Connects people, passion and resources—building and managing Kent County's permanent endowment and helping philanthropists accomplish their unique goals by providing grants to nonprofits, scholarships to students, and leadership to advance opportunity, prosperity, and belonging.
A defining thread in Grand Rapids Community Foundation’s recent giving is support for institutions that serve Black, immigrant, and youth communities in greater Grand Rapids. Among the largest grants on file are $610,000 to the Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives for multiple grants awarded, $502,500 to Grand Rapids Urban League Inc for multiple grants awarded, and $429,250 to the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center for multiple grants awarded. Those awards sit alongside scholarship support that has been part of the foundation’s work since 1945, reflecting a mix of community philanthropy and student aid. The foundation’s grantmaking also reaches health and neighborhood-serving organizations. Recent awards include $590,456 to Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation, $465,000 to Kent School Services Network, and $455,000 to Baxter Community Center. Across the record, grants are used for general operating support, multi-year program funding, and project-specific priorities, with many awards concentrated in organizations anchored in Grand Rapids and nearby Kent County. The result is a funder that combines endowed scholarship administration with broad local grantmaking across education, health, neighborhoods, arts and culture, economic prosperity, and environment.
Education appears in both scholarship administration and place-based youth support. Grand Rapids Community Foundation gave $494,013 to Grcfyesp Program Grants Profile for 2021-2022 Challenge Scholars scholarships, and it also awarded $306,520 to Kent School Services Network for general operating support. In immigrant and Latinx-serving work, the foundation granted $400,000 to Hispanic Center of Western Michigan for general operating support and $429,250 to Michigan Immigrant Rights Center for multiple grants awarded. The active Somos Comunidad Fund centers Latinx-focused initiatives in Kent County and includes immigrant and legal services in its focus. Arts and cultural heritage are another visible lane. The foundation gave $300,000 to Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives for Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives expansion, and $549,579 to Diatribe for general operating support. Health-focused grants also appear in the record, including $397,500 to Grand Rapids African American Health Institute for multiple grants awarded.
$22M
$483.6M
$27.3M
$31.7M
Most grants fall between $10K and $45K, with a median of $17K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$17K
75th Percentile
$45K
LASANDRA GADDY
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Typical grant size falls at a p25 of $10,000, a median of $17,050, and a p75 of $45,000. The recent record shows a wide spread above that range, with large institutional awards alongside smaller scholarship and operating grants. Several recipients appear more than once across the data, including Urban Core Collective, United Methodist Community House, Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives, Grand Rapids Urban League Inc, and Kent School Services Network, suggesting recurring relationships rather than one-off awards. The foundation is a mixed community foundation and offers both unsolicited and committee-directed grantmaking, depending on the fund or program. It also administers scholarships through annual application processes.
Giving is overwhelmingly local: 91% of grants go to recipients in Michigan, and the recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based. Grand Rapids is the main city in the record, with nearby places such as Wyoming, Comstock Park, Lowell, and Grand Haven also appearing among recipients. The recent grants list shows Kent County-centered grantmaking, with examples in Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Lowell, and Comstock Park. County and nearby regional affiliates extend the footprint into places including Ionia County and the Lowell Area.
The foundation funds nonprofits and scholarship programs across education, health, neighborhoods, arts and culture, economic prosperity, and environment. Recent grants also show support for immigrant legal services, Black community-serving organizations, youth education, behavioral health, agriculture, and trail maintenance.
The typical grant-size distribution is p25 $10,000, median $17,050, and p75 $45,000. Recent awards also include much larger commitments, including seven-figure and six-figure grants to major community organizations.
Yes for several active programs. The Fund for Community Good accepts unsolicited requests, the General Scholarship Program accepts applications, the Nonprofit Technical Assistance Fund accepts unsolicited requests, and the Our LGBTQ Fund and Somos Comunidad Fund differ by fund structure, with one accepting unsolicited requests and the other committee-led.
