Emily Feuka is presented a scholarship by Bruce and Jackie Cook along with David Munson, Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of MIchigan

Emily Feuka of Perry is the 2013 winner of the Bruce & Jacqueline Cook Scholarship, a four-year full-tuition scholarship to the University of Michigan.  Emily, the daughter of Kevin and Theresa Feuka, has not only excelled academically, but has also been very involved in extracurricular activities.  She particularly values the leadership lessons she has learned through her involvement in FFA and and the Business Professionals of America.

Emily has volunteered at Memorial Healthcare and has been involved in several theater productions.  Her future academic plans are also diverse:  she is considering a pre-med program and the study of Arabic.

This is the eighth annual scholarship funded directly by Bruce & Jackie Cook.  The Cook Family Foundation supports the recruitment and selection process and provides scholarships to all 30 nominees for the award.

Bonbright Lodge – note lack of vegetation around building

The Cook Family Foundation has provided a $50,000 grant to the State Y of Michigan to help control erosion and preserve a historic building at Camp Hayo-Went-Ha. Built in 1930, Bonbright Lodge has welcomed thousands of campers, hosted many a campfire and other gatherings, and served as an iconic symbol for the nation’s oldest Y camp still in operation at its original site.  Unfortunately, the many feet of campers over the decades have worn down the soil around the structure and have fostered erosion which could harm the very clear waters of Torch Lake, which the building overlooks.  The grant will be matched by other donations and lots of volunteer labor to plant new vegetation, safely redirect water flows, and build wooden steps and decking.  You are invited to join in and help on May 11 for a work weekend. To learn more about the Camp, including how to register for sessions this summer, go to www.hayowentha.org

The Owosso Fellowship builds upon, and bridges, two of the Cook Family Foundation’s program successes:  Scholarships to the University of Michigan and the Nonprofit Capacity Building Program.  Local nonprofits can apply for an intern to help them investigate or implement a new program that helps them better serve the community. Students that have received a scholarship from the Foundation can apply to be part of the program, which provides not only work experience but also a group learning experience; a stipend of $1,500 will also be provided.  To enrich the program and add the perspective of college students not from Shiawassee County, the program will also recruit students from Yale.

“Our goal is to bring students together and have an open, multi-disciplined, generous conversation about how to build a community where everyone thrives,” says program coordinator Heather Rivard (Yale Class of 2011). “We hope that the students will make a concrete contribution to Shiawassee County this summer and also take home new insights for their future work in other communities.”

You can find more information and application here.

1. Foster the Shiawassee River as a source of pride for the community

2. Promote the performing arts as a strong cultural cornerstone of the community

3. Build community appreciation for our shared railroad heritage

4. Help care for and protect the most vulnerable members of our community

5. Encourage the highest level of academic success for our community’s young people

6. Increase opportunities for community collaboration and engagement among and between local nonprofits, arts organizations, government, students and citizens.

The students from nine area school districts were nominated because of their high grade point average and test scores; all are outstanding students. Based on their academic records, the promise of future academic success, and demonstrated leadership capabilities, one of these nominees will be selected to receive the Bruce and Jacqueline Cook Scholarship, which covers all tuition for an undergraduate education at the University of Michigan.

The four-year, full tuition scholarship is awarded in conjunction with scholarships from the Cook Family Foundation, which offers financial aid to every high school graduate from Shiawassee County attending the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

If these students apply and are admitted to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, the following students will be considered for the Bruce and Jacqueline Cook scholarship: from Byron, Shannon Moore; from Chesaning, Rebekah Andrews and John Forsyth; from Corunna, Dominick Cortez, Carly Hendershot, Ashley Mitosinka, and Garrett Ruess; from Durand, Danielle Elder; from Laingsburg, Hannah Garner, Trevor Marshall, and Kathryn Schauer; from New Lothrop, Joanna MacGown and Joshua Reinhart; from Ovid-Elsie, Devin Bengel and Jessie Priest; from Owosso, Gus Cook, Nicholas Frederick, Jacob Gerstler, Nicole Johnson, Bonham Killewald, Yvonne Lehr, Mitchell Opanasenko, Sarah Rice, and Evan Ritter; from Perry, Abigail Feuka, Garyt Forman, Connor Heminger, Vince Kelly, Bradley Liestenfeltz, and Samuel Whaley.

Past recipients of the Bruce and Jackie Cook Scholarship have included Adam Stewart from Laingsburg in 2011, Valerie Foster from Byron in 2010, Adam Dingens from Corunna in 2009, Randy Piper from Owosso in 2008, Dan Frechtling from Perry in 2007 and Kendra Frye of Owosso in 2006.

Collaborative Ventures are (in our minds) programs or projects that bring together a number of entities who are working toward a common goal.  We believe in the power of collective thinking; the benefit of information sharing; and the value of leveraging local resources to bring additional support to our community. Our local Great Start Collaborative is an example of a collaborative venture that has successfully drawn together a number of groups with different missions to a common purpose

To this end, Cook Family Foundation is now considering Collaborative Venture grant applications at two levels:

1. Planning/Pilot Grant (up to $10,000 for up to one year):  to explore the feasibility of a project, to conduct research on community need, or to provide short-term staff support that will allow the development of a collaborative network. These grants may precede an Incubator/Seed Funding grant, but will not guarantee additional funding.
2. Incubator/Seed Funding (up to $20,000/year; for up to 3 years): funding will be provided as match dollars to leverage other funding sources, laying the foundation for long-term sustainability and impact of a collaborative project.  It is expected that the Cook Family Foundation investment will progressively decrease as other support increases, and that the projected funding model be clearly outlined in the grant proposal.

Through the Nonprofit Capacity Building Program, the Cook Family Foundation has supported capacity building and infrastructure development of nine local agencies, which are now recognized as Capacity Building Champions.  These Champions have achieved preferred grant recipient status as a result of their commitment to excellence.  As a result, PRIORITY consideration will be given to any Collaborative Venture that includes one of our Champions as a partner.

For more detail on the Collaborative Venture Grants, you may download the Funding Opportunities Overview or Cook Family Foundation Grant Application.  We encourage all prospective applicants to contact our program officer, Robin, by email or phone in advance of submitting an application.

Thomas B. (Tom) Cook, Executive Director

Tom Cook serves as the Executive Director (and Secretary/Treasurer) of the Cook Family Foundation.  Additionally, Tom serves as a trustee of the Council of Michigan Foundations and a trustee of The Nature Conservancy in Michigan.  Active in his local community, Tom was named Citizen of the Year by the Shiawassee Regional Chamber of Commerce in 1999, and Humanitarian of the Year by Memorial Healthcare in 2006.  In 2009, Tom was elected to the Owosso City Council.

Tom holds a Masters Degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley and an undergraduate degree in Geography and Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College. He and his wife Anna Owens have two children.

To top it all off, OCP is making great strides in their $5 million capital campaign to rebuild the Lebowsky Center.  They have leveraged additional dollars and tax credits through a historic preservation designation, Brownfield and New Market.   Fundraising continues with solicitations, grant requests and the selling of auditorium seats.

The walls and roof are on, now comes the hard work to restore the inside of the theater to its full glory.  You can watch OCP’s progress here.