News & Stories

Ever wonder how we decide which projects to fund? Go behind the scenes of our grantmaking process—where equity, transparency, and community needs guide every decision. Learn how we support organizations making a difference across our region.

As federal funding falters, Northern Michigan’s nonprofits face tough choices—pausing programs, laying off staff, and scaling back vital services. In this open letter, regional funders share urgent findings and a call to action: to come together, support our nonprofit infrastructure, and build a more resilient future for our communities.

With help from our diversity, equity, and inclusion funding, The Children’s House is creating a more inclusive school community—offering gender diversity trainings for families and curating library resources that reflect the rich diversity of student identities and experiences.

A coalition of Lower Northwest Michigan leaders has issued an urgent open letter to policymakers, calling out the harmful effects of federal budget cuts, tariffs, and rescinded programs on our communities, economy, and environment.

We're celebrating our 2025 Youth Advisory Council graduating seniors. We're grateful for their service to our community!

With more than $900,000 awarded through the Larson Endowment, we're fueling student success and community impact across our region—supporting education, health, the environment, and more.

In a time of political gridlock, leaders from Northwest Michigan showed what’s possible when communities unite behind shared goals—bringing a strong, bipartisan message to Lansing in support of housing, rural development, and more.

Beyond grantmaking, we're putting out assets to work through impact investing—partnering with local financial institutions to strengthen our region’s housing, small businesses, and economy with a $2 million commitment that’s already helping turn big ideas into community change.

From food access and historical preservation to arts programming and environmental protection, over $685,000 in grants from our designated endowments are providing sustainable support for impactful work across the region.

What happens when youth are given the chance to lead? One local student shares how joining our Youth Advisory Council built confidence and leadership skills and made a real impact on the community.