Help us honor Dave's legacy!
Join us to honor Dave Mengebier, our outgoing CEO, by leaving a legacy for our region with a gift to our Focus Fund Endowment!
Youth Endowment Grants
Michael's Place
Our Youth Endowment supports youth causes and organizations across our region. These grants are open to organizations across Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau Counties and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, including:
- 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations
- Organizations with a 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor
- Educational institutions
- Governmental entities
- Tribal organizations
The total amount available for grants in 2025 is $92,240 or $18,448 per county. Applicants may request funding from one or more counties for up to $5,000 per county.
Grant applications are reviewed by local students from our Youth Advisory Councils, representing all five counties.
Grant Information
- Grant Eligibililty
- Requests can be for programs, projects, or operational support.
- Requests should respond to need(s) identified as important by the local youth in our community, as noted in our Youth Needs Assessment.
Preference is given to requests that:
- Build positive developmental opportunities for area youth.
- Offer a unique and innovative opportunity for the county it will serve (i.e. not a duplication of existing services or programs)
- Demonstrate support by community members and youth.
- Grant Review Process
- Each application is read and reviewed by members of our Youth Advisory Councils (YAC).
- YAC students in each county meet in October/November for a County Grantmaking Meeting to review and discuss the grant applications, and recommend how grant funds in their county should be awarded. Grant applicants may be required to have a representative give a short presentation at the Grantmaking meeting in each of the counties to which they are applying.
- Recommendations for funding are brought to our Board of Directors in early December for final approval. Following this, all applicants will be notified of the decisions and grant funds are anticipated to be disbursed by mid-December.
How to Apply
- Applications are open from August 1 to September 15 each year.
- Applicants may request funding from one or more counties for up to $5,000 per county.
- If you are applying for a grant in more than one county for the same program, you do not need to submit more than one application.
- If you are providing the same program, but it differs in cost, implementation, or population served, or plan to provide a completely different program in each county, a separate grant application is required for each county.
Final Reports
We value data and how it informs both our ongoing impact and future grants. Grant partners will be invited to complete a final report within a year of being awarded a grant.
Final reports are used to understand the outcome of your project or program and allow us to share the successes of your work with our supporters, community partners, and the general public.
Questions? Contact Us!
Please reach out to our Youth & Community Impact Coordinator, Torey Caviston at tcaviston@gtrcf.org or or (231) 935-4066 ext. 111.