Kettering University

Page: 1 - 2 - Multimedia

From knapsack to boardroom - Page 2

“I feel good about what I am doing. It takes work to be successful in your giving, but you feel better about giving back. I hope that my experience will inspire other Arab Americans to stand up, be proud of their identity and give generously where they can,” he said.

To leverage his donation for the greatest impact, Ebeid partnered with Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) to engage the broader community in his donation while benefiting Kettering and bringing greater visibility to ACCESS and the Arab American National Museum, according to Maha Freij, ACCESS deputy executive director/CFO. With the guidance of ACCESS staff, Ebeid created an endowed fund at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan (CFSEM) and leveraged his $500,000 to receive a $250,000 match from CFSEM, establishing the $750,000 Ebeid Family Fund.

For the first 25 years of the fund, the majority of the grants will be given as scholarships for Arab-American youth attending Kettering University. The Ebeid Family Fund will then become a permanent endowment after 25 years to support charitable programs in southeast Michigan that provide educational, arts and cultural opportunities for promising, low-income youth with demonstrated leadership skills.

“Mr. Ebeid has established a legacy that will support educational and cultural services in southeast Michigan and across the United States in a manner that we hope will motivate other philanthropists in the Arab-American community.We hope that other community foundations around the country will also partner with Arab-American non-profit organizations to cultivate their donors for strategic and long-term philanthropy,” said Mariam Noland, president of CFSEM.