Traverse City Health Clinic and Coalition, a primary care provider for people who are underserved ($6,086,422); and Northwest Michigan Health Services Inc., which provides medical and dental treatment for people who can’t afford it ($2,805,102).

2

Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency Inc., reported income of $17,929,502 in 2014. The agency serves low-income people in 10 counties “by linking services, resources and opportunities.” It runs programs for low-income preschoolers, weatherizes houses, and provides housing and food assistance. It is funded primarily through government grants.

3

Goodwill Industries of Northern Michigan Inc. reported income of $13,188,904 in 2014. Goodwill primarily operates with government grant money and program service revenue. The organization runs the Goodwill Inn in Traverse City, transition housing for people at risk of homelessness, and the Patriot Inn in Gaylord, which is the region’s only transitional home for veterans. It also runs several Goodwill retail stores. A separate but related nonprofit, Goodwill Homeless Services, with income of $747,085, runs an emergency homeless shelter.

4

The Oleson Foundation, a charitable family foundation, reported income of $7,275,787 in 2014. The Oleson Foundation donates money to nonprofits and projects throughout the region, from the Traverse Symphony Orchestra, to which it donated $5,000, to a trail system in Charlevoix, to which it donated $20,000. It also funded grants to pay for new restrooms at the Opera House, and funded a program to distribute child car seats to needy families.

5

Child & Family Services of Northwestern Michigan Inc. reported income of $6,611,163 in 2014. Its mission is “to ensure the safety and well-being of children, youth, adults, and families in times of crisis, challenge, and life transition.” It runs foster care and adoption programs, offers counseling, and runs the Third Level Crisis Center and Pete’s Place Youth Shelter. Child & Family Services of Northwestern Michigan is funded through donations and government grants.

6

The Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation reported income of $6,027,540 in 2014. GTRCF is an endowment dedicated to improving life in the five-county region around Traverse City. In 2013, it paid $5.8 million in grants to nonprofits across the spectrum from an endowment fund that began the year at $45 million.

7

The Traverse City Convention and Visitors Bureau reported income of $5,371,332 in 2013. The organization’s mission is to get people to visit the region. It is funded mainly through membership dues. It bought billboards, newspaper, radio and magazine ads to promote Traverse City, targeting Chicago; St. Louis; Cleveland; Columbus, Ohio; Fort Wayne and South Bend, Ind.; and parts of Ontario, Canada.

8

The Paine Family Foundation reported income of $5,304,950 in 2014. The foundation has been around since 1992 and, in 2013, funded grants to a wide array of causes. It awarded a $600,000 grant to West Shore Healthcare in Scottville and distributed smaller grants to causes focused on health care, child development, the arts and education.

9

The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy reported income of $5,119,293 in 2015. It raises money and receives grants to protect critical farmland and nature preserves.

10

The Grand Traverse Bay YMCA reported income of $4,940,806 in 2014, the year they opened a new fitness and pool center on Silver Lake Road southwest of Traverse City. Their mission is to promote healthy activities for youth and adults and they also strive to ensure that children learn how to swim. They operate on donations and membership dues.

Not on the list of largest nonprofits, but interesting nonetheless: The Christ Cares for Kids Foundation of Traverse City reported just $334,119 in income in 2015, putting it far off the list in terms of income, but if the list was based on assets, the group would rocket up much higher. The foundation reported assets of over $38 million in 2015. It uses revenue from the fund to issue grants to conservative Christian organizations around the country.

PETOSKEY'S TOP 10

1

McLaren Northern Michigan reported income of $230,586,797 in 2014. Like Munson in Traverse City, this health care behemoth is by far the largest — especially if you group it with its affiliate organizations like Northern Michigan Hematology and Oncology ($18,485,655); Northern Michigan Medical Management ($14,119,034); the McLaren Northern Michigan Foundation ($6,015,982); the Cardiac Institute ($5,986,117). Another fundamental piece of the region’s health care, Allied EMS Systems Inc., reported income of $4,957,958.

2

The Petoskey – Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation reported income of $4,999,570 in 2015. Its mission is to “improve the quality of life for all people in Emmet County” by connecting donors with needs and establishing a permanent source of nonprofit funding. It funded grants across a broad spectrum of groups in 2014. It funds scholarships, land conservancy, food pantries, historical societies and many more organizations.

3

The Walloon Lake Country Club had income of $2,949,686 in 2014. It is a private golf club funded through dues paid by its members.

4

The Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan reported income of $2,665,302 in 2014. It provides support services for women and children in times of crisis. It runs a resale shop to help raise money for programs that aid victims of domestic violence and provide emergency shelter.

5

Harbor Hall Inc. reported income of $2,134,964 in 2014. It provides substance use disorder treatment services, mainly to people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford it. It also run’s a rehabilitation service and offers outpatient counseling. It is primarily funded through program service fees.

