Grants at the Community Foundation

The Capital Region Community Foundation is a public charity organized as a collection of permanent endowments. The income from these endowed funds is awarded to provide charitable funding to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations and other eligible entities, for projects and programs that predominantly benefit residents of Clinton, Eaton and Ingham Counties, Michigan.

The Community Foundation values projects and organizations that promote inclusiveness and that do not discriminate in hiring staff or providing services on the basis of race, gender, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, age, national origin or disability.

As a community leader, we have a responsibility to take action to create a more just and equitable society. We condemn racism, inequity and injustice, and we believe it is vital that all people in our community are valued and respected, especially those who have been historically marginalized. We are passionate about building vibrant, thriving and inclusive communities that uplift everyone who lives in our tri-county region.

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Grant Guidelines

The 2021 Grant application period is now closed. Our next grant application period will be from December 1, 2021 - Feb 1, 2022.

Grants must be for projects and programs that predominantly benefit residents of Clinton, Eaton and Ingham Counties, Michigan.

To qualify for a grant from the Community Foundation's competitive grant process, your organization must have both of the following:

1. Federal tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; OR you must apply through a fiscal agent that meets this criteria.

2. State of Michigan Charitable Solicitation License (unless your organization raises funds exclusively using volunteers and receives less than $25,000 a year; OR if your organization is designated by the Michigan Attorney General as an “other qualifying entity.”)

Grant Timeline

Our next grant application period is December 1, 2021 - February 1, 2022.

Grant Categories

A nonprofit organization may apply for more than one grant category per year. However, organizations should be thoughtful and consult with us before submitting applications for multiple categories. Only one grant application per category will be accepted from each organization. Applications will be reviewed and awards will be selected by a volunteer committee.

Click each link below for more details and applications.

Impact Grants: $10,000 - $75,000. (Closed for 2021) Impact grants are meant to increase the long-term impact of an organization or program, increase the organization’s ability to reach under-served populations, or enable two or more nonprofits to work collaboratively to create transformative and sustainable community change.

Capacity Building Grants: Up to $40,000. (Closed for 2021) Capacity Building grants help an organization increase its sustainability and effectiveness by strengthening management systems and governance structures. The Foundation works in partnership with the grantee to co-design a plan of action.

Mini Grants: Up to $5,000. (Closed for 2021) Mini Grants are perfect for smaller organizations that seek programming or project support. These opportunities are provided to donor-advised fund holders for consideration.

Youth Grants: Up to $5,000. (Closed for 2021) Youth grants are for programs that help teens age 12-18 in the tri-county region. The 2021 Youth Action Committee is especially interested in projects, programs and proposals that provide teens with skills to handle with the most pressing issues identified in the recent Youth Survey, which are:

  • Teen Mental Health (Depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, etc.
  • Abuse (substance, sexual, emotional, racism, sexism, bullying, etc.)
  • Stress (academic, family, social, emotional, employment readiness, etc.)

COVID-19 Nonprofit Support Grants: (Closed) In April 2020 the Community Foundation committed $1 million to start the COVID-19 Nonprofit Support Fund, which was supplemented by generous gifts from the community totaling over $270,000. These funds have been exhausted and we are no longer accepting applications. The COVID-19 Nonprofit Support Fund provided 84 grants totaling $1,247,635 to assist nonprofits with staffing and other critical needs related to the COVID-19 crisis. A list of grants can be found here.

What the Community Foundation Generally Cannot Fund:

  • Programs that do not serve residents of Clinton, Eaton or Ingham counties in Michigan
  • Individuals
  • Religious or faith formation programs
  • International organizations
  • Endowment funds
  • Existing obligations, debts or liabilities, incurred before the grant committee decision date
  • Previous Community Foundation grantees who failed to submit an evaluation report for a previous grant

Regarding Capital Campaigns

We will consider leadership gifts at the beginning of a capital campaign, to help leverage other giving. Please consult us before applying.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the Community Foundation grants please contact our Community Investment staff:

Cindy E. Hales, Ed.D., Director of Community Investment

989-272-3672 chales@ourcommunity.org

Tracy Russman, Community Investment Associate

517-927-7729 trussman@ourcommunity.org