Grants Awarded
Here Are Our Recent Grant Partnerships
All across Kent County, we are committed to creating a community that aggressively seeks to put an end to inequity. The grants listed below are awarded from our Fund for Community Good (unrestricted fund) and field of interest funds. Field of interest funds are funds established by a donor partner to address a specific issue. Where applicable, significant support from a field of interest fund has been noted.
2020-2021 Fiscal Year
Recipient
Amount
Date
Purpose
-
Seeds of Promise
$5,000
Dec. 2020
For development of a community Health Information Hub to provide health education for communities of color.
-
Various Organizations
$140,000
Dec. 2020
To support organizations working together to implement best practices for providing in-person, academic support of K-12 students and families doing virtual learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizations include Baxter Community Center, Boys and Girls Clubs of Grand Rapids Youth Commonwealth, Bridge Street Ministries, Grandville Avenue Arts and Humanities, New City Kids, The Other Way Ministries and YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids.
-
West Michigan Center for Arts + Technology
$200,000
Dec. 2020
To advance meaningful data collection, evaluation of adult workforce development programs and to support Community Catalysts cohorts.
-
Women's Resource Center
$150,000
Dec. 2020
To ensure continued support for women facing the greatest barriers to attaining employment and economic independence. This partnership was made possible by the George M Ames Fund and Fund for Community Good.
-
Samaritas
$10,000
Oct. 2020
To launch the Gateways for Growth Welcome plan to integrate immigrants, foster economic growth and promote inclusion for all Grand Rapids residents.
-
City of Grand Rapids
$800,000
Aug. 2020
To embed and lead with equity in City and City-influenced policies, practices, contracts and programming related to the Grand River restoration project. This partnership was made possible by the Charles Evenson Fund for the Environment, The J. Leslie Livingston Memorial Fund, and Fund for Community Good.
Last Fiscal Year
Recipient
Amount
Date
Purpose
-
Baxter Community Center
$400,000
Jun. 2020
To maximize organizational potential and secure a sustainable future of service to our community.
-
Institute of Ubuntu
$200,000
Jun. 2020
Supporting the Black Impact Collaborative’s exploration of seven impact areas for the immediate and post COVID-19 recovery for Black and African American people living in greater-Grand Rapids. This partnership was made possible by the Lucy E. Barnett Trust for the Elderly and Fund for Community Good.
-
Rende Progress Capital
$250,000
Jun. 2020
To provide flexible capital for excluded entrepreneurs facing the economic consequences of COVID-19. This partnership was made possible by the Kent County COVID-19 Recovery Fund and Fund for Community Good.
-
Family Outreach Center
$50,000
Apr. 2020
To support the high demand for culturally responsive mental health services to children and adults.
-
Grand Rapids Urban League
$150,000
Apr. 2020
To provide trusted employment, youth development, and health education supports in communities of color.
-
Heart of West Michigan United Way
$50,000
Apr. 2020
Kent County Coronavirus Response Fund to meet immediate needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This partnership was made possible by the Lucy E. Barnett Trust for the Elderly.
-
Hispanic Center of Western Michigan
$25,000
Apr. 2020
Multilingual translation and interpretation services related to COVID-19 information and community resources.
-
Hispanic Center of Western Michigan
$25,000
Apr. 2020
To support the distribution of funds through the La Lucha Fund.
-
Kent School Services Network
$500,000
Apr. 2020
To support the community school model that ensures students have access to physical health, mental health, and human services within their schools.
-
La Lucha Fund
$100,000
Apr. 2020
To provide direct financial support to people who are undocumented or mixed status families in Kent County in partnership with Movimiento Cosecha, Grand Rapids Area Mutual Aid Network and LatinxGR.
-
Samaritas
$100,000
Apr. 2020
In support of a new 53-unit affordable living community for older adults in Grand Rapids. This partnership was made possible by the Lucy E. Barnett Trust for the Elderly.
-
Steepletown Neighborhood Services
$10,000
Apr. 2020
To explore new approaches for how critical services can continue to be provided as the organization transitions to independence.
-
United Methodist Community House
$10,000
Apr. 2020
To explore opportunities for program and operational growth.
-
West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation
$150,000
Apr. 2020
To help Latinx owned businesses navigate the economic consequences of COVID-19. This partnership was made possible by the Kent County COVID-19 Recovery Fund and Fund for Community Good.
-
Women's Resource Center
$9,000
Apr. 2020
To pursue relocation opportunities that better position the organization to address growing demand for services.
-
KConnect
$10,000
Feb. 2020
To finalize the development of a comprehensive community plan to address child & family housing insecurity & racialized disparities in Kent County.
-
Immigrant Connection
$100,000
Dec. 2019
Supporting program expansion and outreach efforts to provide low-cost legal services to immigrants to secure legal status, citizenship, and family unity.
-
Nonprofit Technical Assistance Fund
$80,000
Dec. 2019
For consulting services to help meet technical and organizational capacity needs.
-
Community Rebuilders
$66,000
Oct. 2019
To support the development of a community collaborative to decrease the number of homeless families in Kent County and address social determinants of health.
-
Education Trust Midwest
$300,000
Oct. 2019
To expand innovative, shoulder-to-shoulder school improvement work with educators in Grand Rapids Public Schools through the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning network.
-
Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan
$10,000
Oct. 2019
To match FEMA support for the Fire Safety program to target underserved Spanish-speaking households in Wyoming.
-
KConnect
$375,000
Oct. 2019
To align and integrate the work of public, private, and nonprofit sectors in order to dissolve systemic inequity across the prenatal to career continuum, while improving outcomes for all.
-
Latina Network of West Michigan
$450,000
Oct. 2019
To put systems in place and build the capacity of the organization for long-term sustainability, leadership development and mission-driven impact.
-
ArtPrize
$10,000
Aug. 2019
To engage communities with limited access to public art and cultural enrichment opportunities in the inaugural Project 1. This partnership was made possible by the Leonard and Eileen Newman Fund for the Arts.
-
Baxter Community Center
$50,000
Aug. 2019
To support the #BAX50 campaign and address pressing capital improvement needs, essential to providing a safe, efficient environment positioning them for sustainability and long-term community impact.
-
Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives
$150,000
Aug. 2019
To support pre-campaign efforts toward the goal of establishing a permanent home and to encourage continued efforts toward organizational sustainability and archiving collections.
-
Godfrey-Lee Public Schools
$10,000
Aug. 2019
To provide financial assistance to Godfrey-Lee Public Schools to re-brand its' identity to have a mascot that is inclusive of each member of the community.
-
Senior Sing Along
$10,000
Aug. 2019
Arts enrichment programming at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.
-
Westside Collaborative
$150,000
Aug. 2019
To create authentic empowerment of neighbors and families to influence the challenges and barriers they face in community.
-
The Diatribe
$10,000
Aug. 2019
Supporting the 2019-2020 Poetry Empowered program.