Lowell Area Community Fund

Community Funds

Starting an Endowment

Mission, Purpose, Area Served, and Areas Funded

The Lowell Area Community Fund gives grants to organizations that assist in fulfilling its mission to assure community cooperation and participation that supports a healthy, dynamic community. The fund places an emphasis on broad educational initiatives, but also supports initiatives in the areas of arts & culture, community development, environment, health, human service, and recreation in the Lowell area. The Lowell area is currently defined as the City of Lowell, the Township of Lowell, and the Township of Vergennes.

Grant Instructions, Deadlines and Application Information

Begin Application

The Lowell Area Community Fund gives grants to organizations that assist in fulfilling its mission: to assure community cooperation and participation that supports a healthy, dynamic community. The fund places an emphasis on broad educational initiatives, but also supports initiatives in the areas of: Arts & Culture, Community Development, Environment, Health, Human Services, and Recreation.

Examples are projects that:

Encourage and promote community involvement
Represent an innovative, start-up effort
Obtain the necessary additional funding to implement and maintain the project
Yield substantial community benefit
Have non-profit, 501(c)(3) status
Serve a broad segment of the community
Promote cooperation among agencies
Address needs of the Lowell area
Address quality of life issues
Promote civic and community pride
Strengthen or improve agency self-sufficiency or efficiency

While the Lowell Area Community Fund encourages creative and innovative projects, it generally does not support:

Political projects, or those that are primarily cause-related
Individuals
Religious organizations for religious purposes
Profit-making activities

Grant applications are accepted three times a year on the third Friday of April, August, and December.

For more information, please contact Kate Luckert Schmid, Program Director, at 616.454.1751, extension 117 or email her at kluckert@grfoundation.org.

History of the Fund

Read the History of the Lowell Area Community Fund and the biography of Harold J. Englehardt.

Annual Listing of Grants

Recent Grants Approved

December 2009

Lowell Area Historical Museum: $2,250 to fund a traveling exhibit that will foster a greater appreciation for the unique history and character of the Lowell area, using artifacts and stories from the community.
Lowell Area Schools: $10,100 to develop and implement a Junior Master Gardener program for 25 incoming fifth grade students throughout the Lowell Area School district as a means to cultivate gardening, environmental stewardship, cooking and nutrition skills to be used throughout the course of their lifetime.

October 2009

City of Lowell: $18,000.00 to purchase one rescue vehicle for the fire department.
City of Lowell: $50,000 for roof, wood damage and painting of exterior wood of the Englehardt Public Library.
City of Lowell: $22,500.00 to remove existing wood chips at Creekside Kingdom and replace with mulch.
Flat River Outreach Ministries, Inc.: $40,000 to meet the critical needs of the residents of the greater Lowell area.
Gilda's Club Grand Rapids Lowell Program: $30,000 to provide capital for Phase I of this collaborative venture between Gilda's Club Grand Rapids, Lowell Senior Neighbors (Senior Neighbors), Pink Arrow Project II and Lowell Community Wellness.
Lowell Area Schools: $17,500.00 to purchase an electronic sign for the main entrance, and provide information to the community members of Lowell using technology with current and on demand strategies.