http://www.grfoundation.org en-us ℗ & © Grand Rapids Community Foundation 2010 The Giving in Grand Rapids Podcast is a production of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. The podcast is your connection to philanthropic news and information from a variety of resources in the Grand Rapids, Michigan community. Through Giving in Grand Rapids Podcast you will meet some of the foundations generous donors. Hosted by Amanda St. Pierre. For more information visit www.grfoundation.org. The Giving in Grand Rapids Podcast is a production of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. The podcast is your connection to philanthropic news and information from a variety of resources in the Grand Rapids, Michigan community. Through Giving in Grand Rapids Podcast you will meet some of the foundations generous donors. Hosted by Amanda St. Pierre. For more information visit www.grfoundation.org. <p>We are delighted to have local author Adam Schuitema as our guest speaker at this year's Metz Society Luncheon.&nbsp; Adam is the author of <em>Freshwater Boys</em>, a collection of fiction-based short stories that are set in West Michigan.&nbsp; In this podcast Adam tells a little about his work and reads excerpts from his book.&nbsp; </p> http://grfoundation.org/audio/AuthorAdamSchuitema.mp3 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:47:00 -0400 <p>Creating an estate plan is important at any age.&nbsp; Chris Brown, an attorney specializing in estate planning and taxation at Miller Johnson speaks with Amanda St. Pierre of Grand Rapids Community Foundation about the process and provides some tips to create a plan that provides for the people, places and things that matter most to you. &nbsp;</p> http://grfoundation.org/audio/Under_40_Planning.mp3 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:14:28 -0400 <p> New tax legislation now allows <em>all </em>taxpayers to convert traditional individual retirement accounts, or IRAs, to Roth IRAs.&nbsp; To understand why this may be an attractive option for you, we spoke with local CPA Lori Baker, partner at Baker Spindler Holtz.</p> http://grfoundation.org/audio/RothIRAConvert.mp3 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:49:33 -0400 <p>For an estate planner's explanation of charitable bequests, we talked with local attorney Tom Kyros, partner at Varnum LLP.</p> http://grfoundation.org/audio/Bequests_with_Tom.mp3 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:55:14 -0400 In this podcast, hear Charlie Georgalas, Managing Director of Colonial Consulting Corporation talk about Grand Rapids Community Foundation's investments, long-term vs. short-term investing, and recent investment performance. http://grfoundation.org/audio/InvestmentPerformance2009.mp3 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Hear Jason Brinks, certified financial planner with Crowe Wealth Management describe how and why you may consider making charitable gifts using retirement assets. http://grfoundation.org/audio/RetirementAssets.mp3 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400 Listen to Paul Freihofer, vice president of Fox Insurance Agency discuss the benefits of giving charitable gifts of life insurance and learn just how simple the process really is! http://grfoundation.org/audio/LifeInsuranceGiving.mp3 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400 Hear Cris Kooyer, education and youth program officer provide a strategic overview of the Community Foundation's Good for Education plan. http://grfoundation.org/audio/EducationCris.mp3 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400 The Community Foundation was awarded a $128,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to establish neighborhood news bureaus with the Community Media Center as its partner. http://grfoundation.org/audio/KnightGrant.mp3 Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500 In response to the economy, area foundations established the Essential Need Task Force Fund to address the essential needs of food, housing, utilities and transportation. http://grfoundation.org/audio/ENTF.mp3 Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Listen to this podcast to learn the how and why of the Community Foundation's green grantmaking. You will also hear the stories of two local nonprofits who were awarded grants to support their earth-friendly work. http://grfoundation.org/audio/GreenGrants.mp3 Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Laurie Craft, Grand Rapids Community Foundation program director and Dave Jacobs, executive director of Home Repair Services lay out the facts about the home foreclosure crisis in Kent County. They provide tips for listeners living in a neighborhood in which a house has gone to foreclosure and list several community resources for families in need. <a href="homeforeclosure.php">Click here to read more about home foreclosures in Kent County.