The Chelsea Community Foundation exists to help nonprofit organizations achieve their mission to address community needs and opportunities to improve Chelsea's quality of life.
Chelsea Community Foundation leads and collaborates to bring permanent, positive change in Chelsea through thoughtful giving. We are dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in Chelsea through supporting local nonprofits. With the generous support of individuals, families, and businesses, we are building an endowment for the Chelsea Community and helping fulfill charitable goals. Our permanent charitable endowment of $3.5 million has granted $2.3 million to impactful nonprofit organizations within the Chelsea School District.
Our History
Chelsea Foundation is a grassroots organization that started in 1981 at the Wood Shed with three people who shared a common desire to bring extra value to Chelsea's community: Ray Van Meer* (Chelsea School Superintendent), Art Dils (Chelsea School and Chelsea Hospital Board Member) and Will Johnson (President & CEO of Chelsea Community Hospital.) The trio consulted with many rooted Chelsea families, including the Holmes, Palmer, Schaible, Daniels, Mann, Ludwig, and Knopper, to vet ideas and incorporate families and businesses. They ultimately filed for Articles of Incorporation and tax-exempt status, and The Civic Foundation of Chelsea was born; George Palmer became the first Board Chair.
One year later, the hospital industry considered how to respond to Medicare payments changes and created a foundation at the hospital called The Foundation for Community Care. However, as the implementation of Medicare unfolded to meet recipients' needs, in 1986, The Foundation for Community Care began redirecting support to The Civic Foundation of Chelsea. The two organizations merged in 1994 into The Chelsea Community Foundation that subsequently became an affiliate of The Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan in 1995. The affiliate relationship continues to grow and flourish. The Chelsea Community Foundation benefits from having The Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan's organizational structure and philanthropic experience that benefits from having a local organization to ensure that the efforts and funding are focused on bringing sustainable growth to Chelsea. Another major milestone occurred in 1997, the year of Chelsea State Bank’s 100th anniversary, when they donated $250,000 to the Chelsea Community Foundation to help launch their $1 million goal.
Advisory Committee
People create legacies by participating in ways to make their community better, healthier, and sustainable. Several of Chelsea Foundation’s advisory committee members are participating because their parents are good role models. They all live and work in the Chelsea Community. Some left to build a new life, only to return. Will Johnson, one of the original founding members, remains on the committee today. Other members moved here and made Chelsea their home and want to be proactive in making it grow; the Chelsea Foundation is an umbrella organization for the Community of Chelsea in many respects.
One of the primary attractions of being on the Chelsea Foundations advisory committee, is the immediate and unswerving giving to the Chelsea Community. The Chelsea Foundation’s oversight is comprised of an advisory committee of civic leaders and supported by many local individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit organizations committed to building a healthy, sustainable, and vibrant community. With the support of The Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan, the advisory committee is agile, responsive, thoughtful, and committed to supporting all things Chelsea.
Grants & Scholarships
Over the past 31 years, a diverse list of 55+ grant and scholarship recipients include:*
(please note several grant recipients have merged into other organizations or changed their name):
Arts & Culture
- Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra – Ensemble Programs at Chelsea Elementary Schools
- Ballet Chelsea
- Chelsea Area Festivals & Events
- Chelsea Area Historical Society
- Chelsea Area Players
- Chelsea Center for the
- Development of the Arts
- Chelsea Chamber Players
- First Congregational Church of
- Chelsea – Performing Arts
- Gallery 100 – Silver Maples of Chelsea
- Michigan Nonprofit Association – Capacity Building for Chelsea Nonprofits
- Purple Rose Theatre Company
Health, Wellness, & Aging
- Alzheimer's Disease & Related Disorders Association – Great Lakes
- American Red Cross – Washtenaw County
- Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw Co.
- Chelsea Farmers Market
- Chelsea Hospital, SRSLY
- Chelsea Health & Wellness Foundation
- Chelsea Senior Citizens Activities Center
- Fair Food Network
- Faith in Action
- HelpSource – Big Brothers, Big Sisters
- Herbert J. McKune Post No. 31 of American Legion
- Hope Medical Clinic
- Silver Maples of Chelsea
- UMRC Heritage Foundation
- United Methodist Retirement Communities
Trails, Parks & Transportation
- Barn Sanctuary
- Chelsea Area Friends for Recreation
- Chelsea Area Pickleball Association
- Chelsea Recreation - Safety Training & Beach Middle School Baseball Fields
- City of Chelsea - Historical District Project, Pedestrian Bridge at Veterans Park, Chelsea
- Depot restoration, Chelsea Historical Society, Letts Creek Linear Park, add STEM learning at Pierce and Veterans Parks
- Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative at Timber Town
- Legacy Land Conservancy
- Main Street Park Alliance
- Neighborhood Senior Services/Transportation
- State of Michigan - Eddy Discovery Center
- Township of Lyndon - Potawatomi Biking Association, Waterloo
- Western-Washtenaw Area Value Express - WAVE
Youth & Education
- Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum – CSD Outreach Program
- Chelsea Athletic Boosters
- Chelsea District Library
- Chelsea Education Foundation
- Chelsea Hockey Association
- Chelsea Rotary Foundation
- Chelsea School District – Teen Network, Alumni Arbor, #WhyYouMatter, Young Adults Health Center, Project Geometry, Beach Bulldog Lab
- Chelsea Soccer Club
- Equality Chelsea
- Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan
- Project 418 (Haiti Children’s Mission)
- Students Against Sexual Harassment (SASH) – Chelsea Chapter
- Special Olympics Michigan
- St. Louis Center for Exceptional Children & Adults
- Washtenaw Intermediate School District
*Scholarships = $217,970
In 2015 in honor of the Chelsea Community Foundation’s 20th anniversary, grants were given to several of the above nonprofit organizations to be applied to general operations outside of the normal grant application process. In 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Chelsea Foundation once again provided emergency funds to 13 nonprofit organizations to offset staff and general operating expenses.
Two nonprofit recipients epitomize the organization's focus on endurance and sustainability - Sounds & Sights on Thursday Nights, which Chelsea Foundation started supporting in 2007. The summer concert series continues under the guidance of Chelsea Area Festivals & Events, initially housed in The Chelsea Center for the Arts. The second is the Kaleidoscope Concert Series at Silver Maples of Chelsea, both venues are free to the public.
Other Chelsea Foundation investments that have a vital intersection with the broader Chelsea Community include the DTE Energy Bike path and the Eddy Discovery Center ADA trails that have the only handicap accessible trails in Washtenaw County. The Advisory Committee members share a sense of priority to make sure that resources are allocated in a thoughtful way to make the most significant impact on Chelsea's future.
Chelsea Community Foundation is profoundly grateful for and relies on donors' generosity in the Chelsea area to realize its mission. Donors who are interested in supporting Chelsea may find out more by visiting our GIVE page.