The Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan is a public charity and permanent endowment that connects donors to causes in northeast Michigan, builds endowed funds, and makes grants to nonprofit agencies, institutions, schools and students to improve the quality of life in the region.
Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan operates as a permanent endowment that channels donor resources into northeast Michigan nonprofits, schools, students, and community partners. Its giving is built around local needs rather than a single issue area: the foundation supports community development, education, environment, health, human services, scholarships, and emergency response. Recent program areas show a strong emphasis on urgent local response, including storm and flooding recovery in Alcona, Alpena, and Cheboygan counties, alongside long-running scholarship support for students across the region. The foundation also administers donor- and community-driven grant programs such as Community Impact Grants and the Women’s Giving Circle, which are tied to specific local priorities. The largest recent grants listed in the file are marked to See Attached - Non Hr4 Sch 1, indicating substantial distributions within the foundation’s broader grantmaking. In addition to grantmaking, the foundation builds endowed funds, reflecting a long-term structure designed to support charitable activity in northeast Michigan over time.
Emergency response is a visible part of the foundation’s work. Through the Urgent Needs Fund, it has supported nonprofit and community partners responding to storm and flooding-related urgent needs in northeast Michigan, with focus on disaster relief, emergency assistance, storm recovery, and flood recovery. Women-centered grantmaking appears through the Women’s Giving Circle, which funds issues important to women in Alcona, Alpena, and Montmorency counties. Youth support shows up in the Northeast Michigan Youth Advisory Council grants, which are listed as a funding opportunity for programs serving the CFNEM service area. Education is another recurring theme: the CFNEM Scholarship Program and Scholarships program provide post-secondary and career-focused support for students across the foundation’s service area, including college and trade certification pathways.
The typical grant size profile is large: p25 is $1,163,975, median is $1,618,707, and p75 is $1,786,906. That pattern reflects substantial distributions alongside smaller program grants such as the Community Impact Grants, which range from $0 to $5,000. The grant list shows activity across 2023, 2024, and 2025, suggesting repeated annual grantmaking rather than a one-time event. CFNEM is structured as a public charity and permanent endowment, and it also administers scholarship funds and donor-oriented programs. Several active programs accept unsolicited requests.
$2.1M
$80.4M
$5.2M
$3.1M
Most grants fall between $1.2M and $1.8M, with a median of $1.6M.
25th Percentile
$1.2M
Median
$1.6M
75th Percentile
$1.8M
About 0% of grants go to recipients in MI.
KATIE YOUNG-ENGSTROM
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Grant activity is concentrated in Michigan, with the top state by grant count being MI. Active programs focus on northeast Michigan counties including Alcona, Alpena, Cheboygan, Montmorency, and Presque Isle, with scholarship support extending to Crawford, Iosco, Ogemaw, and Oscoda as well. Named county-level service areas appear repeatedly across the foundation’s programs, especially for urgent needs and community impact funding. The recipient country distribution in the recent grants data is entirely U.S.-based.
Its listed focus areas include community development, education, environment, health, human services, scholarships, and emergency response. Active programs also show support for disaster relief, women and girls, youth projects, community impact work, and post-secondary education, including trade and vocational training.
Yes. The active programs listed for Urgent Needs Fund, Women’s Giving Circle Grants, Northeast Michigan Youth Advisory Council Grants, Community Impact Grants, CFNEM Scholarship Program, and Scholarships all indicate that they accept unsolicited applications or requests.
The grant size distribution is substantial: the 25th percentile is $1,163,975, the median is $1,618,707, and the 75th percentile is $1,786,906. The foundation also runs a smaller Community Impact Grants program with awards from $0 to $5,000.
The foundation gives most often in Michigan, with active programs centered on Alcona, Alpena, Cheboygan, Montmorency, and Presque Isle counties. Scholarship funding also reaches Crawford, Iosco, Ogemaw, and Oscoda counties.
Dedicated programs include the Women’s Giving Circle for issues important to women in northeast Michigan, the Youth Advisory Council grants for youth-focused projects, the Urgent Needs Fund for storm and flooding-related needs, and the scholarship program for students pursuing college, trade certifications, or other post-secondary education.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEE ATTACHED - NON HR4 SCH 1 | — | $2,079,981 | 2025 | VARIOUS |
| SEE ATTACHED - NON HR4 SCH 1 | — | $1,548,200 | 2024 | VARIOUS |
| SEE ATTACHED - NON HR4 SCH 1 | — | $1,689,214 | 2023 | VARIOUS |
| SEE ATTACHED - HR4 SCHEDULE 4 | — | $11,300 | 2023 | VARIOUS |
SEE ATTACHED - NON HR4 SCH 1
$2,079,981VARIOUS
SEE ATTACHED - NON HR4 SCH 1
$1,548,200VARIOUS
SEE ATTACHED - NON HR4 SCH 1
$1,689,214VARIOUS
SEE ATTACHED - HR4 SCHEDULE 4
$11,300VARIOUS
Current and upcoming funding from Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Applicant must benefit people within Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, or Presque Isle County. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofits, schools, and government agencies; religious organizations only if they serve the general public without sectarian overtones. No grants to individuals.
Deadline: January 15 and July 15
Who can apply: Organization must provide benefits to youth within Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, or Presque Isle counties. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofits, schools, and government agencies; religious organizations only if serving the general public. No grants to individuals. Requests for $500 or less do not require a presentation.
Deadline: January 15 and October 15
Track these deadlines, get reminders, and see how well your nonprofit fits — free with a Kindora account.
Create a free accountDeadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.