Education, health, neighborhoods, arts and culture, economic prosperity, and environment are core areas. The recent record also highlights Black community investment, immigrant and Latinx-serving work, youth scholarships, community violence prevention, and behavioral health.
Yes. Scholarship administration is a longstanding part of the foundation’s work, and the active scholarship program awards monetary scholarships to students pursuing higher education. The foundation says it has administered scholarships since 1945 and awards over $1 million annually to hundreds of students.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Grand Rapids Community Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Nonprofits with programs for youth; regional affiliate YGCs may have local eligibility rules.
Deadline: Applications accepted annually from late December to early February
Who can apply: Invites partnerships from 501(c)(3) nonprofits, government entities, or those willing to attain a fiduciary/fiscal sponsor. Primary geographic focus is Kent County, Michigan. Previous recipients are eligible to apply. Projects should fit a grantmaking priority area and align with the foundation's commitment to becoming actively anti-racist.
Deadline: No fixed deadline stated; pre-applications are submitted online and reviewed on a rolling/ongoing basis.
Who can apply: Supports nonprofits in Black communities in greater Grand Rapids. The page references grant application guidelines for eligibility, timeline, and application questions.
Deadline: The 2024 grant applications opened August 6, 2024 and closed September 23, 2024; the page says the next application cycle is expected in early 2027.
Who can apply: Community organizations serving Latinx communities in Kent County.
Deadline: Next grant applications expected in 2027.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRAND HAVEN AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | GRAND HAVEN, MI | $2,362,673 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| CHICAGO COMMUNITY TRUST CO CHARITABLE GIVING SOLUTIONS NORTHERN TRUST | CHICAGO, IL | $1,023,366 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| MARY FREE BED REHABILITATION HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $590,456 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| KENT SCHOOL SERVICES NETWORK | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $465,000 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| HEART OF WEST MICHIGAN UNITED WAY | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $440,184 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| MICHIGAN IMMIGRANT RIGHTS CENTER | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $429,250 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| COREWELL HEALTH | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $322,788 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| UNITED METHODIST COMMUNITY HOUSE | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $322,138 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| GRAND RAPIDS AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $300,000 | 2025 | GRAND RAPIDS AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES EXPANSION |
| EARTH UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | ATLANTA, GA | $290,519 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| URBAN CORE COLLECTIVE | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $279,850 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| KCONNECT | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $250,000 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| GRAND RAPIDS PRIDE CENTER | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $245,075 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| BAXTER COMMUNITY CENTER | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $223,000 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| AQUINAS COLLEGE | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $222,380 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| GRAND ACTION 20 | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $210,000 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| HOUSING KENT | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $200,000 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MEDICINE OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT | ANN ARBOR, MI | $200,000 | 2025 | KAREN AND MITCHELL PADNOS INVESTIGATING SCHOLARS PROGRAM FUND |
| WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $182,702 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| OUR COMMUNITY'S CHILDREN | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $174,821 | 2025 | T2C STUDIO/CHALLENGE SCHOLARS INTEGRATION - YEAR 2 |
| FEEDING AMERICA WEST MICHIGAN | KENTWOOD, MI | $169,924 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| LOWELL AREA SCHOOLS | LOWELL, MI | $168,633 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| DEGAGE MINISTRIES | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $168,223 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| PINE REST FOUNDATION | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $167,000 | 2025 | PEDIATRIC CTR FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH GRANT PYMT YR 2 OF 3 FROM THE PETER C. & EMAJEAN COOK FOUNDATION |
| CHICAGO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FFC CCF DAF CAMERON MEIJER IMA | CHICAGO, IL | $166,099 | 2025 | CAMERON MEIJER GIVING FUND: CHARITABLE GIVING SOLUTIONS NORTHERN TRUST |
| CHICAGO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FFC CCF DAF GERHARD MEIJER IMA | CHICAGO, IL | $166,099 | 2025 | GERHARD MEIJER GIVING FUND: CHARITABLE GIVING SOLUTIONS NORTHERN TRUST |
