Haans and Anita Mulder

Haans and Anita Mulder Family Fund

From Haans and Anita Mulder’s initial introduction as childhood friends, to their current relationship as husband and wife, family has played a meaningful role each step of the way. Their engagement with the local community is another nod to family — both were raised by faithful parents who emphasized the responsibility of giving back.

The Mulders share a strong connection to the Holland area. Haans has called Holland home for most of his life; while Anita’s family split their time between Grand Rapids during the school year, and a cottage in Holland during the summer. Haans’s parents also owned a cottage in the same association, starting what would become a lifelong union between the two families. “We both had families who brought us to numerous community events during our youth and role-modeled what it means to be a part of, and how to give back to, the community,” said Anita.

Haans and Anita saw each other only during the summer and always attended different schools. After college, a challenging family event for Haans led to Anita offering to drive him across the country to law school in Oregon. “Three days on the road and the rest is history,” Haans said.

The Mulders settled back in Holland after Haans finished law school. He’s currently a partner at Cunningham Dalman, P.C.. Together, he and Anita are raising three daughters, Beatrice, Sylvie and Anselle. Guided by their faith, and continuing the example set by each of their families, they believe in looking at the ‘big picture’ of need in the community and partnering with organizations working to meet that need. One adjustment they’ve made along the way — seeking out more personal connection.

“We are realizing the importance of relationships,” said Haans, “and the impact we can make on a personal level alongside our investment at the community level. That’s certainly something we want to instill in our girls.”

The desire to blend community-level leadership and personal impact led the Mulders to their involvement with the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area. They appreciate the ability to make large-scale impact now, plan for the community’s future, and become more closely involved with organizations tackling issues close to their hearts. They also cite the transparency provided by the Foundation, and the ability to see impact, as a reason why they continue to support CFHZ.

Haans and Anita’s partnership with CFHZ includes support of the Haans and Anita Mulder Family Fund, an unrestricted fund of the Community’s Endowment; the Holland Zeeland Promise Scholarship; and most recently support of the Emergency Human Needs Fund. Additionally, Haans served as a member of the Board of Trustees from 2000–2019, including a year as board chair.

He is encouraged by CFHZ’s focus on empowering the next generation. “It’s a quiet thing the Foundation does, but arguably one of the most important. We need people to be intentional about the future leadership in this community.”

It’s clear the Mulders are committed to continuing the legacy of their families and answering the call to serve their community. Anita said simply, “I think ordinary people do extraordinary things, but sometimes they don’t realize it. We all, collectively, can help move the needle on the issues that matter most.”

Originally featured in the Community Foundation’s 2020 Winter Newsletter. While this was written by CFHZ’s Communications Associate Ellie Davis in 2020, we believe that stories of generosity are timeless and always relevant.

To learn more about our Community’s Endowment, visit www.cfhz.org/communitysendowment