The Ann Arbor Community Foundation (Ann Arbor, Mich.) records (38 linear feet and 257.6 MB) include administrative materials such as topical files, correspondence, and event planning materials. The collection also contains grant files, publications, photographs, press clippings, and records from the organization's Youth Council.
The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF) was founded in 1963 by a small group of local citizens searching for a way to give back to their community. As a community fund, the AAACF consolidates and invests contributions from local donors. The organization uses the funds to award grants in support of wide range of Ann Arbor based organizations and causes. The AAACF also grants scholarships that help Washtenaw County youth fund their post-secondary education.
Over the years, the AAACF has supported diverse initiatives to help strengthen the Ann Arbor community. Major projects the AAACF has contributed to include the establishment of Ann Arbor's first transitional house for people recovering from addiction at Dawn Farm in 1998. The organization has also helped Food Gatherers, Michigan's first food rescue program, expand the services it offers to combat hunger in Washtenaw County. It also contributed to the establishment of the Neutral Zone, a venue for social, cultural, educational, recreational, and creative opportunities for teens, in 1998. Since 1963, the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation has awarded more than $57 million in grants and scholarships.