LAFCU is planting new seeds of hope in Greater Lansing with the launch of the StableCommunities Foundation, a nonprofit powered by the credit union to strengthen neighborhoods, uplift families, and give small businesses the boost they need to thrive.
In 2025, its first full year, the foundation awarded StableCommunities Foundation totaling $267,000 to local organizations and entrepreneurs—an early demonstration of its commitment to driving stability and opportunity where it is needed most.
The foundation is designed to meet people where they are — especially those who have too often been left behind. From food security to fair emergency loans, from financial literacy to microgrants for entrepreneurs, the foundation’s work will center on removing barriers, fueling opportunity, and building lasting resiliency across Greater Lansing.
Not all neighborhoods have had the same access to opportunity. Some areas, particularly those historically marginalized or redlined, continue to face higher rates of poverty and fewer resources. The foundation is designed to help close those gaps.
“This is about more than programs or grants, it’s about people helping people,” said Patrick Spyke, LAFCU CEO. “We’ve seen the challenges families and small businesses face every day. The StableCommunities Foundation is a promise to stand with them, to invest directly in their potential, and to help turn struggle into strength.”
The foundation is led by Kelli Ellsworth Etchison, CEO, who also serves as LAFCU’s chief marketing officer and chief diversity officer. Her vision is to bring back hope.
“I want the StableCommunities Foundation to plant hope where it has been lost,” Ellsworth Etchison said. “Without hope, people can feel stuck. We want to help them find their way forward, and to build a movement where resiliency thrives, where small businesses can grow roots, and where families know they don’t have to face struggles alone.”
Grant applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and will be intentionally flexible so the foundation can respond quickly to urgent needs while also advancing long-term community stability.