Over $420,000 in grants awarded to 57 local organizations
Emmet County residents will receive nourishing food. Preschool-aged students will gain access to more quality, shaded outdoor play spaces. Projects ranging from solar energy installation and wetland restoration to exploring Michigan history through art will help improve the quality of life for people in Emmet County.
The Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation is awarding $421,796 in grants as part of its Spring 2024 grant cycle. A total of 57 organizations including nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and municipalities that serve the people of Emmet County will receive grant awards for a variety of services, programming, and capital improvements.
“The Community Foundation is continually inspired by the diversity and depth of our partners’ initiatives,” said Jenni Attie, chair of the Foundation’s Grant Distribution Committee. “Their ongoing efforts not only makes our work possible but also strengthens the fabric of our community.”
As part of the overall awards, the foundation’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) recommended $79,547 in grants from the Fund for Youth to 22 organizations after conducting in-person interviews. The YAC is comprised of 21 area teens in grades 8-12.
In addition to the Fund for the Community and the Fund for Youth, support for the grant cycle came from a variety of funds held at the Community Foundation including field of interest funds addressing specific areas such as youth needs, youth recreation, and science initiatives. Support also came from donor advised funds, which are created by individuals and families to carry out their charitable giving.
- Anonymous Fundd
- Birchwood Outreach Fund
- Boeckman Family Fund
- Circuit Control Charitable Fund
- Clarke Family Fund
- Fresh Baby Building Healthy Communities Fund
- Jack Michael Duff Memorial Fund
- Chip and Jean Frentz Family Fund
- Ted and Brenda Frey Donor Advised Fund
- Barbara and Jerome Hoganson Family Fund
- Ledyard Family Charitable Fund
- Maude and Gorton Milliken Fund
- Thomas D. Ogden Family Fund
- Mary Elliott Rapin Fund
- Walstrom Marine Charitable Fund
- Dorothy Scott Fund for Senior Citizens
- Healthy Community Fund
- Jeff Kring Outdoor Youth Education Fund
- Matt Mathias Fund for Conservation
- Northern Michigan Housing Fund
- Robert Horner Fund for Natural Resource Conservation
- Science for the Future Fund
- Shoreline Fund
- United Way Health and Human Services Fund.
| Organization Name | Grant Purpose | Grant Amount |
| Alanson Church of the Nazarene | Replace food pantry vehicle | $12,000 |
| Bay Bluffs - Emmet County Medical Care Facility | Provide outdoor recreation opportunities for elders | $7,600 |
| Bay View Association | Bring American Spirituals concerts to N. MI audiences | $3,500 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Michigan | Connect youth to mentorship program | $10,500 |
| Big Water Creative Arts, Inc. | Introduce music classes for cognitively impaired students | $3,200 |
| C.S. Lewis Festival | Explore the life and work of C.S. Lewis at the 2024 Festival | $5,000 |
| CAKE CISMA | Transport field crews with the purchase of a reliable vehicle | $8,421 |
| Camp Daggett | Cultivate curiosity through place-based STEAM experiences | $6,460 |
| Challenge Mountain | Expand biking programs for students with special needs | $5,000 |
| Char-Em ISD | Support the social and emotional well-being of English language learners | $1,405 |
| Charlevoix Area Community Pool | Improve safety and efficiency with self-mixing chemical system | $2,500 |
| Child and Family Services of NW MI | Create safe visitation and custodial exchanges for families | $7,150 |
| Christ Child Society of Northern Michigan | Help families with newborns access essential items | $5,000 |
| City of Harbor Springs | Implement can and bottle recycling in city parks | $4,500 |
| Community Recovery Alliance | Create inviting community space for the recovery community | $10,000 |
| Conservation Resource Alliance | Restore critical Maple River wetlands | $10,500 |
| County of Emmet | Improve disc golf tee pads at Camp Petosega | $5,750 |
