A member-supported roundup program of Great Lakes Energy that raises money by rounding participating members' bills to the next dollar and awards grants to nonprofit organizations to enhance quality of life in local communities across GLE's service area. 100% of collected funds are returned to communities.
Great Lakes Energy People Fund channels member roundups into local nonprofit grants across Great Lakes Energy’s service area, with 100% of collected funds returned to communities. The pattern in the recent grants list is practical and place-based: awards support repairs, equipment, training, and community services rather than large multi-year institutional commitments. Several of the larger recent awards point to that approach. Shelby Optimist Club received $10,000 for ceiling repair, while Spiritual Care Consult of West MI received $7,500 for spiritual care programming. Other grants go to organizations serving nearby communities through hands-on needs such as HVAC work, renovation, volunteer training, and emergency equipment. The foundation also backs local capacity through support for tools, technology, archive digitization, and scholarships. The grant sizes cluster tightly around modest community awards, which fits a program built to spread many grants across local needs. Recent recipients include nonprofits in Boyne City, Charlevoix, Petoskey, Gaylord, and Harbor Springs, all in Michigan. Leadership is listed under Shari Culver, and the fund’s structure is tied to Great Lakes Energy’s member-supported giving model.
A clear theme is capital and facility support for small nonprofits. Great Lakes Energy People Fund gave $10,000 to Shelby Optimist Club for ceiling repair and $7,500 to Harmonized Healing Counseling Servi for remodel work, showing interest in physical upkeep for community-serving spaces. They also fund community resilience and preparedness. Grants include $7,000 to Banks Township Fire and Rescue for dive team equipment and $5,498 to Oceana County Council on Aging for emergency kits. Another recurring area is heritage and organizational capacity. Bellaire Area Historical Society received $7,000 for a digitization project, and Charlevoix Historical Society received $7,000 for 2nd floor renovations. The foundation also supports youth and learning through $6,000 to Stony Creek Therapeutic Riding Cntr for student scholarships.
Typical awards are small and tightly grouped: p25 is $6,000, median is $7,000, and p75 is $7,500. The recent grant list shows many grants at those levels, with a few larger exceptions such as $10,000. The program appears to make recurring awards over multiple years; several recipients in the recent-grants table appear in more than one year, including Lincoln Twp Fire Dept and Great Lakes Energy’s own “Grants Less Than 5000 None Related” entries. The foundation is member-supported through Great Lakes Energy’s roundup program, and the active People Fund Grants program accepts unsolicited requests.
$261K
$207K
$269K
$261K
Most grants fall between $6K and $8K, with a median of $7K.
25th Percentile
$6K
Median
$7K
75th Percentile
$8K
SHARI CULVER
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Giving is entirely in Michigan, with 100% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Recent recipients are spread across the Great Lakes Energy service area, including Boyne City, Charlevoix, Petoskey, Gaylord, Harbor Springs, Lake George, Ellsworth, Reed City, Hart, and Shelby. The largest share of grants by count is also in Michigan, matching the local scope of the program.
The recent grants show support for facility repairs, equipment purchases, volunteer training, archive digitization, trails, emergency kits, and scholarships. Examples include ceiling repair, dive team equipment, 2nd floor renovations, and student scholarships.
Typical grants are modest and clustered around $6,000 to $7,500. The reported distribution is p25 $6,000, median $7,000, and p75 $7,500.
Yes. The active People Fund Grants program is listed as accepting unsolicited requests, and it awards grants to nonprofit organizations for charitable activities throughout Great Lakes Energy’s service area.
All recent grants in the data went to U.S. recipients, and 100% of grants were made to recipients in Michigan. Recent recipient cities include Boyne City, Charlevoix, Petoskey, Gaylord, Harbor Springs, and Lake George.
The recent-grants list shows repeated support to the same recipient across different years, including Lincoln Twp Fire Dept in 2024 and 2025. That points to some recurring grant relationships rather than only one-time awards.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Great Lakes Energy People Fund that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Available to schools and organizations within the Great Lakes Energy service area. Schools and youth groups, preferably serving grades 3-7, and fire departments, road commissions, and community groups may request a demonstration.
