Volunteer and Philanthropic Activities
Dunning's largest impact on the Plymouth community has been in her volunteer and charitable endeavors that began in 1942. From 1942-1945, Dunning served as a volunteer in the local American Red Cross motor pool, driving a truck.
In 1947, Margaret and her mother, Bessie, purchased a property and building to house the Plymouth branch of the Wayne County Library System. Because of their generosity, the city renamed the branch the "Dunning Branch". Today, the Plymouth District Library, no longer part of the Wayne County System, is housed in the "Dunning-Hough Library".
Dunning served on the board of Community Federal Credit Union in Plymouth from 1962 to 1984, and was president of the board for 19 of those years. The assets of the Credit Union increased from $1 million and one office to $40 million and six offices during Dunning's tenure on the board. The Credit Union established the Margaret Dunning Scholarship Fund in 1989 in her honor for her contributions to the Plymouth community. She has served on other local boards, including the Board of Directors of the Dunning Branch of the Wayne County Library.
In 1971, when the Plymouth Historical Society was looking for money to build a new museum building, Dunning stepped forward and donated in excess of US$100,000. That donation allowed for the construction of a 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) building to house the historical artifacts of the community. In 1998, the Plymouth Historical Society purchased a sizeable collection of Abraham Lincoln memorabilia from Dr. Weldon Petz. By this time, the Museum was at capacity and had nowhere to store or exhibit the new collection. Again Dunning stepped forward, this time with a $1 million donation to add an additional 9,800 square feet (910 m2) to the Museum building on two floors. Dunning is a permanent member of the Plymouth Historical Society's Board of Directors.
In 1997, Dunning established the Margaret Dunning Foundation as a private grantmaking foundation, which also gives occasional grants to the Plymouth Historical Museum.
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