
Supporting Michigan K-12 public school education foundations through networking, collaboration, and professional development
The Michigan Education Foundation (MEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization built by and for people passionate about quality public K-12 education in Michigan. Its mission is to be a catalyst for the creation and growth of local education foundations in communities across our state.
The MEF hosts five meetings a year. Each meeting focuses on a topic relevant to education foundations and includes time for Q&A and idea sharing between attendees
Upcoming Meetings
Meetings are located (unless otherwise noted) in the Okemos Public Schools Administration Building / 4406 Okemos Rd., Okemos, MI 48864 (** virtual meetings as of May 2020)
-
All persons associated with an education foundation are welcome.
-
MEF membership is not required for meeting attendance for new foundations.
-
to attend a meeting, send us a message and we'll add you to our email list.
2021-22 MEF Meetings
-
August 16, 2021: Re-Energize your foundation -- via Zoom (11:00 AM - 12:30 PM)
-
October 4, 2021: Annual Appeals -- in-person, we hope (11 AM - 2PM)
-
January 10, 2022: Donor Retention -- via Zoom
-
March 7, 2022: Grants -- via Zoom (11:00 AM - 12:30 PM)
-
May 2, 2022: Dividing foundation tasks and succession planning -- in person (11AM - 2 PM)
Previous Meeting Topics
-
Private donor meetings, corporate partnerships
-
Education foundation / District partnerships
-
Communication Plans
-
Donor Retention
-
Annual Appeals
-
Endowment campaigns
-
Transitioning from all-volunteer board to paid staff
-
Public school funding in Michigan
-
Board engagement
-
Website solutions for nonprofits; ADA compliance
-
Board best practices
-
Fundraising events
-
Starting or re-starting a K-12 education foundation
-
Social media marketing
-
Email marketing
-
Outreach strategies for major gifts
MEF Membership
MEF membership supports the continuation of the organization and offers these benefits to member foundations:
Annual MEF Membership Benefits
-
5 meetings per year, featuring both outside and inside speakers
-
Document sharing via a Google intranet site
-
Networking/idea sharing with other state foundation leaders
-
Learning opportunities on topics relevant to running an education foundation
-
Link from the MEF website to your foundation; use of the MEF logo on your foundation's site
-
Notes and documents from each meeting
Annual Membership Dues: $125 Join or renew online
Come to our next meeting and see what we're all about.
Can we add you to our mailing list? Would you like more information? Send us a message.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The MEF is governed by an all-volunteer board of directors. Directors are elected from the membership and serve 3-year terms. Meet our current board:
AMY
STUURSMA
President
SUE
RIEMLAND
Vice President
St. Joseph Public Schools Foundation
3275 Lincoln Ave.
St. Joseph, MI 49085
GRETCHEN
WARD
Treasurer
Plymouth-Canton Educational Excellence Foundation
454 South Harvey Street
Plymouth MI 48170
ANNHERST KREITZ
Secretary
GINA
GABEL
Director
Grosse Pointe Alumni & Friends Association
18530 Mack Ave, Suite #290
Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 49236
KEN
JONES
Director
Lansing Educational Advancement Foundation (LEAF)
2901 Wabash Rd.
Lansing, MI 48910
BETH MEYER-KRAFF
Director