The Marshall Community Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to improving quality of life in Marshall, and throughout Calhoun County. The Foundation holds permanently endowed funds from a range of donors, and serves as a conduit for special projects and the distribution of grants in support of innovative programs.
Focus Areas
Grants to local nonprofitsScholarshipsEnrichment for students and educatorsHistoric preservation (select funds)Arts and music programsCommunity convening and problem solving
Who They Fund
residents of Marshall, MICalhoun County residentsyouth and adolescentslocal nonprofit organizationsscholarship recipients / studentsworkforce entrants in public safety roles
About Marshall Community Foundation
A defining feature of Marshall Community Foundation is its use of permanently endowed funds to support local work in Marshall and Calhoun County. The foundation’s grantmaking is built around community-directed support for innovative programs, scholarships, and special projects, with leadership under Marguerite Davenport. Its current profile shows both broad community investment and highly targeted education support, including a large 2024 grant of $588,511 listed as "See Attached Schedule — ASSIST WITH COLLEGE" and a 2025 grant of $584,387 listed as "See Attached Schedule." Those awards sit alongside smaller local programs for students, educators, and nonprofit projects, which points to a foundation that funds across different sizes and purposes rather than through a single grant model. The organization’s active programs also show a recurring interest in enrichment opportunities, public-school support, and capacity-building projects that benefit residents of Marshall and surrounding Calhoun County communities. Scholarship support is not limited to one age group; the foundation includes adult and non-traditional scholarships as well as student enrichment awards and educator grants.
What Marshall Community Foundation Funds
Education is a central theme in the foundation’s program list. Through Adult / Non-Traditional Scholarships, it supports students returning to school later in life and those in at least their second year of college, with a focus on higher education, career change, adult learning, technical training, and engineering. For K–12 enrichment, the foundation funds student and teacher opportunities such as camps, seminars, field trips, guest speakers, classroom materials, arts, and STEM activities. It also maintains educator-specific enrichment grants for Marshall Public Schools, including named funds like Jacob Dannenberg, Tom & Lucy Franke, Hayes-Washburn, and the Marshall Music Fund.
Community development is another clear lane. The Mini & Momentum Grants program supports local nonprofit projects in Marshall and Calhoun County, while the Competitive Grants Program backs agencies and organizations serving the City of Marshall and surrounding townships. A separate Impact Grant track is reserved for large-scale projects with substantial community impact.
How Marshall Community Foundation Gives
The foundation’s typical grant size sits tightly clustered around the same level, with p25 at $585,418, the median at $586,449, and p75 at $587,480. That pattern aligns with the two largest recent grants, both near $585,000. At the same time, the active program menu shows a second tier of much smaller awards, including $0–$2,000 educator enrichment grants and $0–$100 student enrichment scholarships. The structure suggests a mix of large discretionary support and smaller, program-specific awards. The foundation is a community foundation with permanently endowed funds, and it accepts unsolicited applications in several programs. Some awards are recurring or reviewed quarterly, while nomination-based student enrichment scholarships use a different process.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$584K
Total Assets
$24.1M
Total Revenue
$1.9M
Total Expenses
$1.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $585K and $587K, with a median of $586K.
25th Percentile
$585K
Median
$586K
75th Percentile
$587K
Geographic Reach
About 0% of grants go to recipients in MI.
Leadership
MARGUERITE DAVENPORT
Deep Analysis
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permanent endowment / endowed fundingscholarship supportcapacity building for nonprofitscommunity-directed grantmakingsupport for innovative programs
Topics
education scholarshipscommunity development (local)nonprofit capacity buildingyouth programs and servicespublic safety-related workforce development
Where Marshall Community Foundation Makes Grants
Marshall Community Foundation gives most often in Michigan, and its program map centers on Marshall, Calhoun County, and surrounding townships. Specific recipient locations named in the programs include the City of Marshall, Marshall Public Schools, Mar Lee, Olivet area, and surrounding Marshall-area schools. The active grant programs consistently point to local service rather than broad multi-state giving. The recipient country distribution shows all recent grants in the United States, with 2 grants recorded there.
Frequently Asked Questions About Marshall Community Foundation
What kinds of organizations and people does Marshall Community Foundation fund?
Its programs cover local nonprofit organizations, scholarship recipients, students, educators, and residents of Marshall and Calhoun County. Active areas include K–12 enrichment, adult and non-traditional scholarships, community development, capacity building, and public-school enrichment.
How large are the foundation’s grants?
The typical grant size is very large at the high end: p25 is $585,418, the median is $586,449, and p75 is $587,480. The program menu also includes smaller awards, such as educator grants capped at $2,000 and student enrichment scholarships up to $100.
Does Marshall Community Foundation accept unsolicited applications?
Yes, several programs do. Adult / Non-Traditional Scholarships, Mini & Momentum Grants, the Competitive Grants Program, Impact Grants, and multiple enrichment grant tracks all accept unsolicited applications. One student enrichment scholarship track is nomination-based instead.
What are the foundation’s main focus areas?
Education is a major focus through scholarships and enrichment for students and educators. Other active areas include community development, nonprofit support, workforce development, and large-scale impact projects. Scholarship support also extends to adults returning to school and students pursuing technical training or engineering.
Where are recent grants concentrated?
The foundation gives most often in Michigan. Program geography centers on Marshall, the City of Marshall, Calhoun County, Marshall Public Schools, Mar Lee, and the Olivet area. Recent grants listed in the data were all in the United States.
Latest 990 Filing
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Recent Grants
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
Recipient
Location
Amount
Year
Purpose
SEE ATTACHED SCHEDULE
—
$584,387
2025
—
SEE ATTACHED SCHEDULE
—
$588,511
2024
ASSIST WITH COLLEGE
SEE ATTACHED SCHEDULE
$584,387
2025
SEE ATTACHED SCHEDULE
$588,511
2024
ASSIST WITH COLLEGE
Open Grant Opportunities
Current and upcoming funding from Marshall Community Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Open nowRolling / open intakeAward: Up to $750
Mini Grant
capacity buildingworkforce developmentyouth development+5 more
Who can apply: Applicants must be non-profit, tax-exempt organizations, schools, churches for non-sectarian purposes, cities and townships located in the greater Marshall Area and Calhoun County. Requests should directly benefit residents of the City of Marshall and surrounding townships. The Foundation does not fund political or sectarian projects, general operating expenses, endowments, debt reduction, capital campaigns, or requests over $5,000 where MCF is the only funding source.
Open nowCloses in 5 days (Jul 1, 2026)Award: $750 – $75K
Community Grants (Mini, Momentum, Impact)
community developmentcapacity buildingworkforce development+11 more
Who can apply: Applications welcome from non-profit, tax-exempt organizations, schools, churches for non-sectarian purposes, cities and townships in the greater Marshall-area and Calhoun County. Requests should directly benefit residents of the City of Marshall and surrounding townships. The foundation does not fund political or legislative projects, sectarian purposes, general operating expenses, endowments, debt reduction, annual fundraising drives, capital campaigns, or requests over $75,000. Applicants must have submitted final reports for all previous grants.
Deadline: January 1, April 1, July 1, October 1; review and final decision occur on scheduled board/committee dates after each deadline.
community kindnessyouth activitieslibrary support+3 more
Who can apply: Qualified nonprofit organizations such as Calhoun County 4-H, Marshall and Tekonsha Public Libraries, local elementary schools, and the Marshall and Tekonsha High Schools’ Athletic Departments.
Deadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.