Since Grand Valley State University’s Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy was founded 30 years ago, the nonprofit industry has seen seismic shifts in the amount of charitable giving, nonprofits’ assets, and the overall number of nonprofit organizations.

Opera Grand Rapids, formed in 1966 to host musical productions that in prior decades had occurred through multiple local community and civic theater companies, is taking measures to help expose the arts to future and more diverse audiences.

HOLLAND TWP. — Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity will break ground this week on its first housing project aimed specifically at individuals with disabilities.

KALAMAZOO — The Kalamazoo Foundation for Excellence plans to cut spending on annual “aspirational” projects by more than half in 2023 to protect the endowment from economic headwinds and allow the city’s federal stimulus funding to potentially fill in gaps.

Ciarra Adkins formed the first Black-founded and Black-led community foundation in West Michigan with a primary goal to shift the narrative about Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities and philanthropy. Specifically, she wants to advance the notion that these residents are not simply “receivers” of funds, but also serve as “distributors.”

HOLLAND — Fifteen lakeshore arts organizations are part of the latest capacity-building initiative facilitated by the prestigious University of Maryland-based DeVos Institute of Arts Management (DVIAM).

FREMONT — The Gerber Foundation has a new top advocate for enhancing the quality of life of infants and young children who shares a deeply personal connection to the organization’s mission.

GRAND RAPIDS TWP. — David Hooker is retiring from his role as CEO and president of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park after leading the organization for 16 years.

A Q&A with La June Montgomery Tabron, president and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation

BATTLE CREEK — The top executive at Kellogg Co.’s largest shareholder sees opportunity for greater growth and earnings under the Battle Creek food manufacturer’s transformation into three separate publicly traded companies.

Grand Rapids-based Guiding Light Mission Inc. has tapped a longtime Amway Corp. community relations specialist to lead the nonprofit’s fundraising and communications.

A Grand Rapids nonprofit providing independent living services received a boost last week when Kent County voters extended a senior services millage that will help the organization’s recently launched technology support program.

Arts and cultural organizations are helping to define Muskegon’s downtown resurgence as they innovate out of slumps in attendance and events caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Prince Shema arrived in Michigan from the Democratic Republic of the Congo via Ethiopia in 2013. With help from a local nonprofit organization, he completed an independent living preparation program while going to high school. 

GRAND RAPIDS — The Diatribe Inc. is acquiring another Grand Rapids-based nonprofit that shares a similar mission of empowering youth and underrepresented populations through art and creativity.

GRAND RAPIDS — A $110,000 grant will help expand the Literacy Center of West Michigan’s Family Literacy Program, which helps equip non-native English speakers whose children attend local schools with literacy and communication skills.

Applications are now open for the first round of grants from a newly established fund for women-owned businesses in Muskegon County.

GRAND RAPIDS — The Diatribe Inc., a Grand Rapids-based nonprofit that focuses on empowering youth through poetry, has received a $75,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

GRAND RAPIDS — The Women’s Resource Center, a nonprofit that provides workforce assistance for women, plans to relocate and expand its services to the city’s southeast side.

Businesses and individuals around the world have stepped up to fundraise for Ukrainian refugees since Russia’s invasion began in February, but the head of a Southwest Michigan business development service has taken his show of support a step further. 

GRAND RAPIDS — New City Neighbors is set to unveil its new location at a renovated urban farmhouse that sits on a 1-acre plot in the city’s Creston neighborhood.

BYRON CENTER — A nonprofit that helps rebuild homes following natural disasters has moved into a newly constructed building in Byron Center after previously working from two separate locations. 

ALLEGAN — A disability advocacy nonprofit will open a dog treat bakery storefront to create more employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. 

GRAND RAPIDS — A new nonprofit organization is working to create a membership-based program to provide resources for minority-owned, women-owned and micro-local construction contractors.

Anew nonprofit organization looks to build a network of startup company founders across Michigan that entrepreneurs can turn to for support and advice while also growing their philanthropy work.

A Q&A with Attah Obande, director of dream fulfillment with SpringGR

Disability Advocates of Kent County received a $975,000 grant to continue its work helping Michigan’s low-income seniors age at home. 

GRAND RAPIDS — The Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives plans to relocate to an 18,000-square-foot, three-story space in Grand Rapids’ Heartside neighborhood, which would be a major expansion for the nonprofit organization.

A pilot child care program expansion will help West Michigan parents find affordable child care, tackling one factor that has contributed to labor shortages and employees’ difficulty returning to work.

The first phase of construction work to turn the former South Christian High School into a $20 million Special Olympics Michigan Inc. Unified Sports and Inclusion Center is expected to wrap up in May.