City lifts new nonprofit off ground
Civic foundation begins with fundraiser to fight local hunger
The Royal Oak Civic Foundation, a nonprofit, got off the ground this week with a fundraising effort aimed at helping local people who face food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“People love our city and want to contribute to its success,” said Mayor Michael Fournier in a release Friday. “The foundation gives them a central place to do that. It creates an opportunity for everyone to be a philanthropist.”
Created by the City Commission, the foundation was set up to receive grants from organizations that only donate to 501(c) 3 nonprofit groups.
“As an independent body the foundation can respond quickly to conditions in the community
and can apply for grants that have … requirements that city government isn’t equipped to meet,” Fournier added.
People can visit the Royal Oak Civic Foundation on the city website at romi. gov/rocf to make donations.
The fundraising now underway will support local-based efforts that help those who need food, such as Blessings in a Backpack, the Salvation Army and the Open Hands Food Pantry. Donors have the option of clicking on which of those groups they want to donate money to.
Robertson Homes, which bought 10 acres of land from the Normandy Oaks golf course and built homes there, donated $16,000 to the civic foundation.
The foundation is using $7,500 of that funding to kick off its first fundraiser. It will match up to $2,500 for each of the donations made separately to the Salvation Army, Open Hands Food Pantry and Blessings in a backpack.
The fundraising campaign will run until March 1.
In addition to grants from other foundations, the ROCF accepts individual and corporate donations and bequests.
Julie Lyons Bricker, the city’s grant coordinator and sustainability manager, serves as executive director of the foundation. City Commissioner Sharlan Douglas, Alex Fike of the United Way, Tom McGannon of Beaumont Health, and Oakland Community College Chancellor Peter Provenzano serve on the foundation’s board of trustees.
“As we formally launch the foundation, we also look to expand the board of trustees,” said McGannon, the board chair in a statement. “Trustees govern the organization and help identify unmet needs in the community, but their primary task is to raise funds to support the foundation’s work. If you have interest in participating in such a role, please contact us. We would love to hear from you.”
The ROCF stems from the former ROOTS fund, a city committee that raised and managed money for the city’s animal shelter, library, nature society, parks and recreation, seniors, commission for the arts and the historical commission (Starr House). The foundation will continue to serve those city groups, officials said.