About Blue Water Community Action
The Mission of the Blue Water Community Action is to advocate for and provide individuals with limited income an opportunity to become socially and economically self-sufficient in their community.
Focus Areas
HousingHomebuyer educationHomelessness servicesWeatherization / energy assistanceUtility assistanceFinancial literacyNutrition / food pantryDiaper bankPersonal hygiene supplies
Who They Fund
people experiencing homelessnesslow-income households at risk of housing instability
Funding Style
About Blue Water Community Action
Blue Water Community Action’s recent grantmaking is built around housing stability and basic-needs support, with weatherization, emergency shelter, and homeless shelter operations appearing again and again. The largest recent award on file went to Bhk Community Action for weatherization, and similar support shows up across multiple Michigan community action agencies. That pattern fits the organization’s mission to help people with limited income become socially and economically self-sufficient in their community. The foundation also backs direct service providers that serve people experiencing homelessness and low-income households facing housing instability. In Port Huron, it supported the YMCA for homeless shelter work, while other awards went to The Harbor for emergency shelter services and to Detroit Rescue Mission for shelter operations and homeless shelter services. Grantmaking is not limited to housing alone: the active Back to School Backpack Giveaway extends support to children in St. Clair County through free school supplies. Across the grant list, Blue Water Community Action appears to favor practical, program-linked support for local nonprofits carrying out day-to-day service delivery rather than broad, unrestricted giving.
What Blue Water Community Action Funds
Weatherization is a central theme in the foundation’s grantmaking. It gave $126,306 to Bhk Community Action for weatherization in 2025 and $52,606 to Ottawa Community Action for weatherization in 2024, alongside similar awards to Community Action of South Central Michigan, Human Development Commission, and Gogebic Ontonagon Community Action Agency. Housing crisis response is another clear area. The Harbor received $72,819 in 2024 and $70,942 in 2025 for emergency shelter services, while Detroit Rescue Mission received $41,961 in 2024 for homeless shelter work and $29,002 in 2025 for emergency shelter services. The foundation also supports operations for community action and shelter providers. Examples include $98,800 to Bhk Community Action in 2023 for operations, $72,580 to Ottawa Community Action in 2023 for operations, and $32,348 to Southwest Michigan Community Action in 2023 for operations.
How Blue Water Community Action Gives
Blue Water Community Action’s typical grant size sits in a middle range: the 25th percentile is $29,838, the median is $50,856, and the 75th percentile is $72,936. That suggests a mix of moderate awards with some larger outliers. The grant list also shows repeated support to the same organizations across multiple years, including Bhk Community Action, The Harbor, Ottawa Community Action, Detroit Rescue Mission, and Community Action of South Central Michigan. The pattern points to ongoing relationships rather than one-off gifts. The foundation is a local funder, and its giving appears to be program-specific, with many awards labeled for weatherization, shelter services, or operations.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$486K
Total Assets
$2.6M
Total Revenue
$3.7M
Total Expenses
$3.9M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $30K and $73K, with a median of $51K.
25th Percentile
$30K
Median
$51K
75th Percentile
$73K
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
KAREN LAKE
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