The LJ Midge Verplank Community Impact Fund primarily channels large, place-based investments into community infrastructure and direct services in the Grand Haven/Muskegon region. Their giving favors local grantmaking intermediaries and capital/campaign support for civic institutions, while also funding youth development, literacy, workforce training, and affordable housing projects. Awards tend to support organizational capacity and capital needs rather than small program pilots.
A $1.06 million grant to the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation stands out as the clearest marker of the Lj Midge Verplank Community Impact Fund’s style: it uses large, local awards to strengthen civic infrastructure. The fund’s recent giving also includes a pair of $100,000 grants to Tri-cities Family YMCA in consecutive years, one labeled for a capital campaign and one for "Y of All: A Campaign to Honor Our Legacy and Build Our Future." That pattern points to a funder that is comfortable making substantial commitments to community institutions over time, not just one-off project checks. The foundation’s portfolio centers on place-based support in and around Grand Haven and the broader Muskegon area, with grants that reach literacy programming, workforce training, affordable housing, youth services, and conservation-related campaigns. Recipients include Read Muskegon, Ottawa Area Intermediate School District, and Tri Cities Area Habitat for Humanity Inc., suggesting attention to both service delivery and the facilities or campaigns that help organizations operate at scale. Grantmaking is heavily oriented toward established local entities and capital needs, with a strong emphasis on community benefit within Michigan.
Community infrastructure is a defining theme in the Lj Midge Verplank Community Impact Fund’s recent grants. It gave $1,060,000 to Grand Haven Area Community Foundation for grant making, showing support for local philanthropic infrastructure rather than only direct service. Youth and family-serving organizations are another clear area. The fund awarded $100,000 to Tri-cities Family YMCA for a capital campaign and $20,200 to Boys & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore for "Great Futures Start Here." In literacy, it provided $30,000 to Read Muskegon for "Learn, Transform, Thrive; Building a Home for Literacy Program," tying funding to program space and capacity. Workforce and practical training also appear in the portfolio: Ottawa Area Intermediate School District received $21,573 for diesel/heavy equipment mechanics training, and Tri Cities Area Habitat for Humanity Inc. received $20,000 for affordable housing.
Grant sizes cluster at the high end of the foundation’s distribution: the 25th percentile is $20,000, the median is $20,000, and the 75th percentile is $100,000. The recent record shows both one major anchor grant and a series of mid-sized awards, suggesting a mix of large institutional support and smaller project-specific gifts. The pattern also looks recurring rather than purely one-time. Tri-cities Family YMCA received $100,000 in both 2024 and 2025, with different campaign purposes. The foundation appears to be organized as a grantmaking fund and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Its giving is local and concentrated in Michigan.
$242K
$6.9M
$2.9M
$307K
Most grants fall between $20K and $100K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$100K
BARBARA VANHEEST
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Concentrated, high-dollar local giving: a single very large gift to a community foundation dominates the portfolio, supplemented by multi-year or repeat grants to established local nonprofits and capital/campaign-oriented awards. Mix of intermediary grants and direct service organizations with emphasis on capacity-building and capital needs rather than many small, dispersed program grants.
Notable grantees: Grand Haven Area Community Foundation, Tri-Cities Family YMCA, Read Muskegon, Grand Valley State University (Save Our Shores campaign), Tri Cities Area Habitat for Humanity
Grantmaking is entirely in the U.S., and every recorded award goes to Michigan recipients. Grand Haven is the clearest center of activity, with grants to Grand Haven Area Community Foundation, Tri-cities Family YMCA, Tri Cities Area Habitat for Humanity Inc., Momentum Center, Out Side in Inc., and The People Center. Muskegon also appears multiple times through Read Muskegon, Community Foundation for Muskegon County, and Boys & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore. Additional Michigan recipients include Grand Rapids and Holland, showing a regional footprint centered on the Lakeshore and nearby West Michigan communities.
The recent grants lean toward community infrastructure and established local institutions. Examples include $1,060,000 to Grand Haven Area Community Foundation for grant making, $100,000 to Tri-cities Family YMCA for a capital campaign, and $20,000 to Tri Cities Area Habitat for Humanity Inc. for affordable housing.