6

The Boyne Country Convention and Visitors Bureau reported income of $2,211,084 in 2015. It promotes the region as a tourist attraction and is funded primarily through membership dues.

7

The Friendship Centers of Emmet County reported income of $2,052,720 in 2015. The organization serves older residents to help them live healthy, safe and active lives. It provides home aids for seniors, runs a Meals on Wheels program, and provides transportation for seniors and disabled people. It is primarily funded through government grants.

8

The Crooked Tree Art Center reported income of $1,552,951 in 2015. The Petoskey-based arts promoter has been around since 1972 and recently expanded to Traverse City. It produces performances, stages visual arts exhibitions, and offers classes in art, music, dance and theater. Crooked Tree is funded through membership dues, government grants, and private contributions.

9

Petoskey–Bay View Country Club reported income of $1,257,696 in 2014. This is another private golf club funded through its members.

10

The Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund Inc. reported income of $1,185,732 in 2014.

This fund provides grants and offers workshops to protect water quality throughout the Great Lakes. It is funded through membership dues and private contributions. The group’s mission encompasses the entire Great Lakes. In 2013 it funded grants to the Bad River Watershed Association in Ashland, Wis.; the Friends of the Detroit River; the Kalamazoo Nature Center; the Yellowdog Watershed Preserve in Big Bay, Mich.; and Minnesota Trout Unlimited.

Not on the list of largest nonprofits, but interesting: the Petoskey Duplicate Bridge Center reported income of $68,116 in 2015. This card-playing club has been around since 2009, and it runs a clubhouse for people to play and learn bridge, and it hosts tournaments. It also has big assets; the nonprofit’s Form 990 estimates the value of real estate owned by the club is around a half million dollars.

AROUND THE REGION

Cadillac’s biggest nonprofit is the behemoth Wolverine Power Supply Cooperative, an entity that provides power to utilities around northern Michigan. It reported income of $376,476,436 in 2014.

In Gaylord, the largest nonprofit is Otsego Memorial Hospital, followed by Northern Michigan Substance Abuse Services Inc., an organization that uses government grant money and service fees to fund substance abuse treatment throughout northern Michigan and reported income of $16,524,430 in 2014.

The largest nonprofit in Manistee is a relative newcomer: The Historic Vogue Theater of Manistee reported income of $1,400,902 million in 2014. A partner of the State Theatre in Traverse City, the Vogue nonprofit was launched in 2013 with the objective of restoring and operating the theater. That year the group received about a half million dollars in government grants and raised almost as much in private contributions.

THERE IS A LOT MISSING FROM THESE LISTS …

What’s perhaps most telling about the Top 10 lists is all of the groups that don’t make the cut.

Northern Michigan has a rich and deep spectrum of nonprofit groups that impact the lives of the people who live and visit here in ways residents and visitors realize — and in ways they don’t.

There are outdoor and athletic groups, such as the Traverse City Track Club, the Cherry Capital Cycling Club, Top of Michigan Trails Council, Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation Trails, and Norte Youth Cycling.

There are cultural groups, like the Traverse City Film Festival, National Cherry Festival, the National Writers Series, the International Affairs Forum – Traverse City, the Blissfest Music Organization, and the Traverse Symphony Orchestra.

And the region is home to many organizations dedicated to the Great Lakes and the health of the environments, such as Circle of Blue, Flow for Water, the Groundwork Center, Freshwater Future, Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay, Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council, the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, the Leelanau Conservancy, the Little Traverse Conservancy, the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, SEEDS, the Walloon Lake Trust and Conservancy, and the Inland Seas Education Association.

There are also many organizations that exist to address poverty and hunger and homelessness.

SO, SO MANY NONPROFITS

This rich array of nonprofits can be seen as a snapshot of who we are as a community. “It’s an indicator of why people move to Traverse City,” said Doug Luciani, CEO of TraverseConnect. “There’s no reason that a rural community like ours would have a symphony of the quality that we have … We know that we have relatively low wages — 78 percent of the state average — and we know that we have a high cost of living. So why do people move here? It’s the place.”

Luciani said the region is at risk of having too many nonprofits. Some duplicate what others already do, siphoning away and splintering resources.

“We have a great nonprofit culture, a great nonprofit tradition in the region, almost to a fault,” he said.

NorthSky Nonprofit Network in Traverse City helps nonprofit startups navigate the strange world of complicated forms, but often their role is to discourage the establishment of new nonprofits.

“We get a lot of calls on that, people wanting to start a new organization,” said Joe Liszewski, program director. “We really encourage people to take a look at what’s going on already.”

NorthSky asks people to make sure there isn’t already a group that's doing something similar to what they want to do; it encourages them to volunteer at an existing group rather than start their own.

In the 10-county region NorthSky serves, there are already 1,800 nonprofits, he said, and those make up 10 percent of the region’s workforce.