Community Foundation Summer Grant Applications Now Open

The Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation is now accepting applications for its summer grants cycle that includes opportunities through its newly created Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI) Fund as well as its Focus Fund Endowment, Marsha J. Smith Community Leadership Fund, and Youth Endowment. The deadline to apply is September 1 and each grant opportunity is open to nonprofit, educational, governmental, and Tribal organizations serving Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and/or Leelanau Counties.

“Incorporating the DEI Fund into our grantmaking cycle alongside our other regular opportunities is a way for us to remain flexible and responsive to emerging needs in our region,” said Gina Thornbury, Program and Grants Manager at the Community Foundation. “We look forward to the grant partnerships that will emerge from our summer grants and encourage organizations across the region to apply today.”

The DEI Fund aims to support diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the region, including primarily providing support for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ led organizations. DEI training and learning and other partners, programs, and opportunities promoting equity and inclusion will be considered, with grant awards up to $2,500.

The Focus Fund Endowment impacts emerging and ongoing community needs and interests in our region, with a preference given to grant requests that offer a philanthropic approach to community needs and have the potential for transformative community impact, with awards available up to $2,500.

The Marsha J. Smith Community Leadership Fund offers support to individuals from the Grand Traverse region to enhance their leadership skills and thereby improve the quality of life in our region today and for generations to come, with awards of up to $1,000 to support a leadership or learning opportunity. 

The Youth Endowment provides grants to organizations serving youth in the five-county region with awards available up to $5,000. Every grant request is reviewed by members of the Community Foundation Youth Advisory Council, which is comprised of high school students in Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau Counties.

To apply for one or more grant opportunities, visit: https://www.gtrcf.org/grants/apply. Interested applicants can also contact the Community Foundation at 231-935-4066 or info@gtrcf.org. 

[Image description: Two children jumping into a pond from a small wooden dock. They are holding kayak paddles and there is a tandem orange kayak in front of them.]