Pontiac Community Foundation Inc

PONTIAC COMMUNITY FOUNDATION (PCF) IS AN INDEPENDENT 501 (C)(3) ORGANIZATION, DEDICATED TO ENGAGING THOUGHT LEADERSHIP, STRATEGIC COLLABORATION, AND THE SPIRIT OF INGENUITY AND INNOVATION, TO TACKLE PONTIACS MOST PRESSING ISSUES. IN SHORT, WE ARE DOING ALL WE CAN TO LEAVE A BETTER PONTIAC FOR THE NEXT GENERATION. AS PONTIACS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, WE ALSO EMPOWER AND ACCELERATE THE COMMUNITY THROUGH GRANT-MAKING INITIATIVES AND STEWARDING PERMANENT FINANCIAL ASSETS FOR THE LONG-TERM VIABILITY OF THE CITY.

PONTIAC COMMUNITY FOUNDATION (PCF) HAS RAISED 350K OF THE 400K BUDGET FOR MATTIE MCKINNEY HATCHETT PARK REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT. CONSTRUCTION ON THE PROJECT IS SLATED TO BE FINISHED IN SPRING 2023. PONTIAC OPEN STREETS ENGAGED 352 PONTIAC RESIDENTS WITH AN OUTLET FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUTH INTERACTION. CENTER FOR PONTIAC ENTREPRENEURSHIP (CFPE) PARTNERED WITH T. RAMSEY AND ASSOCIATES TO OFFER 3 "ENTREPRENEURSHIP 101" COURSES TO 44 SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE CITY OF PONTIAC. CFPE PROVIDED TEN (10) SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS OF 2,500 IN JUNE 2021 AND 5 GRANTS OF 5,000 IN OCTOBER 2021. PCF WAS ONE OF TWO ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE STATE OF MICHIGAN AND 52 NATIONALLY THAT RECEIVED THE FIRST EVER GRANT AWARD AS PART OF THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION'S COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR PILOT PROGRAM. THIS AWARD WILL BRING 1M TO THE CITY OF PONTIAC THROUGH A "HUB AND SPOKE" MODEL BENEFITTING COMMUNITY PARTNERS. IN DECEMBER 2021, PARTICIPATING PONTIAC NONPROFITS WERE GIVEN THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES NECESSARY TO ENGAGE COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN CROWDFUNDING VIA THE PONTIAC IMPACT CHALLENGE. AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT CHALLENGE, 61,243 WAS INVESTED IN PONTIAC NONPROFITS. PCF ACQUIRED TWO 13-PASSENGER VEHICLES FOR OUR M1 MOBILITY TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVE. FROM NOVEMBER 1, 2021 TO THE END OF THE YEAR, THIS INITIATIVE PROVIDED TRANSPORTATION FOR AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMMING FOR ACCENT PONTIAC STUDENTS FOR MORE THAN 75 RIDES. MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE ON RACIAL HEALTH INEQUITIES MET REGULARLY FROM FEBRUARY THROUGH NOVEMBER 2021 TO IDENTIFY FOCUS AREAS (POVERTY, EXPOSURE TO TRAUMA/VIOLENCE, AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS), DISCUSS GOALS, AND DEVELOP ACTION STEPS TO TACKLE MAJOR SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES IN THE CITY OF PONTIAC. PCF, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHIEF FINANCIAL CREDIT UNION, AWARDED TWO SCHOLARSHIPS TO PARTICIPATE IN LEADERSHIP OAKLAND 2021. PCF DEVELOPED A PONTIAC ELECTIONS WEBSITE (HTTPS://WWW.PONTIACELECTIONS.COM) AS AN INFORMATIONAL GUIDE FOR VOTERS AS THEY SEEK TO EXPRESS THEIR CIVIC DUTY. BILLBOARDS ENCOURAGING PONTIAC RESIDENTS TO VOTE WERE LOCATED ON SAGINAW AND OAKLAND AVENUE, AT THE INTERSECTION OF AUBURN AND OPDYKE ROADS, ON BALDWIN AVENUE NEAR LONGFELLOW, ON SAGINAW AND MONTCALM, AND JOSLYN AVENUE AND FIRST STREET. AS A RESULT, MORE THAN 7,500 REGISTERED VOTERS CAST THEIR BALLOT FOR THE 2021 PONTIAC MUNICIPAL ELECTION, AN INCREASE OF APPROXIMATELY 2,000 VOTERS FROM PREVIOUS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.