| Crooked Tree Arts Center | Explore the history, identity and placehood of MI through art | $10,000 |
| Emmet County Recycling | Expand Emmet County event recycling services | $8,765 |
| Exceptional Riders Program Inc. | Solidify the future for a transformative therapeutic program | $3,500 |
| Good Hart Artist Residency | Build community by showcasing local artists along an Art Trail | $2,500 |
| Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra | Produce a community collaborative concert | $10,000 |
| Great Start Collaborative/Char-Em ISD | Enable quality preschool experiences for all children | $9,300 |
| Harbor Springs Area Historical Society | Restore an historic Shay locomotive | $8,500 |
| Harbor Springs Festival of the Book | Purchase equipment to streamline the annual Festival | $7,943 |
| Harbor Springs Little League | Repair baseball and softball fields for Opening Day plan | $5,600 |
| Harbor Springs Public Schools - Elementary School | Unleash cardboard creations with invenTABLEs | $1,400 |
| Harbor Springs Public Schools - High School | Develop the future leaders of Michigan | $5,400 |
| Kiersten's Ride | Reduce stigma and improve crisis interventions for suicide prevention | $15,000 |
| Little Traverse Choral Society | Experience the joy of caroling through holiday concerts | $4,000 |
| Little Traverse Conservancy | Expand Black Hole Nature Preserve | $7,500 |
| Little Traverse Sailors | Provide scholarships for sailing instruction to Emmet County youth | $5,875 |
| Manna Food Project | Provide high-quality nutrition for a major local food pantry | $15,000 |
| McLaren Northern Michigan Foundation | Expand nurse intern program for local nursing students | $10,000 |
| Miigwech, Inc. | Build awareness and resources for dyslexia | $1,500 |
| Nehemiah Project | Repair roof at Mary Margaret House for women and children | $16,000 |
| North Emmet Little League | Improve the safety of players and security of equipment | $10,552 |
| Northern Community Mediation | Modernize outdated computer equipment | $3,280 |
| Northern Family Intervention Services, Inc. | Support the wellness of youth experiencing severe emotional disturbances | $5,000 |
| Northern Homes Community Development Corp. | Create a strategic plan to create and preserve affordable housing in N. MI | $1,500 |
| Northern Lakes Economic Alliance | Build a resilient economy and diverse opportunities in N. MI | $6,000 |
| Northmen Den Youth Pantries Inc. | Provide students access to skills-building out-of-school programs | $4,500 |
| Northwest Michigan Habitat for Humanity | Support critical infrastructure for affordable homes in Meadowlands Subdivision | $15,000 |
| Pellston Public Schools | Rebuild the Lady Hornets basketball program | $12,725 |
| Petoskey Children's Nature Preschool | Enhance outdoor and indoor learning for preschoolers | $1,250 |
| Petoskey District Library | Enhance community film series experience with updated equipment | $15,000 |
| Petoskey Montessori Children's House | Expand outdoor and environmental education for young learners | $4,100 |
| Petoskey Youth Soccer Association | Improve club operations with new management software | $4,235 |
| Public Schools of Petoskey | Install solar array at Petoskey High School | $15,000 |
| Raven Hill Discovery Center | Build on a strong foundation through thoughtful planning | $6,000 |
| Recovery NOTES | Invest in a safe storage trailer for instruments and audio equipment | $3,790 |
| Resort Bear Creek Fire Department | Equip first responders to save lives | $15,000 |
| Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan | Provide a place to stay for families facing medical treatment far from home | $6,500 |
| Saint Vincent de Paul - St. Kateri Tekakwitha Conf. | Provide housing and transportation support for people in need | $8,000 |
| Village of Alanson | Promote pride and ownership with streetscape improvements in Alanson | $7,500 |
| Walloon Lake Association and Conservancy | Purchase preserve maintenance and organizational vehicle | $5,600 |
| Women's Resource Center of Northern Michigan | Strengthen Child Advocacy Center resources to advance justice | $14,995 |