With both heavy hearts and warm wishes, we announce the departure of Elizabeth Kidd, Vice President of Community Impact/People and Culture, who has been an integral part of the Community Foundation team for the past 17 years.

Elizabeth’s first day in 2008 was unforgettable. She dove right into work and accompanied a group of local high school students on our Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) to their annual statewide conference for the weekend! Her commitment to nurturing future leaders and encouraging youth to consider careers in the nonprofit field has been a fixture throughout her time at CFHZ.

Over the course of her tenure, Elizabeth consistently worked to create positive, lasting change through her thoughtful leadership of our community impact work. Early on, she served as staff advisor to our YAC and oversaw our scholarship program. She transformed our grantmaking strategies with an overhaul of our processes in 2013. More recently, she led the research, development, and implementation of our current two-pronged responsive and proactive grant program in 2022.

Gifted at thinking about both the big picture and the finer details, Elizabeth was a driving force in adding a focus on the overall health and strength of our local nonprofit ecosystem to the foundation’s community impact work. Thanks to her dedicated research and passion, our commitment to strengthening the nonprofit sector grows each year. This work has included supporting the efforts of the Lakeshore Nonprofit Alliance, investing in nonprofit leadership, supporting data collection in the sector, and piloting a direct technical assistance grants program to support individual nonprofit operations.

Elizabeth’s impact extends well beyond our walls. Her leadership of the Michigan Chapter of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy, her service on the Lakeshore Nonprofit Alliance/Community SPOKE boards, and her work with Indiana University’s Center on Philanthropy are just a few examples of her commitment over the years to creating thriving communities for all.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Elizabeth has been a vital force in defining the culture of our organization through her thoughtful approach to creating opportunities for staff connection, especially during remote work, and her encouragement for all to bring their “whole selves” to work. Patrick Cisler, President/CEO, said, “It has been a joy and a privilege to work alongside someone who brings deep empathy and compassion to every aspect of her work and every relationship she forms. Elizabeth has undoubtedly left a legacy both in helping shape the culture internally at CFHZ as well as how we have impact in the Holland/Zeeland community. Her fingerprints are on so much of what we do, and we will be forever grateful for how she has helped shape this organization and our community for the better.”

Elizabeth shared, “Being part of CFHZ the past seventeen years has been meaningful beyond measure. So much has changed in this time as the foundation has grown and yet the heart of our work – building and managing endowed, flexible resources to meet evolving community needs and opportunities and supporting donors in making their charitable goals a reality, all with an eye towards building a thriving Holland/Zeeland community – has been steadfast through it all. It has been a tremendous honor to be part of this journey and I will always cherish the incredible teammates, board members, committee members, and nonprofit and community partners I’ve had the opportunity to serve with along the way.”

As Elizabeth embarks on this new chapter, she will continue to positively impact community foundations across the state in her new role with a local consulting firm. This opportunity allows her to continue working in the field she loves while also offering her more time with her young children and family.

Elizabeth, thank you for your 17 years of service, your unwavering commitment to our mission, and the countless lives you’ve touched through your work. We are grateful for all you’ve done to create positive, lasting change in the Holland/Zeeland area!

Join us to honor and celebrate Elizabeth!

We are hosting a community open house to recognize Elizabeth’s years of service to CFHZ and celebrate her new chapter. Please join us!
Wednesday, April 16
4pm-6pm
CFHZ – 85 E 8th St, Ste 110, Holland, MI 49423
Light refreshments provided
RSVP here