The Community Foundation has made adjustments to the 2021 Grantmaking Program. Most critically, all cycles in 2021, except ongoing cycles, will allow requests for general support in addition to requests for projects. We recognize that the need for general operating support remains high and that circumstances related to the pandemic make planning for projects difficult.

Use the links below for more information on each cycle and/or reach out to the appropriate contact person as indicated to get started.

For more general information, visit our About our Grants page. 

 

GRANTS OVERVIEW

GRANT PROGRAM	OVERVIEW	APPLICATION AVAILABLE	APPLICATION  DEADLINE	STATUS	CONTACT PERSON
ENVIRONMENT & LAND USE	Eligible nonprofit partners can apply for a grant to support environment, land use, and recreation initiatives located in the Lake Charlevoix Watershed and/or Charlevoix County. This cycle aims to support environmental education, protection, restoration, recreation, sustainability initiatives, and the organizations that make that work possible. Grantee interview may be required. Grant guidelines.	January 5	March 1, 2022	Closed	Ashley Cousens
SCHOLARSHIPS	Graduating high school seniors can apply for scholarships to help with the cost of higher education. A few opportunities are also available for continuing education. Review the full list of available scholarships. Click here for how to apply for and/or renew a scholarship.	December 1	March 1, 2021	Accepting Applications	Mishelle Shooks
COMMUNITY PRiorities	All eligible nonprofit partners addressing community needs and opportunities can apply for support during this cycle. There are also dedicated dollars for arts and culture, fine arts, health, and veteran's needs, and for the organizations who make this work possible. Grant guidelines.	March 1	May 1, 2021	Accepting Applications	Ashley Cousens
GEOGRAPHIC ENRICHMENT	This cycle aims to support community needs on Beaver Island, in Boyne City, Charlevoix, and East Jordan, and the organizations who make this work possible. Grant guidelines.	August 1	October 1, 2021	Closed	Ashley Cousens
YOUTH NEEDS	This cycle aims to support youth needs in Charlevoix County, with priority consideration given to those proposals addressing youth mental health and academic stress, and the organizations that make this work possible. Grantee interview may be required. Grant guidelines.	September 1	November 1, 2021	Closed	Mishelle Shooks
SUN FUND	"Support Us Now" (SUN) Fund grants aim to improve and enrich the quality of life for residents of Charlevoix County. All eligible nonprofit partners may apply for grants of $1,000 or less at any time of year to fill an unexpected need. Grant guidelines.	Ongoing	Ongoing	Accepting Applications	Mishelle Shooks
Urgent Needs Fund	Eligible nonprofit organizations that are helping Charlevoix County residents access basic and urgent needs such as food, shelter, safety, healthcare, mental health services, utility assistance and more can apply for support during this cycle. Eligible organizations can apply any time of year and requests are reviewed weekly. Grant guidelines.	Ongoing	Ongoing	Accepting Applications	Ashley Cousens

 

Return to a Grant Application

 

Virtual Grant Information Sessions

To further explain the adjustments to the 2021 Grantmaking Program, the Community Foundation will host 2 virtual grant information sessions for prospective grant applicants. These sessions do not require an official RSVP, but if an organization wants to ensure they receive the Zoom invite link, please email Ashley Cousens at acousens@c3f.org. 

The Zoom invite link will be emailed to nonprofit partners on the day before each session. The sessions will be held on the following dates:

January 20, 2021 at 9:00 AM

February 11, 2021 at 1:30 PM

Since the content of each session will be the same there is no need to attend more than one session. Each session will include a short overview of the 2021 cycles and changes will be provided by C3F staff, followed by an open period for general questions from prospective applicants. If an organization has specific questions about a specific project or grant request, they can schedule time by using these links, with either Ashley Cousens or Mishelle Shooks for further discussion. 

Click here at 1:30pm on February 11, 2021 to join the Zoom meeting.

 

FAQ

WHO CAN APPLY

501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, educational institutions (preschool through college), and all units of government serving Charlevoix County residents. Additionally, organizations listed above that do not discriminate in hiring of staff or the provision of services. See chart above for who can apply for which specific grant cycles. Also, feel free to contact the person listed if you have more questions about your eligibility to apply. Fundable organizations must be current with follow up reports for all previous grant awards and be in good standing with the IRS.

 

WHAT WE FUND

Arts and culture, education, environment and land use initiatives, community and economic development, civic improvement, human services, health and wellness projects, recreation, and youth projects. Proposed programs/projects must benefit Charlevoix County residents.

 

WHAT WE USUALLY DON'T FUND

Ongoing operating expenses*, political campaigns, sectarian projects, loan payments or deficit spending, services normally supported by tax dollars, annual fundraisers, or grants to individuals.

*In response to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, requests for operating expenses (general support) have been allowed. In 2021, all cycles, except for ongoing cycles, allow general support requests to be considered for funding. See chart above for more information.

 

WHEN TO APPLY

Applications for all grant cycles are due by 11:59 PM on the due date. Due dates for each grant cycle are listed in the chart above.  

 

HOW TO APPLY

To get started on any of the grant cycles, contact Community Foundation staff to discuss eligibility with Ashley or Mishelle. See chart above to determine which staff member to contact for a particular cycle. If you are approved to apply, you will receive an access code for the online grant application and account logon page. You can log back into a grant application you started by clicking here. Once you click "submit" on your application, you will no longer be able to access the application. Contact Ashley or Mishelle for assistance and guidance. 

 

WHAT TO DO AFTER FUNDING

If you receive a grant from the Community Foundation, you will be provided with more information about what to do next. However, you can prepare yourself by checking out our page about Grant Follow-Up.