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Investing In the Future: The Community House Evolving to Become the Birmingham Area Community Foundation
The new Birmingham Area Community Foundation will carry on the mission of The Community House, by focusing on grant giving to local nonprofits and scholarships
Birmingham, Mich., Nov. 3, 2025 — For more than a century, The Community House in Birmingham has been a place that fostered giving back. The Community House has been driven by a mission to impact lives through exceptional educational, cultural and social experiences that provide the means to fund programs that help others in need.
Today marks a new chapter in fulfilling that mission.
The Community House will evolve to become the Birmingham Area Community Foundation, focused on strengthening and uplifting the community through grant giving and mentorship to local nonprofits who support education, wellness and cultural vitality; and providing scholarships for local students pursuing education beyond high school.
This evolution is an essential step in ensuring the long-term sustainability and viability of The Community House’s contributions to the community and legacy continue.
The Birmingham Area Community Foundation will support established and emerging nonprofit organizations and scholarships for students located within a 10-mile radius of Birmingham. There will be a particular focus on supporting smaller nonprofits that may otherwise be overlooked or underfunded by the existing nonprofit ecosystem.
At a time when area nonprofit organizations, many of which provide essential services, are facing funding shortfalls, the ability to award more grants locally will make a meaningful impact.
As the Birmingham Area Community Foundation will focus on grantmaking and scholarships, a large physical space is no longer required. As such operations at The Community House building at 380 S. Bates in Birmingham will cease effective July 1, 2026 and new owners of The Community House building, yet to be determined, will occupy the space.
The Early Childhood Center will complete its current session, which concludes in May 2026. The Community House will continue delivering the exceptional service and experiences patrons expect for events scheduled now through June 30, 2026.
“The strength and promise of The Community House has always been rooted in our commitment to make an impact in the community by serving those in need. This new chapter is about expanding and deepening our service to the community in a way that we believe will provide an even more meaningful and growing impact for the surrounding area,” said Camille Jayne, Founder of The Jayne Group. “Establishing the Birmingham Area Community Foundation creates a sustainable model to carry on the legacy and intention of The Community House founder, Ruth Shain, which was to help those in need,” Jayne added. Jayne will serve as Chair for the Birmingham Area Community Foundation Board of Trustees.
“Creating the Birmingham Area Community Foundation is about investing in the future. The nonprofit landscape has changed and this is a model that builds a bridge for the future and addresses a need in the existing local nonprofit community,” said Alison Gaudreau, President of The Community House Association. “Donors to the Birmingham Area Community Foundation will now have a platform to support local initiatives and create a lasting impact,” Gaudreau added. She will serve as president of the Birmingham Area Community Foundation.
Since inception, The Community House has supported scores of nonprofit organizations by offering financial support to fund their mission – including organizations addressing food insecurity, supporting individuals with special needs, fostering health and wellness education and more.
Troy-based United Community Family Services is one of several nonprofits that has received support from The Community House.
The Birmingham Area Community Foundation will continue to support their good work.
“This new focus on grant giving and scholarship funding will have an exponential impact — benefiting countless small to mid-sized organizations throughout the Birmingham area, including United Community Family Services,” said Kristin Olmedo, CEO of United Community Family Services (UCFS). “Through support from The Community House, UCFS has provided food and resources to families facing food insecurity. We are thankful that The Community House’s legacy of support will continue through the Birmingham Area Community Foundation and wholeheartedly endorse this evolution.”
Supporting nonprofits has been central to The Community House’s history, a commitment that will continue with the creation of the Birmingham Area Community Foundation.
Cranbrook’s Horizon’s Upward Bound program, which prepares underserved Metro Detroit students to enter and succeed in post-secondary education, has been a longtime nonprofit partner with The Community House.
“The launch of the Birmingham Area Community Foundation is a welcome evolution of the mission of The Community House, which has been a stalwart civic institution for more than a century. The renewed purpose and grant giving focus of the Birmingham Area Community Foundation will be of inestimable benefit to existing and new youth, senior and education-centered non-profits, in particular those that are in need of a jolt of initial start-up funding to make their community aspirations a reality. And likewise, for historic non-profits like Cranbrook’s Horizons-Upward Bound program, the continued support will help ensure that this venerable organization’s work remains nimble and contemporary,” said Jeff Suzik, Ph.D., Director of Cranbrook Schools.
The Birmingham Area Community Foundation will host a series of discussions at The Community House to expand on plans for the new Foundation on the following dates:
Wednesday, Dec. 10: 1 – 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 10: 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 11: 8:30 – 10:00 a.m.
Registration is required at http://weblink.donorperfect.com/communitytalks.
To learn more about the Birmingham Area Community Foundation, visit www.bacommunityfoundation.org.
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