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

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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 Reports

Recent Grants Approved

April 2009

Safe Routes – Gee Drive Walking Path: $72,500 to assist the Safe Walks 2 School project involving a walking path along Gee Drive and providing funding for engineering and added retaining walls.
Vergennes Township: $10,000 to perform a survey, collect data, and create a business case for desired Internet service providers.

February 2009

Flat River Outreach Ministries, Inc.: $10,000 to continue fund development mentoring, completion of the organizational structure and fund development planning.
Greater Lowell Chamber Foundation: $13,125 to provide support funding for the 2009 Lowell Showboat Sizzlin' Summer Concert Series.
Greater Lowell Chamber Foundation: $17,420 to publish the Kaleidoscope brochure and community base website.
Lowell Area Arts Council: $12,500 to support new and on-going administrative costs in calendar year 2009
Tots on Track for School: $74,000 to help families prepare their preschool children to enter school healthy and ready to learn.
Lowell Area Schools Education Foundation: $20,000 to fund grants for innovative projects that support and enhance education in the Lowell Area Schools.

October 2008

Flat River Outreach Ministries, Inc.: $40,000 to address the present and growing crisis as families in the Lowell area seek to meet the rising costs of housing related needs i.e. heating, rent, and emergency housing issues.
Flat River Outreach Ministries, Inc.: $50,000 to address expanding community service needs by accomplishing a major capital development funding initiative.
Flat River Outreach Ministries, Inc.: $1,000 in honor of Sandy Graham’s service to the Advisory Committee.
Land Conservancy of West Michigan: $2,510 to eradicate autumn olive, an invasive shrub, from the Wege Natural Area preserve, where it is degrading the health of the native forest and open area, and impeding access to the preserve.
Lowell Area Historical Museum: $6,825 to fund an exhibit that will foster a greater appreciation for the unique history and character of the Lowell area, using artifacts and stories from our community.
Lowell Area Historical Museum: $7,500 to facilitate a strategic planning process that will guide the Museum in its mission for the next four years.
LAS Video Production Webcasting: $44,899 to upgrade the LHS video production equipment to produce more complex and advanced programs suitable for eventual webcasting on the school district’s new website.
Lowell Community Wellness: $16,000 to continue to grow and develop programs, partnerships and services that will help, support and inspire the citizens of the greater Lowell community continue to work to healthier families and lifestyles.
Rockford Ambulance: $30,000 to replace the ambulance stationed in the City of Lowell.
West Michigan Trails Greenways Coalition: $75,000 to acquire a 15.83 mile railroad corridor for trail development that will eventually link the Lowell Area Trailway with the 41-mile Fred Meijer Clinton-Ionia-Shiawassee Trail in Ionia County.

June 2008

Flat River Outreach Ministries: $12,000 to complete an organizational assessment and retain consultant for organizational coaching services.
Greater Lowell Chamber Foundation: $30,000 to provide continued match funding for implementation of the Greater Lowell Community Marketing Plan.
Kent County Youth Agricultural Association: $8,500 to enhance the safety and accessibility of Kent County Fair participants, fair guests and year round users of the Fair ground facilities.
Lowell Amateur Radio Club: $5,500 for the erection of a 100' communications tower.
Lowell Area Historical Museum: $15,000 to fund a part-time Education and Program Director whose primary responsibility is to maintain, develop and implement historical programs to enhance understanding of local history for the community and school children.
Connecting the Community: Lowell Area Trailway: $150,000 for trail construction, engineering and fundraising expenses of the first segment of trail.
Lowell Area Schools: $11,000 to purchase a wireless intercom system to be shared between the WLHS AV Club and the Lowell Performing Arts Center (LPAC).
Lowell Area Schools Education Foundation: $10,000 to increase community awareness, broaden donor base, and develop effective fund raising activities to enhance student learning in the Lowell Schools.
YMCA: $50,000 to conduct a feasibility study in response to the Peter Wege Foundation’s interest in developing land in Lowell for a new YMCA facility.

March 2008

Englehardt Library: $1,977 for lighting and electrical outlets upgrades.
Grand Valley American Indian Lodge: $2,500 for the Restoring The Circle Pow Wow.

September 2007

Vergennes Township Land Preservation Education: $19,500 to create a new model of public and individual education for the preservation of prime farmland and open space in Vergennes Township.
Fallasburg Park Improvements: $9,500 to provide general improvements to preserve the shelter house structure, improve safety and services, and promote the historic character of the area.
Lowell Area Trailway Fundraising Assistance: $20,000 to hire a fundraising professional to conduct a campaign planning project that will raise funds for local match of State and Federal grants to build phase one of the Lowell Area Trailway.
Family Resource Centers: $11,300 to establish a Family Resource Center at Cherry Creek Elementary to provide a single point of entry for linking families to resources appropriate for the ages of their children.
Video Broadcasting Public Channel & Internet: $19,175 to purchase video and audio equipment that will link the Lowell High School stadium, gymnasium and the high school baseball/softball diamonds, to the cable TV local access channel in the WLHS radio room, allowing for ‘live’ broadcasting of sporting and other community events.
2007-08 Education Foundation Grant Cycle: $20,000 to provide matching funds for the Lowell Area Schools Education Foundation grants.
Lowell Community Wellness: $2,000 to determine the present reality of our organizational strengths and weakness so we can decide as an organization our ability to live out our mission.
St. Mary Catholic Church: $3,360 to bring a sexual abstinence program to the Lowell Community.