About Us
Family Partners was founded in 2025 to help families struggling with poverty achieve self-sufficiency. However, the genesis for the idea goes back to 2020, when the idea of Universal Basic Income gained prominence in the United States following the presidential campaign of Andew Yang. The Founders, Mark Eriks and his wife, Lisa Stewart Eriks, share a passion for breaking the cycle of poverty, and were intrigued by the documented benefits of giving money directly to the people who need it most. However, they were skeptical of the idea that money alone was enough to address the challenges of generational poverty.
The “Big Idea” was to provide monthly financial grants to families in partnership with trusted nonprofits that were already providing valuable, ongoing services to families. The goal of Family Partners is to augment -- rather than duplicate -- the efforts of existing nonprofit organizations that are doing great work in our communities. Our experience has shown that the best candidates for monthly financial grants are families who are working (often multiple jobs) and utilizing the services the nonprofit is providing, but still lack the resources to achieve financial stability and independence.
We started these partnerships in Grand Rapids, MI and Louisville, KY in 2022, providing the monthly grants through our Donor Advised Fund. We are currently supporting 15 families and the model – coupling financial resources with ongoing support – is working! We already have several successful families who have “graduated” from the program and are now financially stable. We established Family Partners Inc. as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization to multiply our impact and allow others to share in the joy of using their financial resources to change the lives of families in our communities.
Our Board
The leaders guiding our mission and stewarding our impact.
Lisa Cruden
PRESIDENT
Lisa Cruden is the President of Exalta Health, where she provides strategic leadership to advance compassionate, whole-person healthcare for underserved communities in Grand Rapids. She previously served for 13 years at Family Promise of West Michigan, most recently as Chief Program Officer, where she led program development, managed large and complex budgets, and supervised multidisciplinary teams delivering housing and supportive services to families experiencing homelessness. In addition to her executive leadership role, Lisa serves as an adjunct instructor in the Master of Social Work program at Grand Valley State University, supporting the development of future social work leaders.
Norman Donkersloot
TREASURER
After a short stint in banking, Norm spent 35 years as the CFO of Western Theological Seminary. Now retired, he uses his financial background as a volunteer for Christian educational and civic organizations. Norm and his wife Anna split their time between Michigan and North Carolina. They have two married daughters who live in New York and Washington.
Theresa Wilson
SECRETARY
Theresa Wilson is the director of The Louisville Fellows Program, a leadership development program for recent college graduates forming them as marketplace and ministry leaders committed to enriching the culture of local cities. She holds an M.A. in Leadership from Denver Seminary with a focus in Student Affair in Higher Education through Colorado State University. Theresa is married to Fr. Clint Wilson, the rector of St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church, and they have two sons, James and Leo, and an energetic black lab, Basil.
Jesse Eubanks
DIRECTOR
Jesse Eubanks is a journalist and author with over two decades of experience as a nonprofit leader working at the intersection of faith, poverty, culture, and public education. His background includes long-term leadership and on-the-ground experience with faith-based organizations focused on homelessness, addiction recovery, young adult volunteerism, and urban discipleship.
He is the author of How We Relate and the founder of RelateBetter, a company that develops tools and resources used by organizations, counselors, and leaders to strengthen relational health and workplace culture. Across his work, Jesse consistently focuses on poverty, spiritual formation, relational health, and the power of curiosity to open new pathways forward.
Jesse is currently the creator, producer, and host of Wonderology, a narrative journalism podcast produced in partnership with Christianity Today and BioLogos, and funded by the John Templeton Foundation.
Kelly Smallegan-Maas
DIRECTOR
Kelly Smallegan-Maas is a senior business and marketing leader with nearly 25 years of experience driving growth, innovation and organizational transformation across the food, consumer goods and services sectors. She is the owner of Making Thyme Kitchen, a prepared-foods business based in Grand Rapids.
Previously, Kelly held senior leadership roles at Gordon Food Service, where she led North American marketing and brand strategy across the U.S. and Canada.
Kelly brings a practical, results-oriented perspective shaped by experience in both large enterprise and owner-operator environments. Her areas of expertise include brand strategy, product commercialization, customer experience, digital and omnichannel marketing and team leadership.
