Celebrating Kate: A Season of Recognition

Twenty-five years ago, Kate Levin Markel joined the McGregor Fund. In the time since, she has shown what it means to lead with humility and to build trusting relationships with the communities and grant partners the Fund serves. As she prepares to step down as President of the Fund at the end of this year, her legacy is being honored during a richly-deserved season of recognition.

This fall, Kate is being honored by three organizations: the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Greater Detroit Chapter, and the Ruth Ellis Center, a long-time McGregor Fund grant partner.

Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan’s Tough Enough to be a Girl Scout Award

On September 10, Kate received a Tough Enough to be a Girl Scout Award from the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan, honoring individuals “whose leadership, youth advocacy, and community impact reflect what it means to be ‘Tough Enough’ to be a Girl Scout.” Kate and her fellow honorees also joined GSSEM’s panel addressing how youth organizations, employers and philanthropies can meet young people where they are in a changing world of work. 

During her 25 years at the Fund, Kate has strongly supported creating durable pathways for youth and all people to access dignified employment.

“Young women should get comfortable taking up space, even when they don’t feel ‘ready’ to do so. Use your voice and build your leadership muscles, resilience, and adaptability along the way. Sit with discomfort, learn to take feedback thoughtfully, and keep listening and moving forward. Most important: build authentic, trusting relationships. If you listen, learn and follow through as a true partner, you will have a greater impact and be equipped to help more people long-term.”

Ruth Ellis Center’s VOICES Community Impact Award

Later in the month, during the VOICES 2026 dinner, the Ruth Ellis Center will celebrate Kate and the McGregor Fund with its Community Impact Award. REC gives this award to an organization or person who has “a history of service to the community served by Ruth Ellis Center, leads with authenticity, showcases a clear commitment to the advancement of others and believes strongly in a vision for a more equitable, just world as well as the Center, its mission and work.”

The Fund’s long-time partnership with the Ruth Ellis Center has included funding for general operations and the construction of REC’s Clairmount Center which provides permanent supportive housing and wellness services to LGBTQ+ youth in Southeast Michigan. 

Reflecting on this partnership, Kate Levin Markel shares, “My 20+ years partnering with the Ruth Ellis Center has taught me so much about showing up for young people, without judgment or conditions attached. I continue to be inspired by the innovation, deep caring, and joyful spirit that the REC team brings to its work every day. It has truly been an honor for the McGregor team and board to support their work over the years.”

Association of Fundraising Professionals, Greater Detroit’s Spirit of Philanthropy Award

On November 12, Kate will be honored with the Spirit of Philanthropy Award at AFP Greater Detroit’s National Philanthropy Day Awards Ceremony & Dinner at The Henry Ford. Kate was honored to be nominated by Ryan Hertz, President and CEO of long-time grant partner Lighthouse and a McGregor Fund Miller Fellow.

Throughout her tenure at the Fund, Kate has helped shape a model of philanthropy built on trust, listening, partnership and responsiveness to what communities say they actually need — the approach AFP Greater Detroit is recognizing here.

“Kate has strengthened and expanded the McGregor Fund’s commitment to values-driven, community-centered philanthropy rooted in racial and economic justice, nonprofit partnership, and long-term systems change. A Detroit native, Kate brings a uniquely broad and thoughtful perspective to her leadership…a leadership style that is both strategic and deeply grounded in the realities facing communities and nonprofit organizations.”

Avalon Healing Center 20th Anniversary Event

On September 24, Avalon Healing Center, a long-time McGregor Fund grantee partner, will be celebrating 20 years of providing compassionate and trauma-informed care to survivors of sexual assault. During their Waves of Change Cruise, Avalon will recognize community partners who have supported this work and who have helped preserve accessibility to its critical, life-saving services. Kate will be accepting this honor on behalf of the Fund.

From Avalon: “From being our very first foundation grant, creatively helping to build our capacity through innovative and effective outside-the-box grantmaking, and being the first foundation to publicly donate to our capital campaign, to leadership in spaces working to break down barriers and challenges for non-profit organizations in extremely divisive times: Funders like you and the team are a rarity, when they should be the norm. 

The leadership within McGregor is unparalleled in its brave and unapologetic focus on your grantees and the people they serve. Your intentional and best practice approach to your mission is impressive and we want to lift up McGregor for its many years of support. This has truly led to us still being here 20 years after opening our doors.”

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Kate made her decision to transition from the Fund’s leadership public months in advance, implementing a deliberately unhurried process designed to protect continuity for our team, our trustees, and most importantly, our grant partners. Her consideration for and singular focus on our partners continues — providing a clear example of why she is being recognized at this time.

These awards are also an acknowledgement of an approach to philanthropy that owes its existence to the grant partners who have formed, critiqued and strengthened Kate’s, and all of our, work. During her 25 years with us, she’s led us towards a community-centered, justice-rooted way of doing our work, one that builds on the intentions of our founders and that reflects what our grant partners have asked of us.

From the McGregor Fund Trustees and staff: Congratulations Kate!