The Jim and Diana Huckle Family Foundation concentrates its giving in the Grand Traverse/Traverse City region of northern Michigan, favoring capital, campaign and infrastructure investments that strengthen community recreation, workforce training, conservation/agriculture, and basic needs services. Grants are commonly large, project- or campaign-specific awards (trail construction, YMCA capital, college program development, incubator farm, housing/food-security campaign) rather than unrestricted operating support. The foundation appears to prioritize tangible community assets and capacity-building that benefit regional quality of life and economic opportunity.
The Jim and Diana Huckle Family Foundation’s recent giving is marked by large, project-specific awards for community assets in the Grand Traverse area, especially capital campaigns and infrastructure tied to recreation, housing, education, and conservation. Its two largest recent grants, both $333,334, went to The Grand Traverse Bay Young Mens Christian Associ for a capital campaign in 2025 and a phase 2 capital campaign in 2024, showing a clear willingness to support multi-year builds. Another major 2025 grant of $200,000 to Goodwill Industries of Northern Michigan Inc backed the Bringing It Home Campaign for housing and food security, linking basic needs work to campaign-style fundraising. The foundation also backed trail engineering, an agricultural incubator farm and river crossing, and a technical degree program, which suggests a preference for tangible projects that expand local capacity rather than broad unrestricted operating support. Across the recent grants list, Traverse City organizations appear repeatedly, but the funding mix reaches beyond one sector and includes recreation, social services, workforce training, and environmental infrastructure. The pattern is regional and hands-on, with grants often aimed at discrete phases, funds, or campaign goals that can be tracked to a specific community outcome.
In recreation and trail infrastructure, the foundation supported Traverse Area Recreation & Transportation Trails I with $150,000 for the Three Mile Trail extension engineering fund in 2025, after giving the same organization $150,000 for trail engineering in 2023 and another $150,000 in 2024. It also gave $50,000 to Peninsula Township for a sustainable trail at the Pelizzari Natural Area and $50,000 to Little Traverse Conservancy Inc for a single-track trail project at the Offield Family Viwlands. In education and workforce training, Northwestern Michigan College received $100,000 for the Wet Tech Associates Degree Program. For conservation and agriculture, Friends of the Grand Traverse Conservation Distric received $100,000 for the New Great Lakes Incubator Farm and Boardman River crossing. The foundation also backed youth-oriented recreation through El Grupo Norte Youth Cycling with $36,000 in general and unrestricted support.
$960K
$5.9M
$1.6M
$1M
Most grants fall between $10K and $50K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$50K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in MI.
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Concentrated, high-dollar grants focused on capital campaigns and project-specific investments within a single geographic region; multiple repeat and multi-year gifts to local organizations rather than many small, diversified grants.
Notable grantees: The Grand Traverse Bay Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), Traverse Area Recreation & Transportation Trails, Inc., Goodwill Industries of Northern Michigan, Friends of the Grand Traverse Conservation District, Northwestern Michigan College
Typical grant size sits at $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $50,000 at the 75th percentile, but the recent list also shows several six-figure awards. The same organizations appear across multiple years, including The Grand Traverse Bay Young Mens Christian Associ, Traverse Area Recreation & Transportation Trails I, Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Michigan, Soaring Unlimited, and Justice for Our Neighbors - Michigan. That repeat giving points to ongoing relationships rather than one-off awards. The foundation is a family foundation and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The grant record includes both capital/campaign support and capacity-building or consulting-related awards, alongside some general and unrestricted support.
The giving is concentrated in Michigan, with Traverse City as the main recipient city across the recent grants list. Other Michigan recipient locations include Harbor Springs, Suttons Bay, Grand Rapids, Holt, and Corunna. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 43 grants going to U.S. organizations. The foundation’s grantmaking is regional rather than national, and the recent record shows a strong northern Michigan footprint with a few awards elsewhere in the state.
The recent record shows support for capital campaigns, trail and natural-area infrastructure, housing and food security, workforce and technical education, conservation and agriculture, and consulting or capacity-building services. Examples include a YMCA capital campaign, trail engineering, a technical degree program, and a housing-and-food-security campaign.
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including The Grand Traverse Bay Young Mens Christian Associ, Traverse Area Recreation & Transportation Trails I, Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Michigan, Soaring Unlimited, and Justice for Our Neighbors - Michigan.
The grant-size distribution is $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $50,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list also includes larger awards above $100,000, including multiple six-figure campaign and infrastructure grants.