Yes. Tri-cities Family YMCA received $100,000 in 2024 for a capital campaign and another $100,000 in 2025 for "Y of All: A Campaign to Honor Our Legacy and Build Our Future." That indicates support can recur across years for related capital efforts.
The distribution centers on $20,000 and $100,000. The 25th percentile is $20,000, the median is $20,000, and the 75th percentile is $100,000, so the foundation commonly makes mid-sized grants with some larger awards at the upper end.
Recent grants support literacy, workforce training, youth services, affordable housing, and community facilities. Named examples include Read Muskegon for a literacy program home, Ottawa Area Intermediate School District for diesel/heavy equipment mechanics training, and Boys & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore for youth services.
All recent grants are in Michigan. Grand Haven and Muskegon account for many of the named recipients, with additional awards in Grand Rapids and Holland. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Lj Midge Verplank Community Impact Fund that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Supports local programs and projects that benefit young people in the community. Specific eligibility requirements are provided through the grant application portal and Youth Advisory Council priorities.
Deadline: Fall 2026 grant deadline: October 14, 2026; notifications in late November. Spring 2027 grant deadline: March 17, 2027; notifications in late May.
Who can apply: For nonprofit agencies seeking to build internal capacity and effectiveness. Grants are not available for general operating support, equipment or hardware purchases, construction or rehabilitation, emergency repairs, payroll needs, debt liquidation, or routine financial audits.
Deadline: 1st Monday of every month.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRI-CITIES FAMILY YMCA | GRAND HAVEN, MI | $100,000 | 2025 | Y OF ALL: A CAMPAIGN TO HONOR OUR LEGACY AND BUILD OUR FUTURE |
| READ MUSKEGON | MUSKEGON, MI | $30,000 | 2025 | LEARN, TRANSFORM,THRIVE; BUILDING A HOME FOR LITERACY PROGRAM |
| GRAND VALLEY STATE UNVIERSITY | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $25,000 | 2025 | SAVE OUR SHORES CAMPAIGN |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR MUSKEGON COUNTY | MUSKEGON, MI | $25,000 | 2025 | FARM SUPPORT |
| OTTAWA AREA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT | HOLLAND, MI | $21,573 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR DIESEL/HEAVY EQUIPMENT MECHANICS TRAINING |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF THE MUSKEGON LAKESHORE | MUKSEGON, MI | $20,200 | 2025 | GREAT FUTURES START HERE |
| TRI CITIES AREA HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INC | GRAND HAVEN, MI | $20,000 | 2025 | AFFORDABLE HOUSING |
| GRAND HAVEN AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | GRAND HAVEN, MI | $1,060,000 | 2024 | GRANT MAKING |
| TRI-CITIES FAMILY YMCA | GRAND HAVEN, MI | $100,000 | 2024 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| MOMENTUM CENTER | GRAND HAVEN, MI | $20,000 | 2024 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| OUT SIDE IN INC | GRAND HAVEN, MI | $20,000 | 2024 | GREATEST NEED |
| THE PEOPLE CENTER | SPRING LAKE, MI | $10,000 | 2024 | GREATEST NEED |
Y OF ALL: A CAMPAIGN TO HONOR OUR LEGACY AND BUILD OUR FUTURE
READ MUSKEGON
$30,000LEARN, TRANSFORM,THRIVE; BUILDING A HOME FOR LITERACY PROGRAM
GRAND VALLEY STATE UNVIERSITY
$25,000SAVE OUR SHORES CAMPAIGN
OTTAWA AREA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT
$21,573SUPPORT FOR DIESEL/HEAVY EQUIPMENT MECHANICS TRAINING
GREAT FUTURES START HERE
TRI CITIES AREA HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INC
$20,000AFFORDABLE HOUSING
MOMENTUM CENTER
$20,000CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
OUT SIDE IN INC
$20,000GREATEST NEED
THE PEOPLE CENTER
$10,000GREATEST NEED