To foster local philanthropy and strengthen the Three Rivers community through grants, scholarships, donor services, and partnerships that enrich quality of life in St. Joseph County, Michigan.
Three Rivers Area Community Foundation’s recent giving shows a strong local pattern: its largest grants support public recreation, community organizations, and education across St. Joseph County. A $20,000 grant to St Joseph County Parks and Rec in Centreville sits at the top of the list, followed by $14,000 to River Country Sports Commission in Three Rivers and $10,000 to Three Rivers Area Chamber of Commerce. Those awards point to a funder that uses grants to support community life as well as local institutions. The foundation also funds education and youth-linked work through a mix of scholarships, school support, and program grants. Recent awards include $8,000 to Grand Valley State University, $7,750 to Southwestern Michigan College, and $7,500 to Western Michigan University. Other grants have gone to 3r Pickleball Assoc, Three Rivers Rotary, and Hillsdale College, suggesting a grantmaking mix that reaches both civic groups and postsecondary education. Its structure as a mixed community foundation aligns with the broad local portfolio reflected in the grant list.
Education appears in several forms. The foundation gave $8,000 to Grand Valley State University, $7,750 to Southwestern Michigan College, and $7,500 to Western Michigan University, along with $6,250 to Hillsdale College and $5,500 to Michigan State University. Those awards sit alongside scholarship programs for graduating high school seniors, current college students, adults, and trade students. Community development is another clear thread. A $14,000 grant to River Country Sports Commission supports a local sports-related organization in Three Rivers, while $10,000 went to Three Rivers Area Chamber of Commerce and $7,800 to Three Rivers Rotary. The active programs also include Community Micro-Grants and Community Impact Grants, both aimed at local initiatives in St. Joseph County. Youth programming is also visible through the Constantine Youth Advisory Council Fund and the Sturgis Youth Advisory Council Fund, both of which support youth-related projects in their respective areas.
Typical grant size clusters tightly around the middle of the range: p25 is $6,250, median is $7,500, and p75 is $8,000. The recent list also shows both larger awards, such as $20,000, and smaller awards near $5,500, which suggests a blend of anchor grants and mid-sized support. The foundation appears to fund consistently across years rather than through a single one-time burst, with awards shown in both 2024 and 2025. It is a mixed community foundation, and the active programs indicate unsolicited applications are accepted for several opportunities, including scholarships, micro-grants, youth advisory council funds, and classroom support.
$62K
$0
$567K
$239K
Most grants fall between $6K and $8K, with a median of $8K.
25th Percentile
$6K
Median
$8K
75th Percentile
$8K
RON BUCKHOLD
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The foundation gives entirely in Michigan: 100% of grants in the recipient country distribution are in the US, and 100% of grants go to recipients in Michigan. St. Joseph County is the core geography, with multiple awards in Three Rivers, Sturgis, Centreville, and Constantine. Recent recipients also include Allendale, Dowagiac, Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor, Hillsdale, and East Lansing, showing that the grant list extends to Michigan institutions beyond the immediate county while staying within the state.
Its grantmaking covers arts and culture, community and economic development, education, health, human services, housing, seniors, youth, scholarships, and food assistance. Recent grants also show support for parks and recreation, a chamber of commerce, a rotary club, colleges and universities, and a local sports commission.
Typical grants cluster around the middle of the range, with p25 at $6,250, median at $7,500, and p75 at $8,000. Recent awards also include larger and smaller grants, such as $20,000 and $5,500.
Yes. Several active programs are marked as accepting unsolicited applications, including Community Micro-Grants, Community Impact Grants, the General Scholarship Application, the Newell A. & Grace A. Franks Fund, the Sturgis and Constantine Youth Advisory Council funds, Teacher Mini-Grants, and Non-Traditional Scholarships.
The foundation’s active programs focus on St. Joseph County, Michigan, with specific opportunities for the Sturgis area, the Constantine area, Sturgis Public Schools, and students from St. Joseph County. It also supports youth-related work, educational programs, and charitable community projects in those places.
The recent grant list shows awards in both 2024 and 2025, and the active programs include year-round and quarterly or twice-yearly cycles. That combination points to an ongoing grantmaking pattern rather than a single annual distribution.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Three Rivers Area Community Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Applications are designated for requests of more than $5,000; grants must serve residents of the communities in St. Joseph County, Michigan and meet foundation eligibility rules.
Deadline: July 1, October 1, January 1, and April 1
Who can apply: Supports youth-related programs and projects in the Sturgis area; two competitive grant cycles per year by application only.
Deadline: Two cycles per year (spring and fall). Fall 2026 deadline is November 1, 2026.
Who can apply: Programs and projects serving local youth and teens in the foundation's service area. Proposals are accepted twice each year in March and October.
Deadline: Twice yearly in March and October.
Who can apply: Grants to entities serving the Sturgis community and meeting SACF basic eligibility rules. Applicants must be up to date on final reports for prior SACF grants.
Deadline: Quarterly review cycle (notifications Apr, Jul, Oct, Jan)
Who can apply: Open to nonprofits, food pantries, faith-based organizations, and community groups serving St. Joseph County; funding must support residents of St. Joseph County, Michigan.
Deadline: Rolling until funds are depleted.
Who can apply: Eligible organizations can access applications online through the foundation’s grants page.
Deadline: Year-round
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST JOSEPH COUNTY PARKS AND REC | CENTREVILLE, MI | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY | ALLENDALE, MI | $8,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN COLLEGE | DOWAGIAC, MI | $7,750 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY | KALAMAZOO, MI | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| 3R PICKLEBALL ASSOC | — | $7,085 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| HILLSDALE COLLEGE | HILLSDALE, MI | $6,250 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY | EAST LANSING, MI | $5,500 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| RIVER COUNTRY SPORTS COMMISSION | THREE RIVERS, MI | $14,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| THREE RIVERS AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | THREE RIVERS, MI | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| THREE RIVERS ROTARY | THREE RIVERS, MI | $7,800 | 2024 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ANN ARBOR | ANN ARBOR, MI | $6,750 | 2024 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY | KALAMAZOO, MI | $6,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| KALAMAZOO VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE | KALAMAZOO, MI | $5,500 | 2024 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| RIVER COUNTRY SPORTS COMMISSION | THREE RIVERS, MI | $19,913 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THREE RIVERS ROTARY | THREE RIVERS, MI | $13,702 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THREE RIVERS COMMUNITY SCHOOLS | THREE RIVERS, MI | $7,299 | 2023 | 2022 PROGRAM FUNDING |
ST JOSEPH COUNTY PARKS AND REC
$20,000GENERAL PROGRAM
GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY
$8,000GENERAL PROGRAM
SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN COLLEGE
$7,750GENERAL PROGRAM
WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
$7,500GENERAL PROGRAM
3R PICKLEBALL ASSOC
$7,085GENERAL PROGRAM
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
$5,500GENERAL PROGRAM
RIVER COUNTRY SPORTS COMMISSION
$14,000GENERAL PROGRAM
THREE RIVERS AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
$10,000GENERAL PROGRAM
THREE RIVERS ROTARY
$7,800GENERAL PROGRAM
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ANN ARBOR
$6,750GENERAL PROGRAM
WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
$6,000GENERAL PROGRAM
RIVER COUNTRY SPORTS COMMISSION
$19,913GENERAL SUPPORT
THREE RIVERS ROTARY
$13,702GENERAL SUPPORT
THREE RIVERS COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
$7,2992022 PROGRAM FUNDING