Michigan is the top state by grant count, and the recent grants are centered in Traverse City. Other recipient cities in the record include Harbor Springs, Suttons Bay, Grand Rapids, Holt, and Corunna, all in Michigan.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE GRAND TRAVERSE BAY YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCI | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $333,334 | 2026 | Phase 2 Capital Campaign |
| GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN INC | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $200,000 | 2026 | Bringing It Home Campaign |
| INTERLOCHEN CENTER FOR THE ARTS | INTERLOCHEN, MI | $125,000 | 2026 | Northern Michigan Opportunity Fund |
| FRIENDS OF THE GRAND TRAVERSE CONSERVATION DISTRIC | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $100,000 | 2026 | Funding for Great Lakes Incubator Farm and Boardman river crossing |
| PADDLE ANTRIM | ELK RAPIDS, MI | $75,000 | 2026 | Campaign 2025 |
| WOMENS RESOURCE CENTER OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN | PETOSKEY, MI | $50,000 | 2026 | grant for new building furnishings |
| GRAND TRAVERSE REGIONAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $25,000 | 2026 | Designated to the Non-Endowed DEI Fund |
| GRAND TRAVERSE REGIONAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $25,000 | 2026 | Dave Mengebier Legacy Focus Fund Endowment |
| GENERATIONS AHEAD | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $15,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| WARM HEARTS FOUNDATION | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $10,000 | 2026 | 25th Anniversary Fund |
| GRAND TRAVERSE REGIONAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $2,100 | 2026 | Workshop training series |
| THE GRAND TRAVERSE BAY YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCI | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $333,334 | 2025 | Capital Campaign |
| GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN INC | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $200,000 | 2025 | Bringing It Home Campaign for housing and food security |
| TRAVERSE AREA RECREATION & TRANSPORTATION TRAILS I | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $150,000 | 2025 | Three Mile Trail extension engineering FUND |
| GRAND TRAVERSE REGIONAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $60,000 | 2025 | New Office Fund |
| MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY | CORUNNA, MI | $50,000 | 2025 | The Malawi Project Fund |
| BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $48,500 | 2025 | CONSULTING SERVICE FUND |
| SOARING UNLIMITED | HOLT, MI | $19,525 | 2025 | Capacity Building Services, Consulting, and Technology |
| GRAND TRAVERSE REGIONAL LAND CONSERVANCY | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $16,500 | 2025 | Pelizzari Natural Area addition FUND |
| WARM HEARTS FOUNDATION | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $10,000 | 2025 | girls hostel project |
| GRAND TRAVERSE REGIONAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $10,000 | 2025 | Community Development Fund |
| THE GRAND TRAVERSE BAY YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCI | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $333,334 | 2024 | Phase 2 Capital Campaign |
| TRAVERSE AREA RECREATION & TRANSPORTATION TRAILS I | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $150,000 | 2024 | THREE MILE TRAIL EXTENSION ENGINEERING FUND |
| FRIENDS OF THE GRAND TRAVERSE CONSERVATION DISTRIC | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $100,000 | 2024 | New Great Lakes Incubator Farm and Boardman River crossing |
| LITTLE TRAVERSE CONSERVANCY INC | HARBOR SPRINGS, MI | $50,000 | 2024 | single-track trail project at the Offield Family Viwlands |
| PENINSULA TOWNSHIP | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $50,000 | 2024 | sustainable trail at the Pelizzari Natural Area |
| MT HOLIDAY INC | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $50,000 | 2024 | Capital Campaign |
| INLAND SEAS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION | SUTTONS BAY, MI | $50,000 | 2024 | 2023 Annual Fund |
| FATHER FRED FOUNDATION | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $25,000 | 2024 | food insecurity program |
| GRAND TRAVERSE REGIONAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $25,000 | 2024 | Diversity Equity Inclusion Fund |
| JUSTICE FOR OUR NEIGHBORS - MICHIGAN | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $25,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| SOARING UNLIMITED | HOLT, MI | $19,525 | 2024 | Capacity Building Services, Consulting, and Technology |
| GRAND TRAVERSE REGIONAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $10,000 | 2024 | Grand Traverse Area Local Journalism Fund |
