One Mission

Friends of Lake Leelanau

& Lake Leelanau Lake Association

/ Two Independent Organizations

Inception

August 2021

The mission of Friends of Lake Leelanau is to protect the waters of Lake Leelanau in perpetuity. Friends accomplishes this goal through an endowment, the income which is distributed to organizations focused on improving the aquatic health of Lake Leelanau. Founded in 2021, Friends has approximately 575 donors.

1980

The mission of the Lake Leelanau Lake Association (LLLA) is to protect and enhance the quality and beauty of Lake Leelanau and its surrounding watershed for current and future generations. Established in 1980, the Association currently has approximately 575 members.

Type of Nonprofit

Foundation

The Foundation was established to provide financing to organizations with the capacity to address challenges or threats which may adversely affect Lake Leelanau and its watershed, including, for example, the prevention, monitoring, and control of invasive species. Gifts to the Foundation are invested in an endowment fund.

Association

Donations, grants and membership dues help fund the Association’s programs to protect and preserve Lake Leelanau. These programs include preventing, monitoring, and remediating aquatic invasive species, constructing boat cleaning stations, monitoring water quality, protecting the shoreline, and educating individuals on lake stewardship.

Finances

$9,900,000

Friends' made its first grant to the Lake Association in January 2025: $291,000, which accounted for approximately 60% of the Association's 2025 operating budget. In March 2026, Friends' announced it had granted $329,620 to support LLLA's 2026 lake stewardship program. The grant will cover 56% of LLLA's projected total budget of $591,400.

$600,000

The Association's annual budget of nearly $600,000 funds the nonprofit's lake stewardship activities. Approximately two-thirds of the Association’s annual budget, or nearly $400,000, is spent on the stewardship activities described above.

Governance

The Foundation is governed by five board members:

  • Jennie Keller, President
  • Tom Hiatt, Executive Vice President
  • Dawn Lund, Treasurer
  • Carol Rademacher, Secretary
  • Tom Reahard, Board Member

Friends' Board of Directors invites grant requests from qualified organizations which have a demonstrated capability to manage programs to protect Lake Leelanau.

The Lake Association is governed by a 22-member board of directors and guided by four officers:

  • Nancy Popa, President
  • Laurie Wilkins, Vice President and Treasurer
  • Greg Vogt, Secretary
  • Tom Hiatt, Past President

In addition, a number of other individuals with experience in finance, lake ecology, law, government, communications and business serve on the Association’s committees and task forces. The Association is also supported by more than 100 volunteers who help implement its programs.

Supporting Lake Leelanau for the long-term

Friends was formed to raise, invest, grant and monitor its financial contributions to other organizations. It does not plan to engage directly in program management. The Association and other organizations have the capacity to develop and implement programs to protect the health and beauty of Lake Leelanau. Although Friends and the Lake Asssociation share many common supporters, the two orgaizations are distinct legal entities which operate independently. Friends' independence provides it the flexibility to grant funds to any organization which is uniquely qualified to protect the health of Lake Leelanau.