About us
Susan Kennedy grew up at High Orchard.
We honor her love and kindness through philanthropy.
The Meadows
Carrie and Harry Boyd Earhart and their four children, Margaret, Louise, Richard, and Elizabeth moved to Ann Arbor, MI in 1916 into a 400-acre property, a historic dairy farm along the Huron River known as "The Meadows". While vacationing in North Carolina the first year they lived at the Meadows, Elizabeth fell in love with horseback riding. When they returned home, her father bought a pair of horses. Like his daughter, H. B. Earhart enjoyed riding, and although Carrie Earhart did not share their enthusiasm, she contributed to their pleasure by having daffodils planted in the woods, which spread and naturalized. Even today, residents of the Earhart subdivision tell of buying a house in the winter and being pleasantly surprised when the daffodils bloom in the spring. Their home is currently the site of Concordia University Ann Arbor.
High Orchard
Elizabeth, married to attorney James Kennedy, and their children, Joan, David, Ann, Susan, and James, lived on property adjoining her parents' estate in part of an apple orchard originally owned by Detroit Edison.
Elizabeth was deeply involved in Girl Scouts, first on the local level in Ann Arbor and ultimately as a member of the national board of Girl Scouts of the USA. During World War II, she served as then Governor Kelly's director of the Civilian Defense Volunteer Organization assisting in the recruitment of WACS for the U.S. Army and personnel for the Red Cross. For more than 60 years she was a corporate member of the Earhart Foundation of Ann Arbor. In the early 1950s, she created the Elizabeth E. Kennedy Fund, a Michigan foundation, for carrying out her numerous philanthropies. One of her legacies was the gift of land near Harbor Springs to the Little Traverse Conservancy which led to the establishment of the Thorne Swift Nature Preserve.
The High Orchard Charitable Foundation
At The High Orchard Charitable Foundation, our mission is to create lasting, meaningful impact across the pillars of education, animal welfare, healthcare, environmental sustainability, and social services. Driven by an unwavering commitment to the greater good, we support initiatives that uplift lives, protect our planet, and foster compassionate communities. Every grant we provide is a step toward a more equitable, healthy, and hopeful world—for all beings and future generations.
With a focus on education, animal welfare, healthcare, environmental sustainability, and social services, we are committed to making a difference and creating a better world for everyone. Join us in our mission and help us make a lasting impact in the lives of those in need.
Empowering Nonprofits, Enriching Communities.
Founded in 2023, The High Orchard Charitable Foundation was born from a simple yet powerful idea: to support the organizations that support others. We recognized the need for reliable, mission-driven funding to help nonprofits thrive—and we stepped in to meet that need.
Our passion for philanthropy fuels everything we do. Through strategic grantmaking, we champion causes that uplift communities and create lasting change. From education and animal welfare to healthcare, environmental sustainability, and social services, our partnerships span a wide range of impact areas.
As we grow, so does our commitment to the greater good. We're proud to stand alongside nonprofits that are making a difference—and we're just getting started.