</a> http://grfoundation.org/audio/HomeForeclosure.mp3 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400 Late last year, the Grand Rapids Community Foundation announced its plans to purchase and renovate a building in downtown Grand Rapids previously known as the Anheuser-Busch Icehouse. This space will become the new home of the Community Foundation this fall. Hear the status of the project, its cost, and how the space will be used straight from Community Foundation President Diana Sieger. http://grfoundation.org/audio/Building.mp3 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400 This episode of the Giving in Grand Rapids Podcast focuses on the grantmaking process of the Youth Grant Committee. A year of spirited debate culminated in a meeting where YGC members made grant recommendations totaling $51,750 for youth-focused programs. Listen to hear more on how the YGC has made a difference in the lives of its high school members and how you can become involved. http://grfoundation.org/audio/YGC2008.mp3 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400 Each year, teachers and students from Grand Rapids Catholic, Christian and public schools have the opportunity to apply for Excellence in Education grants. This year, 41 teachers and 21 students are winning grants that total $117,500. To hear how these grants are making a difference in our city's classrooms, we talked with a few teachers and students at the annual Excellence in Education award celebration. http://grfoundation.org/audio/ExinEd.mp3 Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 Thomas Czerney, a local professional advisor specializing in wealth management services with Beene Garter, demystifies charitable gift annuities. He explains how a charitable gift annuity works, describes who would benefit from this type of planned gift and walks listeners through an example. http://grfoundation.org/audio/CGA.mp3 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400 Local philanthropist Judy DeLapa discusses her role as an advisor of the DeLapa Family Donor Advised Fund. Prior to establishing this fund, Judy and her husband Jim operated a family foundation. Judy shares her beliefs about giving and her experiences involving her family's next generation in philanthropy. http://grfoundation.org/audio/DAFJudyDeLapa.mp3 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500 In this episode, we talk with Marilyn Zack, vice president of development with the Community Foundation about the many ways people can give and make a difference in our community before the year ends. Marilyn will touch on the options for making a gift and the benefits of doing so before 2007 comes to a close. http://grfoundation.org/audio/MarilynYearEnd.mp3 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0400 In September, Diana Sieger celebrated her 20th year as President of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. Under her leadership, the Community Foundation has grown from $35 million in assets in 1987 to over $237 million today. To mark this special occasion, Diana sat down with us to talk about Community Foundation milestones in gifts and grants over the last two decades as well as community philanthropy. http://grfoundation.org/audio/Diana20Years.mp3 Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400 In this episode, we talk with Wendy Lewis Jackson, Executive Director of the Grand Rapids Education Reform Initiative about the <strong>Meijer Good Schools for Grand Rapids</strong> program, which provides grants to Grand Rapids Public elementary schools for academic achievement. We were with Wendy as the first Meijer Good Schools for Grand Rapids grants were awarded. Hear the celebration at one school and learn more about this unique program. http://grfoundation.org/audio/GoodSchools.mp3 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400 This episode features a conversation with several donors, who like the Community Foundation, are celebrating their 85th birthday this year. Hear what they say shaped who they are today, their advice for younger generations and their beliefs about giving. http://grfoundation.org/audio/Celebrating85Together.mp3 Thu, 19 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0400 In this episode we talk with Carol Karr, an attorney with Miller Johnson who specializes in estate planning, probate and taxation. Carol will answer the question “what happens if you don't have a will?” And she will provide easy steps for beginning the estate planning process. http://grfoundation.org/audio/WhyHaveAWill.mp3 Thu, 19 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0400 This episode of the Giving in Grand Rapids Podcast features an interview with Harvey Lemmen. Mr. Lemmen is a longtime Grand Rapids Community Foundation donor. Later this year, Mr. Lemmen will celebrate his 85th birthday as will the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. http://grfoundation.org/audio/Lemmen85.mp3 Fri, 25 May 2007 00:00:00 -0400 Local philanthropist Tom Fox and accomplished speaker Mary Fisher talk at our spring philanthropy event. http://grfoundation.org/audio/MFSpeech.mp3 Wed, 23 May 2007 00:00:00 -0400