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Community Foundation partners
with museum to support 50th
Anniversar y Capital Campaign
Building on a long-standing relationship with the Besser Museum, the Community Foundation for Northeast
Michigan has agreed to serve as the financial administrator for the museum’s
50th Anniversary Capital Campaign.
“The Community Foundation has
long recognized the Besser Museum as
key to the region’s cultural vitality and
one of the primary keepers of our history,” said Barbara Frantz, CFNEM executive director.
Dating back to 1979 when CFNEM
first began awarding grants, the foundation has awarded 142 grants totaling
nearly $300,000 to the Besser Museum.
Grant decisions have been made by
community volunteers who serve on the
CFNEM board and grant review committee.
“As careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) have grown
in importance, we also realize the huge
potential the Besser Museum has for
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Besser Museum
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14 - Besser Museum 50th Anniversary ~ Wednesday, January 27, 2016
sparking the imaginations of children and
adults of all ages to become tomorrow’s
inventors and entrepreneurs,” said Frantz.
“We hope the community, both businesses and the public, will get fully behind the museum’s 50th Anniversary
Capital Campaign and ensure its legacy
exceeds all expectations.”
As financial administrator of the museum’s campaign, the foundation will
process and track all financial contributions, acknowledge and provide documentation to donors as required for IRS
tax exemptions, and generate regular financial reports for the Besser Museum’s
board and staff.
“One of the key roles a community
foundation plays is to ensure donors that
their charitable contributions are used
for their intended purpose and are invested wisely,” explained Frantz. “By
having the Community Foundation take
on this responsibility for the Besser Museum’s 50th Anniversary Capital Campaign, donors can be reassured that
every penny will be managed to the letter of the law and according to best
practices. It also enables the museum
board and staff to focus more on out-
211 N. First Ave. • Alpena • 356-6188
Congratulations to the Besser Museum on 50
years of providing arts, culture, and historical
experiences to Northeast Michigan.
By Barbara Franz
Community Foundation
Executive Director
reach and strategic planning to ensure
the success of the capital campaign.
The Community Foundation is nationally accredited by the National Standards
for U.S. Community Foundations and has
an excellent track record that consistently
ranks as one of the best financially managed community foundations in the country. The most recent Council of Michigan
Foundations study (2015), reported that
CFNEM had the third best first-year rate of
return and the fourth best five-year rate of
return among the 45 Michigan community
foundations that participated in the study.
Those who are interested in learning more
about the CFNEM can go online and visit
www.cfnem.org/funds/fund-directory.html.
Those interested in making a donation to the
Besser Museum’s 50th Anniversary Capital
Campaign can visit www.bessermuseum.org.