Express what you're carrying.
Photography. Music. Painting. Drawing. Writing. Film. Sculpture. Whatever medium feels natural. No artistic experience required.
HOPE
Current initiative
Create Hope.
Shirley's Fund Company is a Michigan-based 501(c)(3). Right now, our primary goal is to raise $30,000 to launch free Create Hope experiences in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Medellín, Colombia in October 2026.
We’re creating places where people can get some of what they’re carrying out through art, connect with other people, and realize they don’t have to go through it alone.
501(c)(3) · EIN 99-3010688 · Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Why Shirley's Fund exists
People
helping
people.
helping
people.
The mission
Shirley's Fund Company was founded in honor of my grandmother, Shirley, who taught me photography, business sense, and—more importantly—how to show up for people.
Today, we focus on mental health through creativity and targeted family relief projects where support can be direct, practical, and easy to understand.
Our current initiative is Create Hope. The goal is to give people creative ways to get some of what they're carrying out of their heads and into something they can make, share, or talk about.
Small acts of care can change a day, a season, or even a life.
What Create Hope actually does
Give people a place to begin.
Create Hope is not therapy and does not replace professional mental health care. It is a community arts and storytelling project designed to create room for expression, connection, conversation, resources, and hope.
Tell the story if you want to.
People can share what they made, explain what it means, or tell their story in their own words—only if and how they choose.
Know you are not alone.
Art becomes a reason for people to see one another, hear one another, and begin conversations that can otherwise be difficult to start.
Build something that lasts.
The first events are the beginning. Create Hope will build reusable bilingual materials, event guides, volunteer tools, and community resources.
Where the money goes
$30K
with a
purpose.
with a
purpose.
Why we need $30,000
We're building more than two events.
The $30,000 goal is designed to launch the first two free Create Hope events in October and create the reusable foundation for a long-term bilingual program. The money helps us create real experiences where people can make something, meet somebody, share if they choose, find resources, and leave knowing they are not alone.
Ann Arbor event — venue, permits, insurance, materials, accessibility, equipment, and operations
$6,000
Medellín event — local coordination, venue, staffing, materials, transportation, translation, and operations
$6,000
Art supplies and reusable creative equipment
$3,000
Mental health partners, educators, facilitators, and community organization support
$3,000
Community access — transportation, accessibility, and participation support
$2,000
Bilingual outreach, promotion, printing, media, and community awareness
$3,500
Documentary photography, video, interviews, editing, and the digital gallery
$2,500
Event guide, workshop plans, volunteer training, bilingual toolkit, branding, and reusable program assets
$1,500
Donation processing, administration, insurance, accounting, and contingency
$2,500
Total Create Hope campaign goal
$30,000
These are projected allocations. Final spending may shift as venues, partners, facilitators, vendors, and program needs are confirmed. Shirley's Fund will continue to keep the project transparent as it develops.
Donate to Create Hope
Choose how big a piece you want to help make possible.
Give once, give monthly where available, or choose any amount. Every contribution supports the same mission: creating free experiences where people can express what they're carrying, connect with others, and know they are not alone.
What would you like to help make possible?
$5,000
Founding Create Hope Partner
Help underwrite the inaugural events and long-term program.
$2,500
Build Hope Partner
Make a major contribution toward launching the program.
$1,000
Bring People Together
Help bring a major piece of a Create Hope event to life.
$500
Open the Door
Help make free community programming possible.
$250
Share the Story
Support outreach, resources, stories, and awareness.
$100
Create a Space
Help build welcoming spaces for people to create and connect.
$50
Find the Words
Support creative expression and storytelling.
$25
Make Something
Help put creative materials into the program.
Any Amount
Give What You Can
Choose the amount that feels right for you.
Shirley's Fund Company is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
EIN: 99-3010688. Donation receipts are issued by email.
What we're doing
Two clear projects.
Our focus is intentionally simple: Create Hope now, and Medellín Holiday Cares beginning November 1, 2026.
Create Hope.
Free mental health and creativity experiences in Ann Arbor and Medellín, plus the bilingual resources and program framework needed to keep Create Hope growing long term.
See Create Hope →Medellín Holiday Cares.
Our annual holiday relief campaign for food, gifts, and practical support for children and families in Medellín returns November 1, 2026.
See the holiday project →Get in touch
Want to help another way?
Partnerships, media, venues, volunteers, in-kind support, or questions about giving are all welcome.
Email: [email protected]