| TRAVERSE AREA RECREATION & TRANSPORTATION TRAILS I | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $10,000 | 2024 | Nakwema Trail Fund |
| GENERATIONS AHEAD | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $10,000 | 2024 | funds for hiring a second social worker |
| MNAMAADIZIWIN INC | NORTHPORT, MI | $5,000 | 2024 | Charitable Event |
| PURE WATER FOR THE WORLD INC | RUTLAND, VT | $5,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| SOARING UNLIMITED | HOLT, MI | $5,000 | 2024 | Vehicle replacement fund |
| EL GRUPO NORTE YOUTH CYCLING | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $5,000 | 2024 | Integration of the State of Michigan Education Standards to the NORTE curriculum |
| TRAVERSE AREA RECREATION & TRANSPORTATION TRAILS I | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $150,000 | 2023 | Three Mile Trail extension engineering |
| GRAND TRAVERSE REGIONAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $100,000 | 2023 | Three year campaign grant |
| NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN COLLEGE | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $100,000 | 2023 | Wet Tech Associates Degree Program |
| BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $36,000 | 2023 | funding for consulting service |
| EL GRUPO NORTE YOUTH CYCLING | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $36,000 | 2023 | General & Unrestricted |
| SOARING UNLIMITED | HOLT, MI | $35,950 | 2023 | Building Services, Consulting, and Technology |
| JUSTICE FOR OUR NEIGHBORS - MICHIGAN | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $30,000 | 2023 | Expansion of immigration legal services |
| UNITED WAY OF NORTHWEST MICHIGAN | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $22,500 | 2023 | Consulting services |
| GRAND TRAVERSE BAY WATERSHED INITIATIVE INC | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $20,000 | 2023 | support for capacity building campaign |
| GRAND TRAVERSE REGIONAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $10,000 | 2023 | Grand Traverse Area Local Journalism Fund |
| GENERATIONS AHEAD | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $10,000 | 2023 | support for hiring a second social worker |
THE GRAND TRAVERSE BAY YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCI
$333,334Phase 2 Capital Campaign
FRIENDS OF THE GRAND TRAVERSE CONSERVATION DISTRIC
$100,000Funding for Great Lakes Incubator Farm and Boardman river crossing
PADDLE ANTRIM
$75,000Campaign 2025
grant for new building furnishings
Designated to the Non-Endowed DEI Fund
Dave Mengebier Legacy Focus Fund Endowment
GENERATIONS AHEAD
$15,000General & Unrestricted
WARM HEARTS FOUNDATION
$10,00025th Anniversary Fund
THE GRAND TRAVERSE BAY YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCI
$333,334Capital Campaign
Bringing It Home Campaign for housing and food security
Three Mile Trail extension engineering FUND
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
$50,000The Malawi Project Fund
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN
$48,500CONSULTING SERVICE FUND
SOARING UNLIMITED
$19,525Capacity Building Services, Consulting, and Technology
Pelizzari Natural Area addition FUND
WARM HEARTS FOUNDATION
$10,000girls hostel project
THE GRAND TRAVERSE BAY YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCI
$333,334Phase 2 Capital Campaign
THREE MILE TRAIL EXTENSION ENGINEERING FUND
FRIENDS OF THE GRAND TRAVERSE CONSERVATION DISTRIC
$100,000New Great Lakes Incubator Farm and Boardman River crossing
single-track trail project at the Offield Family Viwlands
PENINSULA TOWNSHIP
$50,000sustainable trail at the Pelizzari Natural Area
MT HOLIDAY INC
$50,000Capital Campaign
Diversity Equity Inclusion Fund
JUSTICE FOR OUR NEIGHBORS - MICHIGAN
$25,000General & Unrestricted
SOARING UNLIMITED
$19,525Capacity Building Services, Consulting, and Technology
Grand Traverse Area Local Journalism Fund
GENERATIONS AHEAD
$10,000funds for hiring a second social worker
MNAMAADIZIWIN INC
$5,000Charitable Event
PURE WATER FOR THE WORLD INC
$5,000General & Unrestricted
SOARING UNLIMITED
$5,000Vehicle replacement fund
EL GRUPO NORTE YOUTH CYCLING
$5,000Integration of the State of Michigan Education Standards to the NORTE curriculum
Three Mile Trail extension engineering
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN
$36,000funding for consulting service
EL GRUPO NORTE YOUTH CYCLING
$36,000General & Unrestricted
SOARING UNLIMITED
$35,950Building Services, Consulting, and Technology
JUSTICE FOR OUR NEIGHBORS - MICHIGAN
$30,000Expansion of immigration legal services
GRAND TRAVERSE BAY WATERSHED INITIATIVE INC
$20,000support for capacity building campaign
Grand Traverse Area Local Journalism Fund
GENERATIONS AHEAD
$10,000support for hiring a second social worker