What is The Folded Leaf Foundation?

Mission

To cultivate community resilience, creativity, literacy, and belonging through shared knowledge, hands-on learning, and accessible community spaces.

A young girl lying on her stomach on a beach towel in the sand, reading a book, with a blurred background of beachgoers and beach tents.

Vision

A warm, welcoming third space where people of all ages can gather to read, learn, create, rest, and connect without pressure to purchase or perform.

A smiling woman standing in a doorway holding a coat and a small bag, with Christmas lights overhead and a glass window reflecting an outdoor umbrella and chairs.

Make an
impact today

When you choose to give to The Folded Leaf Foundation, you become part of something bigger—something powerful. Here at TFLF we believe in cultivating community resilience and creativity in Northern Michigan through shared knowledge, hands-on learning, and the quiet power of a good book.

Our Programs

A woman and young boy with curly hair inside a cozy fabric play tent on a wooden floor, smiling and sharing a happy moment, with toys visible nearby.

  • The Literacy Promise Project is a mentorship-based reading program that pairs high school students with younger students across Northwest Lower Michigan. Together, they read a banned, challenged, or classic book over one to three months, then create a community improvement project inspired by the story’s themes. Designed especially to support at-risk youth, the program also provides practical care through grocery, household, or hygiene bags at each meeting. Monetary donations directly support both the books used in the program and the essential items provided to participants and their families.

Help us hit the ground running! Support Today
Help us hit the ground running! Support Today
I want to learn more about participating
I want to learn more about participating
Two girls walking arm in arm along an urban street, dressed in casual summer dresses, with one girl wearing a black dress with a floral pattern and the other in a light-colored floral dress, sunlight illuminating the scene with tall brick buildings and a tree in the background.

  • The Folded Leaf Foundation General Fund is for operating expenses like background checks, licensing fees, overhead costs (i.e. office rent), and critical community support for our neighbors.

    Please email rachel@thefoldedleafleelanau.com for more details or questions.

Contribute to the General Fund
Contribute to the General Fund
Flyer for Earth Day celebration by Bay Area Recycling, with a green theme including a drawing of Earth held in hands, leaves, stars, and recycling symbols. It promotes donations for recycling initiatives and has a QR code for donations.

  • 🌟 Join us in Creating Change in Northern Michigan! 🌟

    At The Folded Leaf Foundation, we know that change happens through partnership and starts with people like you. Every act of kindness in the community, every dollar, and every moment of your time brings us closer to achieving our mission. Together with BARC (Bay Area Recycling for Community), we can create a brighter, more compassionate world for all.

    How you can help power our mission:

    1. Donate: Every dollar counts. Contribute now to help us reach our goal of securing a new compost hauler for BARC to partner with Carters Compost!

    2. Share: Share our campaign with your friends, family, and on social media. Your advocacy can amplify our impact.

    3. Volunteer: Your time and skills can make an impact, too. Find volunteer opportunities on the BARC website. 

    Thank you for supporting our mission. Your support is invaluable.

Help us reduce organic waste in NoMi!
Help us reduce organic waste in NoMi!

Book Wish List

These are some of the books we need for The Literacy Promise Project! Take a look at the list, and if you have any gently used copies, we would be happy to accept them as donations. If you don’t, but you still want to help out, consider donating and specifying how you would like your donation used!

Cover of All American Boys
Two copies of a children's book titled 'The 1619 Project: Born on Water' by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renée Watson, illustrated by Nikolas Smith, with a cover illustration of two children, a girl and a boy, swimming in water under a cloudy sky.
Book cover for "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis. Features a large lion's face in the background, a white witch in a blue dress casting a spell, and four children dressed as medieval warriors preparing to fight.
Book cover of 'I Am Malala' showing Malala Yousafzai wearing a pink and floral scarf, seated against a blue background.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
by Judy Blume

I Am Malala
by Malala Yousafzai

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
by C.S. Lewis

Born on the Water
by Nikole Hannah-Jones and
Renee Watson

Book cover of 'Where the Wild Things Are' by Maurice Sendak, depicting a large wild creature with horns, sitting among trees with palm-like leaves, and a sailing ship in the water.

Where The Wild Things Are
by Maurice Sendak

A girl with dark skin and black hair in a bun, wearing a beige T-shirt with cut-out shoulders, holding a pink backpack decorated with various patches, and looking to the right. The book title is "A Good Kind of Trouble" with author Lisa Moore Ramée, featuring a quote from Angie Thomas.

All American Boys
by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

A Good Kind of Trouble
by Lisa Moore Ramee

Book cover of 'Little House on the Prairie' by Laura Ingalls Wilder, illustrated by Garth Williams. The cover features a family riding in a covered wagon in a prairie setting, with a dog in front. The border has a red and white checkered pattern, and there are logos indicating the 65th anniversary of Little House on the Prairie.
Book cover titled "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky, featuring a young man with dark hair, wearing a red jacket and striped shirt, standing in front of a green background with orange flowers.
Book cover of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee, featuring a silhouette of a girl on a tire swing hanging from a tree branch, with a gold badge indicating 60th anniversary edition and over 30 million copies sold worldwide.

To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee

A girl with dark hair, wearing a purple top and a red skirt with floral patterns, holding a white feather. The background features a large moon and a stylized water scene with the text 'We Are Water Protectors' and a gold medal. The top left corner credits Carole Lindstrom as the writer and Michaela Goade as the illustrator.
A book cover with a yellow background pattern, featuring black and white photo of a girl with a headscarf, text indicating 'Sold' in red, and a silver emblem that reads 'National Book Award Finalist' by Patricia McCormick.

Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky

Sold
by Patricia McCormick

A young woman in a plaid dress and black shoes, standing on one leg with the other bent and toe touching the ground. She is outdoors against a light blue background, with artistic text and a purple heart that reads 'Now a major motion picture.' The text reads 'Are you there God? It's me, Margaret. study Blue'.

We Are Water Protectors
by Carole Lindstrom

Little House on the Prairie
by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Our Community Partners

Close-up of rainbow-colored fabric with red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and pink sections, showing texture and folds.

Up North Pride

Close-up of roasted coffee beans spread out in a surface.

Higher Grounds Coffee Trading

Three children holding hands and standing in a grassy field, facing away, with trees in the background.

Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center

Join the Community That Cares

Do you or your company want to connect about being a partner for our Literacy Promise Projects? We would love to chat!

Send Rachel an email at rachel@thefoldedleafleelanau.com today!

Volunteer With TFLF!

Help us turn pages into progress! Every hour you spend sorting, pricing, and shelving used books directly funds programs like The Literacy Promise Project.

Circular logo for The Folded Leaf Foundation featuring an open book with foliage emerging from its pages, with text indicating it's a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
Circular logo for The Folded Leaf Foundation featuring an open book with foliage emerging from its pages, with text indicating it's a 501(c)(3) nonprofit

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes! Donors can deduct contributions they make to TFLF under IRC Section 170 and transfers or gifts under Section 2055, 2106, or 2522. If you monetarily donate through Zeffy, you will automatically get a deduction receipt.

  • Your donation goes directly to community outreach programs like The Literacy Promise Project.

  • Yes! We are always looking for volunteers to sort books, lead life-literacy classes, and mentor kids in our youth programs

  • We accept book donations. Please check with Rachel regarding which books are being accepted right now.

  • Yes, you can absolutely donate in honor of someone.