Brief History of the Foundation

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MISSION

         To help Ottawa County thrive and prosper through the power of charitable giving.

VISION

         To be the foremost organization in fulfilling the charitable interests of donors 

         for the health and vitality of Ottawa County.

The Ottawa County Community Foundation was established in 1999 as a public Charitable organization under the Greater Toledo Community Foundation.* It began with a $5,000 grant from the Harry B. Stensen Foundation and was created by the citizens of our community to improve the quality of life for those who live and work in the Ottawa County area.

Today, the funds which have been established through the Foundation provide: annual grants that support a variety of programs in the fields of education, health and social services, economic development, natural resources, and the arts; scholarships that support educational opportunities for worthy students as outlined by the fund donor; organization funds that provide a stream of income for organizational needs; and donor directed giving that provides the donor the freedom to direct their philanthropy as they choose.

The Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Ottawa County area through collaborative leadership, responsible grant making and development of philanthropic giving. The Foundation manages donor adviseded funds, scholarship funds, field of interest funds, organization funds, and designated funds.

We are confident the Foundation will continue to be a valuable source of support to Ottawa County's non-profit organizations and students.

 *Affiliation with Greater Toledo Community Foundation (GTCF) offers our small community foundation the ability to build assets and make grants while taking advantage of GTCF’s stability, structure, professional staff, and oversight. We also recognize significant cost savings on administrative and investment services.