Welcome to Royal Oak Civic Foundation
Now there’s a place where we can all join to make Royal Oak better for all. Royal Oak Civic Foundation is a Domestic Nonprofit Corporation 501(c)(3) exclusively devoted to meeting our city’s greatest needs. Your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by the IRS.
We want to inspire the philanthropy of residents, corporations, and other foundations. You can direct your contributions to a specific program or project as well as the Trustee’s own grant-making initiatives. Your donation supports civic entities that receive little or no tax-base funding and groundbreaking community projects that improve the quality of life in our city!
If you want to donate to meet the broad needs in our city, click the “Community Benefit Fund” button. This fund gives Trustees the flexibility to respond to timely needs. For instance, in 2021, we joined with three other nonprofits to raise a total of $20,000 to address COVID-driven food insecurity. Also, when the Senior Center piano sounded its final note, Royal Oak Civic Foundation was able to purchase them a new one.
Maybe your heart lies with some specific city activities. You can click on the link below to donate to the Animal Shelter, Commission for The Arts, Historical Commission (Orson Starr House), Nature Society, Public Safety, Public Library, Parks & Recreation, or Senior Center.
Royal Oak Civic Foundation News and Announcements
Sponsors of Arts, Beats and Eats on 5th Charity Preview, 2024
Joining Forces with Arts, Beats & Eats
Erb Foundation Completes Royal Oak Arboretum
News Release from Royal Oak Civic Foundation
NEWS RELEASE FOR THE ROYAL OAK CIVIC FOUNDATION https://royaloakcivicfoundation.org/
DATE: July 20, 2023
FOR RELEASE: Immediately
Arts, Beats and Eats on 5th, a festival preview party, will benefit Royal Oak Civic Foundation.
ROYAL OAK, MI (July 20, 2023) Attendees at an August 24 festival preview party, Arts Beats and Eats on Fifth, will dine with mobile food vendors and groove to festival musicians while mingling with local civic and business leaders. The event is a fundraiser for the Royal Oak Civic Foundation.
The foundation made a splash last spring by announcing receipt of $250,000 from the Erb Foundation for trees, plants and equipment for the Royal Oak Arboretum. Additionally, since its creation, the foundation has directed more than $250,000 to fund community programs and senior transportation, address food insecurity during the pandemic, help kids during the holidays and replace the piano at the senior center.
“People who want to give to the city of Royal Oak can give through the foundation to assure tax deductibility and accountability,” said foundation Chair Tom McGannon. “In our first few years, much of our giving has been with donor-directed funds. Trustees will use the proceeds from this event to give discretionary grants to meet Royal Oak’s greatest needs.”
The party will take place on Fifth Street between Washington and Center. All guests will receive beverage tickets and have access to a cash bar. If it rains, festivities will move into the adjacent Fifth Avenue bar. Food options and entertainers will be announced later.
The event will run from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. For the first hour, sponsors’ guests and $100 ticket holders will attend a VIP reception with civic and business leaders. Holders of $50 tickets enter at 6:30.
Sponsorships for the event range from $5,000 to $350, offering a scale of benefits that include tickets, priority seating, recognition at the event, and on Royal Oak Civic Foundation’s information page for this event.
CONTACT:
Sharlan Douglas
sharlan @ royal oak civic foundation .org
(313) 319-4846
WHAT WE’RE DOING:
- Setting up customer relationship management (CRM) software for more robust communications. This will support the combined efforts of the Royal oak Civic Foundation and the city entities that it supports.
- Hosting a year-end fundraising effort for local city entities
Tax-Deductible Donations From Residents, Corporations, and Foundations
“Shop With a Hero” in Cooperation With Meijer Royal Oak
On December 18th, 2023, Royal Oak Meijer, Royal Oak Civic Foundation, local police and fire officers, American Legion members, and the Royal Oak Schools teamed up again to help local families through the 2023 ‘Shop with a Hero’ event. Meijer, which has sponsored this event for the past 22 years, again combined donations with Royal Oak Civic Foundation. Royal Oak Heros helped the local children do their shopping. A merry band of volunteers from the local schools, Royal Oak Youth Assistance, Royal Oak city staff, and the Royal Oak Civic Foundation wrapped the gifts for the children. A huge ‘Thank You’ to Meijer and all of the volunteers! To help support future programming like this, make your tax-deductible donation to Royal Oak Civic Foundation by clicking here.
Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation
Royal Oak’s Erb Lumberyard is long gone, but founder Fred A. Erb had a tremendous impact as a business leader & philanthropist. To honor his legacy and what would have been his 100th birthday, the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation donated $250,000 to Royal Oak Civic Foundation for the Royal Oak Arboretum. With the funds, the city’s parks department and nonprofit nature society will plant trees, buy tools, add signage and seating, irrigate, offer educational programming, recognize volunteers, and eradicate invasive species. Like many others, the Erb Foundation can only give grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofits. The city of Royal Oak established the civic foundation specifically to accommodate funding from private and corporate foundations. Donations are tax-deductible, as your tax advisor may advise.
Everyone Can Be a Philanthropist
This nine-year-old did a Facebook Live yoga class that raised $750 in the foundation’s 2020 fundraiser addressing food insecurity. Gifts of any size add up to make a real difference in our community.
2022 Shop With a Hero in Cooperation With Meijer Royal Oak
On December 15, 2022, Royal Oak Meijer, Royal Oak Civic Foundation, local police and fire officers, American Legion members, and the Royal Oak Schools teamed up again to help 54 local families through the 2022 ‘Shop with a Hero’ event. Meijer, which has sponsored this event for the past 21 years, again combined donations with Royal Oak Civic Foundation, and they were able to give each family a $200 gift card to shop for the holidays. The Heros helped the local children do their shopping. A merry band of volunteers from the local schools, Royal Oak Youth Assistance, Royal Oak city staff, and the Royal Oak Civic Foundation wrapped the gifts for the children. A huge ‘Thank You’ to Meijer and all of the volunteers! To help support future programming like this, make your tax-deductible donation to Royal Oak Civic Foundation by clicking here.
New Piano at the Mahany/Meininger Senior Center
In addition to events and classes, people come to the Royal Oak senior center for monthly singalongs and the center’s keyboard was hitting clinkers. Using our unrestricted funds we were able to quickly replace it.
Money donated to the community benefits fund gives trustees flexibility to relieve community group’s needs or make grants to the other eight city programs.
Fighting Local Hunger in the City of Royal Oak
Royal Oak Civic Foundation worked together with three local food pantry charities to raise money for food insecurity in our community. For this event, we committed to match funding of up to $2,500 for each of the charities. Fortunately, this campaign realized more than $20,000 to fight hunger in our community!
2021 Shop With a Hero in Cooperation With Meijer Royal Oak
The Royal Oak Civic Foundation (ROCF) and Meijer are teaming up to provide more than 50 local families access to the Shop with a Hero event. Meijer, which has sponsored it for the past 20 years, will contribute $100 per family. The Royal Oak Civic Foundation will match Meijer’s funds up to $6,000 doubling the money for each family.
How Residents, Corporations, and Foundations Can Help
Over the next year, we hope to support community tree planting to increase the city’s canopy for multiple sustainability benefits and to offer small grants to the Royal Oak Civic Foundation-supported city groups so they can thrive, not just survive.
Your Donation Helps Supports Civic Entities in Royal Oak
Every year, many people make personal donations to the civic programs they love, like the library, animal shelter, and parks. Royal Oak Civic Foundation provides a central place for you to donate and, as a 501(c)(3), enables a deduction on their tax return to the extent allowed by the IRS. The foundation serves as a conduit for residents, businesses, and corporations to make impactful philanthropic contributions.
Your donation helps support Royal Oak civic entities, which receive very little or no tax-base funding, and also support groundbreaking community projects that improve the quality of life in our city. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by the IRS.
Royal Oak Civic Foundation • Domestic Nonprofit Corporation A Formal 501(c)(3)
203 S. Troy St. Royal Oak, MI 48067 • (248) 254-6490
