The Community Foundation has made adjustments to the 2022 Grantmaking Program. Most critically, all cycles in 2022, 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. The first step in applying for a grant is to have a conversation with one of our staff. 

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, 2023	Closed	Ashley Cousens
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 & culture and health, and for the organizations who make this work possible. Grant guidelines.	March 3	May 1, 2023	Closed	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, 2022	Closed	Ashley Cousens
YOUTH NEEDS	This cycle aims to support top youth needs in Charlevoix County, and the organizations that make this work possible. Grantee interview may be required. Grant guidelines.	September 1	November 1, 2022	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 or Ashley Cousens
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

 

2022 Grant information sessions

The Community Foundation hosted two grant information sessions in early 2022 to kick off the grantmaking year. Attendees could join the virtual session that best aligned with their schedule to learn more about this year's grant criteria and any changes that were made to the grant cycles. 

In 2022, grant cycle deadlines remain the same as in 2021, but some criteria has been changed. Ashley Cousens and Mishelle Shooks hosted session on January 18th at 9am and on February 3rd at 1pm for partners to learn more and get questions answered. 

 

Did you miss the live meetings? Not to worry. Here's a link to the recorded session. Contact Ashley Cousens or Mishelle Shooks for specifics about any of the cycles or if you have questions about your grant ideas and where they might fit best. We are always happy to talk with you!  

One more grant information session will be scheduled sometime in August or early September, as the fall deadlines for the Geographic Enrichment and Youth Needs grant cycles approach. Stay tuned for more details later this summer. 

 

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 2022, 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.