Current News

  After significant research, long negotiations and caring consideration, the Shelby Community Foundation (SCF) has decided to merge with the Four County Community Foundation (https://www.4ccf.org/). 

Jamie’s Smiles Founding Member, Gretchen Bates, met with Executive Director and other members of the Four County Community Foundation in the fall of 2020. Although there are likely to be growing pains, all concerned agree that this is in the best interest of the Jamie’s Smiles funds as well as the Shelby Community Foundation on the whole. 

As a donor, you can be assured that Jamie’s Smiles’ Funds will remain intact and able to assist the same programs we have always supported.

How Does this Affect Jamie’s Smiles, My Donations to Jamie’s Smiles, and Me?

The Bates family has always worked hard to keep costs low for the Jamie’s Smiles funds so that all money can be used to direct and positively impact the lives of local children with special needs. Within Jamie’s Smiles, we are an all-volunteer community. However, with the exception of the Christmas Fund, all monies raised are invested by investment professionals on behalf of our fund (through SCF and now Four Counties). 

There have always been low costs associated with this management and these investments through SCF, but the gains our funds have enjoyed have outpaced these costs.  We are pleased to announce that the management fees charged to Jamie’s Smiles funds will be reduced slightly under the new arrangement universally across all of our funds to 1½%.

Four Counties is a well-established, well known, and very active foundation. They have full-time employees dedicated to assisting their funds in growing and being successful. They have assured us that our goals for Jamie’s Smiles are in line with their mission. I am sure that there will be modest changes, but we look forward to a positive new year and many beyond 2021 in partnership with the Four Counties Community Foundation.

Jamie’s Smiles is raising funds to help families with a child with special needs through the Macomb Infant Preschool Program (MIPP). Check out the details under the "More" and "Holiday Giving 2020" pull downs coming soon.