Past Social Enrichment Grants
December 2011
- Grand Valley State University received $50,000 for mini-grants averaging $500 to be provided to eligible congregations and faith-based organizations to encourage them to participate in the 2012 Year of Interfaith Understanding.
August 2011
- Arts Council of Greater Grand Rapids, ArtPrize's ArtCation Education Days, received $10,000 to support ARTcation Days during ArtPrize
- ArtServe Michigan, Inc., Online Data System, received $10,000 to develop an online data system for arts and cultural organizations and position data to demonstrate economic impact of the sector.
- City of Grand Rapids, Police and Fire Transformation Study, received $50,000 to identify efficiencies in police/fire services in three communities that could be implemented by each department and to develop a model for sharing services across the communities.
- John Ball Zoological Society, Restore the Roar, received $150,000 toward its $12 million fundraising effort to expand Zoo exhibits, including a funicular to transport guests, exhibit space for Amur Tigers and Grizzly Bears and a new “treehouse” building that will be available for special events. Community Foundation dollars will fund educational and enrichment aspects of the two animal exhibits, such as the development of educational curricula for field trips and other youth and community programs.
- Steepletown Neighborhood Services, Kent County Renter's Alliance, received $42,000 to forge a collaborative effort that seeks to engage tenants as building blocks to larger, systemic, housing advocacy work.
July 2011
- ArtPrize, ArtPrize's ArtCation Education Days, received $10,000 to provide students the opportunity to experience ArtPrize through ArtCation.
June 2011
- American Civil Liberties Union Fund of Michigan, Western Michigan Civic Engagement Project, received $30,000 to engage local leaders and policy-makers on civil rights issues.
May 2011
- Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Summer in the City/STEPS, received $3,000 to offer an eight-day urban day camp program designed to teach independence, transition and life skills to youth with visual impairment ages 14 – 18 years old through practical experience, mentoring and peer support.
- Baxter Community Center, 3.0 Gets to Go, received $3,500 to provide the opportunity for students with a 3.0 or higher to participate in summer trips to Canada.
- Certification of the Incarceration, Helping-At-Risks-Youth (H.A.R.T.), received $3,500 to provide troubled teens/ youth from the Kent County Juvenile Detention Center with skills to change a negative beginning to a positive reentry back into society.
- Comprehensive Therapy Center, Creating Teen Champions - Therapy and Fun, received $3,805 to build community stewards at Therapy and Fun by providing more training and program improvements for teen volunteers so they are better able to help children with disabilities in their jobs as therapy aides.
- Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities, Exploring Our World - Summer Arts Program, received $6,000 to sponsor summer arts programming that would include dance, theater, visual arts (including clay), and music instruction for youth in the Grandville Avenue neighborhood.
- Metro Health Hospital Foundation, Family Bonds: Stronger than Cancer!, received $3,000 to provide emotional support to children and youth struggling with stress, fear, and behavioral issues due to a family member battling cancer.
- Wedgwood Christian Services, Summer Camping and Youth Activity Program, received $1,500 to support camping experiences and summer recreational/wellness activities for approximately 100 young people from Wedgwood's Residential Programs in the summer of 2011.
April 2011
- Kendall College of Art & Design of Ferris State University received $200,000 to renovate the historic Federal Building to provide exhibition areas, classrooms, faculty offices, and administrative space for the Kendall College of Art and Design.
- Kent County received $25,000 to conduct a multi-jurisdictional study of the park and recreational systems and identify, evaluate, and propose new models to maintain these services.
February 2011
- Friends of Michigan Veterans Homes Inc. received $35,000 to add live video feeds so that residents with disabilities or mobility issues can view activities on their in-room television, and feel more connected to the Veterans Home community.
October 2010
- Gays in Faith Together (GIFT), GIFT Allies: Better Together, received $10,000 to convene a group of advocates and allies from churches, nonprofits, education, health and business and other professions to develop a consolidated, welcoming approach to increasing inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals in greater Grand Rapids.
June 2010
- Arts Council of Greater Grand Rapids, Raise Awareness about the Arts in Grand Rapids, received $140,000 to raise awareness about arts and cultural offerings in Grand Rapids and West Michigan to increase attendance and participation.
April 2010
- Grand Rapids Community Media Center, Neighborhood News Bureaus, received $73,870 to continue the work and development of the "citizen journalism" project.
December 2009
- Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership, Community Research Institute, received $350,000 to support community-base research and data driven decisions by non-profit organizations in Kent County.
- Nonprofit Technical Assistance Fund, Nonprofit Technical Assistance Fund, received $50,000 to support local nonprofits with technical assistance funds.
October 2009
- Triangle Foundation, Toward a Culture of Inclusion, received $8,000 To improve our effectiveness at facilitating transformative change toward a culture of inclusion in West Michigan.
August 2009
- Arts Marketing Strategy received $150,000 for a cross-marketing strategy to increase awareness, attendance and contributions for local arts institutions amid the recession.
- Grand Valley State University received $117,000 to operate and expand Community Research Institute capacity and, in partnership with the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, develop a community accountability system.
June 2009
- KISD received $75,000 for students to identify the next steps to implement their school action plan and to enhance diversity and tolerance in their school.
February 2009
- Community Media Center received $48,845 to establish a neighborhood "citizen journalism" bureau in four city locations, creating a technology framework for community distribution of local news.
October 2008
- Grand Rapids Community Foundation's Encore Program, Encore Program, received $250,000 to ensure that Kent County fully leverages the energy and talents of experienced adults in order to address critical community issues.
August 2008
- Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities, Inc. received $30,000 towards the cost of constructing a library in the Grandville Avenue neighborhood.
June 2008
- CASA of Kent County, Inc. received $40,000 for capacity building, including three components: Increase the number of volunteers, develop and staff a coordinator position, and strengthen nonprofit operations and communications.
April 2008
- Grand Rapids Symphony received $30,000 to improve access to cultural, social and recreational opportunities that attract diverse populations.
- KISD received $133,651 to provide diversity training for all ninth grade students in Kent County.
- Opera Grand Rapids received $100,000 to increase organizational capacity by relocating to a new facility.
- Senior Neighbors Inc. received $50,000 to renovate and construct a new Downtown Senior Neighbors Center.
March 2008
- Women’s Leadership Fund, The White House Project, received $10,000 to provide nonpartisan political leadership training to women from unrepresented communities within the State of Michigan.
February 2008
- Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (UICA) received $200,000 towards the organization’s capital campaign, which will include the construction of a new building on the corner of Fulton and Division Avenues.