HOW WE GIVE: Partners in Creating a Philanthropic Legacy

Generations of donor partners have built Grand Rapids Community Foundation through gifts of many shapes and sizes. In the “How our partners give” series, we highlight donor partners who are committed to carrying this legacy into the next 100 years. As they accomplish their specific philanthropic goals, these donor partners are creating change in West Michigan. This is legacy and love in action!

MEET BILL AND KAREN LAWRENCE. Since making Grand Rapids their home in 1983, Bill and Karen Lawrence have invested their time, expertise and financial gifts. Self-described lifelong learners, they balance dedication to causes they have supported for years with an openness to new opportunities. Bill and Karen partner with many organizations—but their first partnership as teammates in philanthropy is to each other. Bill and Karen established Donor Advised funds at the Community Foundation, and support the Black Legacy, Somos Comunidad and Our LGBTQ Funds. The Lawrences recently shared with Audra Hartges-Stern, strategic communications manager, how they make giving decisions and what creating a legacy means to them.

AUDRA: What motivated you to give and be involved with different organizations as volunteers and donors?

KAREN: We've been involved in the community from the start. I think initially it was through our church, volunteering there. Over time, we learned more about nonprofit organizations and what they each do.

BILL: I'd say diversity, equity and inclusion is very important to us. If you look at where we give and volunteer our time, they probably all touch on that in some way. Some of our priorities are the planet, clean water and clean air, and democracy.

KAREN: And children and education. Again, a big equity component. I’ve been a reading tutor for first graders at Martin Luther King Academy for almost 20 years now, which has been important to me.

AUDRA: Let's talk a bit more about how you make giving decisions as a couple.

KAREN: I'd say this is something we talk about, basically daily in some way. “Somebody's doing good work here. Did you see that? Or what about this organization? This is what happened with the kids at school.” It's a regular topic of conversation for us. And it’s shifting too. That's interesting about getting older. It's like “Okay, we've done that for a long time now. Now where do we want to focus?”

BILL: We have increasingly tried to set priorities. It is good to have a structure, to make it a bit easier to move forward. Using the Community Foundation, with all the research that you can do about the organizations, takes some of the burden off us. Being active and involved in the community allows us to have an eye for smaller organizations that maybe aren't as well-known. Maybe they don’t have a full staff to do fundraising. So, we've made more room for them.

AUDRA: How do you think about sharing your values with others or creating a legacy through your giving?

BILL: We’re not here just for ourselves and our family. We're here for our neighbors and the world. Everybody deserves a fair shot and support. And I think that's at the root of our activism and financial giving.

KAREN: For both of us, we get a lot out of what we give. It makes you feel good to help others. Our lives are connected. We're not in isolation. We give because that's what we're meant to be doing. And I think how you support others is a measure of who you are during your life. It was important to us, too, to model that kind of behavior for our kids, teaching them about volunteering. Our three adult kids give back and advocate in their own ways.

AUDRA: Why do you choose to partner with Grand Rapids Community Foundation?

BILL: I really think the Community Foundation is the glue of the philanthropic community. There's a lot of knowledge here. So, partnering with the Community Foundation—including through our Donor Advised fund—gives us ideas and support. The Community Foundation is willing to take positions on issues that aren't necessarily universally popular. We appreciate that. Giving through the Community Foundation is an effective way to show our support and make a public commitment to giving.

Grand Rapids Community Foundation is honored to support donor partners in discussing, establishing or adapting their philanthropic investments. To start a conversation, contact the development team at 616.454.1751.