| CITY OF LOWELL | LOWELL, MI | $162,801 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| AQUME FOUNDATION | WYOMING, MI | $160,500 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| PROJECT GREEN | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $160,000 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| DIATRIBE | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $157,800 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC MUSEUM FOUNDATION | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $156,500 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGANOFFICE OF FIN AID | ANN ARBOR, MI | $154,437 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| FLAT RIVER OUTREACH MINISTRIES INC | LOWELL, MI | $152,000 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| LEAD EXCHANGE NETWORK | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $150,400 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| KENT COUNTY YOUTH AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION | LOWELL, MI | $150,000 | 2025 | AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION CENTER AT THE GRAND |
| YMCA OF GREATER GRAND RAPIDS | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $143,050 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| GRAND RAPIDS AFRICAN AMERICAN HEALTH INSTITUTE | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $137,500 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| GRAND RAPIDS URBAN LEAGUE INC | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $137,500 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| IMMIGRANT ASSISTANCE CENTER OF WEST MICHIGAN | WYOMING, MI | $135,000 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| GERALD R FORD FOUNDATION | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $128,000 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| SARANAC COMMUNITY SCHOOLS | SARANAC, MI | $121,500 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION OF MICHIGAN | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $120,123 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| GROW | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $119,363 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| OUR MENTAL HEALTH COLLECTIVE | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $116,000 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF KENT COUNTY | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $114,123 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| FAMILY OUTREACH CENTER | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $110,000 | 2025 | INCREASING CAPACITY EQUALS STRENGTHENING OUR COMMUNITY |
| MEL TROTTER MINISTRIES | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $104,576 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| HOME REPAIR SERVICES OF KENT COUNTY INC | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $103,350 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY | BIG RAPIDS, MI | $103,058 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
| REALISM IS LOYALTY | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $103,000 | 2025 | MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED |
MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED
MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED
COREWELL HEALTH
$322,788MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED
GRAND RAPIDS AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES
$300,000GRAND RAPIDS AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES EXPANSION
GRAND RAPIDS PRIDE CENTER
$245,075MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED
HOUSING KENT
$200,000MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MEDICINE OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT
$200,000KAREN AND MITCHELL PADNOS INVESTIGATING SCHOLARS PROGRAM FUND
WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
$182,702MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED
OUR COMMUNITY'S CHILDREN
$174,821T2C STUDIO/CHALLENGE SCHOLARS INTEGRATION - YEAR 2
LOWELL AREA SCHOOLS
$168,633MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED
PEDIATRIC CTR FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH GRANT PYMT YR 2 OF 3 FROM THE PETER C. & EMAJEAN COOK FOUNDATION
CHICAGO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FFC CCF DAF CAMERON MEIJER IMA
$166,099CAMERON MEIJER GIVING FUND: CHARITABLE GIVING SOLUTIONS NORTHERN TRUST
CHICAGO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FFC CCF DAF GERHARD MEIJER IMA
$166,099GERHARD MEIJER GIVING FUND: CHARITABLE GIVING SOLUTIONS NORTHERN TRUST
CITY OF LOWELL
$162,801MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED
PROJECT GREEN
$160,000MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGANOFFICE OF FIN AID
$154,437MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED
LEAD EXCHANGE NETWORK
$150,400MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION CENTER AT THE GRAND
GRAND RAPIDS AFRICAN AMERICAN HEALTH INSTITUTE
$137,500MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED
IMMIGRANT ASSISTANCE CENTER OF WEST MICHIGAN
$135,000MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED
GERALD R FORD FOUNDATION
$128,000MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED
SARANAC COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
$121,500MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED
GROW
$119,363MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED
OUR MENTAL HEALTH COLLECTIVE
$116,000MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED
INCREASING CAPACITY EQUALS STRENGTHENING OUR COMMUNITY
MEL TROTTER MINISTRIES
$104,576MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
$103,058MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED
