The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan (CFSE) is a community foundation that supports education, economic, entrepreneurship, health, social welfare, art, and other causes in a seven-county area roughly correlating to the greater Detroit metropolitan region in Michigan. ¹

Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan is led by a six-member board, four of whom support mostly Republican Party candidates and one who is a substantial Democratic Party supporter.  The 52-member board of trustees consists mostly of prominent business and community leaders, some of whom have ties to Republican Party and conservative causes, while others support mostly left-leaning causes and Democratic Party candidates. ²

The great majority of causes supported by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan are generally not considered politically controversial.  Some projects supported by the CFSE have a left-of-center lean, such as partnering with the American Civil Liberties Union to support adding sexual orientation as a protected status to state nondiscrimination laws, donations to organizations supporting expanded immigration, and support for environmentalist initiatives. The CFSE also supports government initiatives that promote tax breaks and subsidy programs for some businesses. ^{3 4}

History

The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan was founded in 1984 and claims to have distributed more than $1 billion through more than 67,000 grants to nonprofit organizations throughout the Detroit metropolitan area. ⁵

Funding

The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan reported $124,891,125 in assets in 2018 from a mix of grants received, investments, and supporters. CFSE donated just under $69 million to various charities, scholarships, nonprofit institutions, and individuals in 2018. ⁶

People

James B. Nicholson

James Nicholson chairs the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan board. Nicholson is chair and president of a Detroit-based chemical company. ⁷ He is a self-described Republican who donates to many Republican Party candidates⁸ and ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in 1996,⁹ but stated in 2016 that he did not support Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. ¹⁰

Penny B. Blumenstein

Penny Blumenstein is one of three vice chairs of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan board. Blumenstein donates to a mix both Republican Party and Democratic Party candidates, as well as to pro-abortion organizations. ¹¹ She is active in Jewish community organizations¹² and is married to commercial real estate developer Harold Blumenstein, who supports mostly Republican Party candidates. ¹³

David M. Hempstead

David Hempstead is one of three vice chairs of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan board. He is an attorney, and donates mostly to Republican Party candidates. ^{14 15}

Reginald M. Turner

Reginald Turner is one of three vice chairs of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan board. Turner is a very prominent attorney who is president of the American Bar Association¹⁶ and sits on the corporate boards of Masco Corporation and Comerica Bank. ¹⁷

Turner donates tens of thousands of dollars to Democratic Party candidates. ¹⁸

Mary H. Weiser

Mary Weiser is secretary of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan board. She is a major donor to the University of Michigan Food Allergy Center, which is named after her. ¹⁹ Her husband, Ron Weiser, is a regent for the University of Michigan and former chair of the Michigan Republican Party and a major donor to Republican Party candidates.. ²⁰ Mary Weiser contributes almost exclusively to Republican candidates. ²¹

Michael T. Monahan

Michael Monahan is treasurer of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan board. He is a career commercial banker and chairs a venture capital fund. ²²  He donates exclusively to Republican Party candidates. ²³

1. Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2018. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/382530980_201812_990_2019121616960265.pdf
2. Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan. Cfsem.org. “About”. “Trustees”. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://cfsem.org/board-trustees/
3. Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2018. Accessed February 24, 2020.  https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/382530980_201812_990_2019121616960265.pdf
4. Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan. Cfsem.org. “Initiatives”. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://cfsem.org/initiatives/
5. Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan. Cfsem.org. “About”. “Mission & History”. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://cfsem.org/home/about/mission-and-history/
6. Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2018. Accessed February 24, 2020.  https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/382530980_201812_990_2019121616960265.pdf
7. “Crain’s Most Connected”. Crain’s Detroit Business. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.crainsdetroit.com/static/mostconnected/people/3363277/james-b-nicholson.html
8. Center for Responsive Politics. Opensecrets.org. “Donor Lookup”. “James Nicholson”. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=James+Nicholson&cycle=&state=MI&zip=&employ=&cand=
9. “Crain’s Most Connected”. Crain’s Detroit Business. Accessed February 24, 2020.  https://www.crainsdetroit.com/static/mostconnected/people/3363277/james-b-nicholson.html
10. Witsil, Frank. “Shining Light leader: ‘Be important to somebody’”. Detroit Free Press.  August 20, 2016. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/08/20/shining-light-award-james-nicholson/88296566/
11. Center for Responsive Politics. Opensecrets.org. “Donor Lookup”. “Penny Blumenstein”. Accessed February 24, 2020.  https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=Penny+Blumenstein&cycle=&state=MI&zip=&employ=&cand=
12. “Most Influential Women”. “Penny Blumenstein”. Crain’s Detroit Business. Accessed February 24, 2020.  https://www.crainsdetroit.com/awards/penny-blumenstein
13. Center for Responsive Politics. Opensecrets.org. “Donor Lookup”. “Harold Blumenstein”. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=Harold+Blumenstein&cycle=&state=MI&zip=&employ=&cand=
14. “Most Powerful People”. “David Hempstead” Crain’s Detroit Business. December 12, 2010. Accessed February 24, 2020.  https://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20101212/MOSTPOWERFULPEOPLE/101209866/david-hempstead-60
15. Center for Responsive Politics. Opensecrets.org. “Donor Lookup”. “David Hempstead”. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=David+Hempstead&cycle=&state=MI&zip=&employ=&cand=
16. Walsh, Dustin. “Clark Hill’s Reginald Turner set to become president of American Bar Association in 2021”. Detroit Crain’s Business. February 20, 2020. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.crainsdetroit.com/people/clark-hills-reginald-turner-set-become-president-american-bar-association-2021
17. Bloomberg.com. “Profile”. “Reginald T. Turner”. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/7113212
18. Center for Responsive Politics. Opensecrets.org. “Donor Lookup”. “Reginald Turner”. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?cand=&cycle=&employ=&name=Reginald+Turner&page=1&state=MI&zip=
19. Masson, Mary. “U-M Food Allergy Center to be named after national food allergy advocate Mary H. Weiser”. University of Michigan. Michigan Medicine. May 28, 2015. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.uofmhealth.org/news/archive/201505/u-m-food-allergy-center-be-named-after-national-food-allergy
20. LeBlanc, Beth, “Outgoing Michigan GOP chairman announces he has cancer, gives emotional farewell”. The Detroit News. February 23, 2019. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/02/23/republicans-elect-leader/39102671/
21. Center for Responsive Politics. Opensecrets.org. “Donor Lookup”. “Mary Weiser”. Accessed February 24, 2020.  https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=Mary+Weiser&cycle=&state=MI&zip=&employ=&cand=
22. Michigan Venture Capital Association. Michiganvca.org. “Member News”. “Plymouth Ventures Launches Next Fund”. Accessed February 24, 2020. http://michiganvca.org/plymouth-ventures-launches-next-fund/
23. Center for Responsive Politics. Opensecrets.org. “Donor Lookup”. “Michael Monahan”. Accessed February 24, 2020.   https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=Michael+Monahan&cycle=&state=MI&zip=&employ=&cand=