Grand Rapids Community Foundation :: Connecting with Grants

Academic Achievement

Provide quality schools and education for all students.

Kent Intermediate School District - $50,000to conduct a study of students defined as at-risk of not graduating from high school because of their failure to complete the requirements of the Michigan Merit Curriculum.
Kent Intermediate School District/Kent School Services Network - $150,000to continue the work of a school-based program that will coordinate and deliver health and human services to students and their families.
Good Classrooms Minigrants 2009-2010 - $116,375Click here to view a complete list of 2009-2010 Good Classrooms Minigrant winners.

Develop resources to compete and thrive in a changing economy.

Grand Action - $150,000to support pre-development activities for the Grand Rapids Urban Market, including architecture and engineering services, tax credit planning and syndication, legal fees, and project management.
Grand Rapids Community College Foundation - $375,000to assist with the renovation of Cook Hall on the Grand Rapids Community College main campus to increase the number of students proficient in work skills related to health careers.
Kent County - $50,000to create a green redevelopment plan along the proposed South Division Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor and to leverage federal resources available to area business owners in order to create new capital for businesses, building improvements and employment of sustainable business practices.

Preserve natural resources for the benefit of all people.

Kent/Michigan State University Extension - $300,000to preserve 2,250 acres of prime and unique farmland in Kent County over the next three years.
City of Grand Rapids - $9,000to collect sample tree data to assist with the development of an urban forestry plan.
Grand Rapids Christian Schools Foundation - $50,000to increase and preserve the greenspace and renovation of Pontiac Park.

Promote personal safety, healthy behaviors and access to quality healthcare.

Community Rebuilders - $200,000to support the organizational capacity and mission of a collaborative partnership between Community Rebuilders, The Salvation Army Booth Family Services, and The Grand Rapids Area Coalition to End Homelessness.
First Steps Kent - $250,000to support the expansion of the Children's Healthcare Access Program (CHAP) to improve the health outcomes of publicly insured children and the quality and coordination of healthcare services.
Spectrum Health Foundation - $75,000for continuation of school-based youth tobacco prevention programs which includes "NicoTEAM" and Teens Against Tobacco Use "TATU."

Cultivate an attractive, desirable and enriching community.

Arts Council of Greater Grand Rapids - $140,000to raise awareness about arts and cultural offerings in Grand Rapids and West Michigan to increase attendance and participation.
Grand Rapids Community Media Center - $73,870to continue the work and development of the "citizen journalism" project.
Triangle Foundation - $8,000To improve our effectiveness at facilitating transformative change toward a culture of inclusion in West Michigan.

Support safe, attractive and self-sufficient neighborhoods.

Dwelling Place of Grand Rapids - $150,000to renovate four homes and construct six new affordable, energy-efficient homes as part of a collaborative revitalization effort in the Wealthy Heights neighborhood.
Fair Housing Center of West Michigan - $55,000to continue the work of a Community Foreclosure Coordinator to increase awareness of services available to homeowners facing foreclosure.
The Salvation Army - $100,000to support the implementation of a communications plan, develop the next layer of infrastructure for systems change and support the development of 40-50 new Permanent Supportive Housing units for the greater Grand Rapids area.

Hispanic Center of Western Michigan - $5,000to lead interactive gang prevention workshops with 8th graders transitioning into high school to assist them in overcoming fear, resisting gang influence and helping them to achieve personal and academic success.
Kent / Michigan State University Extension - $1,575to enable youth who participate in the Mizizi Maji Mentoring Program of Baxter Community Center to attend a summer pre-college program.
United Methodist Community House - $5,000to motivate low-income inner-city youths to explore the possibilities of higher education, by providing them with the skills and resources to plan for their future.