Over $1M in grants for trees, refugee health, kids and research

The Board of Trustees of Grand Rapids Community Foundation recently awarded $1.1 million in grants to support a variety of projects in the community.

Grants include:

Arbor Circle—A grant of $100,000 for providing home and school based intervention services for families with risk factors for child abuse and neglect.

Bethany Christian Services—An award of $80,000 for the startup of a program that will help connect refugees relocating to Grand Rapids with health services.

Johnson Center for Philanthropy/Community Research Institute—A grant totaling $350,000 will support community-based research and data gathering for nonprofit and philanthropic organizations in the greater Grand Rapids area.

Friends of Grand Rapids Parks—A grant of $253,825 to increase public engagement and support for the City’s urban forest through citizen inventory, website and events to engage citizens.

Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids—A $100,000 grant to assist former prisoners to transition into the community with workplace training, a paid work experience and job placement and follow up.

Nonprofit Technical Assistance Fund—A grant for $50,000 to a pooled fund that helps nonprofits with consulting services to build capacity.

Grand Valley State University—An award of $50,000 to create a mini grant program to local church and faith congregations to participate in the 2012 Year of Interfaith Understanding.

West Michigan Sports Commission—A grant of $150,000 will help construct a 12-field youth baseball and softball complex that be home to hundreds of youth and amateur sports competitions in the coming years.