Deadline: No deadline stated; scheduling is coordinated based on availability.
Who can apply: Nonprofit organizations that serve communities located in the Great Lakes Energy service area are eligible to apply.
Deadline: Historical deadlines have included April 15, June 1, October 1, and October 15; no current deadline is provided in the supplied content.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRANTS LESS THAN 5000 | BOYNE CITY, MI | $235,422 | 2025 | VARIOUS |
| BANKS TOWNSHIP FIRE AND RESCUE | ELLSWORTH, MI | $7,000 | 2025 | DIVE TEAM EQUIPMENT |
| VETERANS EDUCATION TRAINING AND SUP | GAYLORD, MI | $7,000 | 2025 | HVAC |
| LINCOLN TWP FIRE DEPT | LAKE GEORGE, MI | $6,000 | 2025 | EQUIPMENT |
| NW MI HABITAT FOR HUMANITY | PETOSKEY, MI | $6,000 | 2025 | TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY |
| GRANTS LESS THAN 5000 | BOYNE CITY, MI | $202,775 | 2024 | VARIOUS |
| SHELBY OPTIMIST CLUB | SHELBY, MI | $10,000 | 2024 | CEILING REPAIR |
| SPIRITUAL CARE CONSULT OF WEST MI | HASTINGS, MI | $7,500 | 2024 | SPIRITUAL CARE PROGR |
| CHARLEVOIX HISTORICAL SOCIETY | CHARLEVOIX, MI | $7,000 | 2024 | 2ND FLR RENOVATIONS |
| BELLAIRE AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY | BELLAIRE, MI | $7,000 | 2024 | DIGITIZATION PROJECT |
| LITTLE TRAVERSE CONSERVANCY | HARBOR SPRINGS, MI | $6,500 | 2024 | HIKING/BIKING TRAILS |
| LINCOLN TWP FIRE DEPT | LAKE GEORGE, MI | $5,895 | 2024 | EQUIPMENT |
| GRANTS LESS THAN 5000 NONE RELATED | BOYNE CITY, MI | $232,559 | 2023 | VARIOUS |
| HARMONIZED HEALING COUNSELING SERVI | WHITE CLOUD, MI | $7,500 | 2023 | REMODEL |
| OSCEOLA COUNTY CERT | REED CITY, MI | $7,000 | 2023 | VOLUNTEER TRAINING |
| NORTHERN MI ANTIQUE FLYWHEELERS | BOYNE FALLS, MI | $6,000 | 2023 | BLEACHERS |
| STONY CREEK THERAPEUTIC RIDING CNTR | NEW ERA, MI | $6,000 | 2023 | STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS |
| OCEANA COUNTY COUNCIL ON AGING | HART, MI | $5,498 | 2023 | EMERGENCY KITS |
GRANTS LESS THAN 5000
$235,422VARIOUS
BANKS TOWNSHIP FIRE AND RESCUE
$7,000DIVE TEAM EQUIPMENT
VETERANS EDUCATION TRAINING AND SUP
$7,000HVAC
LINCOLN TWP FIRE DEPT
$6,000EQUIPMENT
NW MI HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
$6,000TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY
GRANTS LESS THAN 5000
$202,775VARIOUS
SHELBY OPTIMIST CLUB
CEILING REPAIR
CHARLEVOIX HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$7,0002ND FLR RENOVATIONS
BELLAIRE AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$7,000DIGITIZATION PROJECT
LINCOLN TWP FIRE DEPT
$5,895EQUIPMENT
GRANTS LESS THAN 5000 NONE RELATED
$232,559VARIOUS
HARMONIZED HEALING COUNSELING SERVI
$7,500REMODEL
OSCEOLA COUNTY CERT
$7,000VOLUNTEER TRAINING
NORTHERN MI ANTIQUE FLYWHEELERS
$6,000BLEACHERS
STONY CREEK THERAPEUTIC RIDING CNTR
$6,000STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS
OCEANA COUNTY COUNCIL ON AGING
$5,498EMERGENCY KITS
