Grosse Pointe Family Gifts $250K to United Way to Support Early Education Work

Grosse Pointe Farms Resident Mike Shields, along with his sons Chris, Thomas, Michael and Henry, recently invested in children’s education with a gift of $250,000 in support of United Way for Southeastern Michigan’s Early Childhood initiative. The donation will be used to support resources for parents and caregivers to better ensure their children are prepared to succeed in kindergarten, long before they set foot inside a classroom. In our region, where fewer than half of all children are developmentally ready for kindergarten, the Shields’ gift will go a long way toward improving educational outcomes for young students.

“I was looking to support a charity that I could get involved with, one that’s making a difference and doing meaningful work with families, especially children,” said Mike Shields. “It was also important that I demonstrate the importance of giving back to my own sons so that they may carry it on into the next generation.”

United Way for Southeastern Michigan’s Early Childhood initiative is supported by a four-year, $6,000,000 federal grant from the Social Innovation Fund (SIF), a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service. As part of requirements for SIF grantees, United Way, as well as its sub-grantee partner agencies in this work, must match the federal funds dollar-for-dollar.

The $250,000 gift to United Way will be designated as part of the SIF dollar match, and also count toward the organization’s overarching 2016-18 Annual Community Giving goal of $100 million.

For more information about United Way for Southeastern Michigan, visit liveunistedsem.org.