Grants
Community Relief and Recovery Fund (CRRF) Grantmaking Program
The Community Relief and Recovery Fund was established to respond to the short and long-term impact that COVID-19 will have on individuals, families, and for-impact partners within Northwest Ottawa County. The name of this fund, Community Relief and Recovery, was selected with great intention and purpose. As we begin to shift from an emergency, immediate response we are anxious to provide you – our partners – with a sense of relief as we begin the process of recovery.
Grants from this fund are competitive and will support an organization’s core operation costs in an effort to allow the organization to fully support the communities of Northwest Ottawa County. Priority will be granted to organizations serving individuals, families, and/or communities most impacted by COVID-19.
Areas of focus include:
- accessible nutrition
- access to arts & culture, education
- frontline fatigue
- physical and mental health
- safe housing
- vulnerable communities such as seniors and youth
Application and Award Process
In an effort to get vital resources to our communities as quickly as possible, the GHACF is committed to rapid response, trust-based philanthropy.
We are utilizing JotForm in order to provide quick and transparent access to the Community Relief and Recovery Fund Grant Program.
If you would like to work on your application over the course of a few days, please be mindful that you will need to proactively create an account with JotForm. Click below for instructions on how to create an account and save your application.
Grant deadlines and notification dates:
Wednesday, April 7, 2021 – Application Deadline
Friday, April 30, 2021 – Notification Date
Questions? Contact Holly Cole, VP of Grants & Program at hcole@ghacf.org.
Grantmaking Priorities
The Grand Haven Area Community Foundation will consider grants that seek to enhance the quality of life and promote a healthy, inclusive, collaborative, and diverse community in Northwest Ottawa County.
Click the icons below to learn more about our individual priorities and how you can help support their funds!
Grant Application Process
The Grand Haven Area Community Foundation is proud of our role as a community grantmaker. We aim to increase the capacity of the nonprofit sector by making strategic community investments in programs that advance our mission of improving and enhancing the Northwest Ottawa County area.
Funding Eligibility
Please consider whether your organization meets the following requirements:
- Has a current 501(c)(3) designation from the IRS, is a unit of government, or a religious or educational institution.
- Serves the Northwest Ottawa County or greater West Michigan region.
- Addresses one or more of the foundation’s grantmaking priorities of funding sources for the program or project in order to demonstrate sustainability.
Important Dates
for GHACF grants
November 18, 2020 – Letter of Inquiry Due
December 30, 2020 – Grant Deadline
February 26, 2021 – Notification
February 17, 2021 – Letter of Inquiry Due
March 31, 2021 – Grant Deadline
May 28, 2021 – Notification
May 26, 2021 – Letter of Inquiry Due
June 30, 2021 – Grant Deadline
August 27, 2021 – Notification
August 18, 2021 – Letter of Inquiry Due
October 7, 2021 – Grant Deadline
December 3, 2021 – Notification
Youth Grant Program
The Grand Haven Area Community Foundation Youth Advisory Council awards grants annually to support local programs and projects that work to expand programming and opportunities for the young people in our community.
Important Dates
April 30, 2021 – Grant Deadline
May 2021 – Notification
October 29, 2021 – Grant Deadline
December 2021 – Notification
Technical Assistance Grant Program
The Grand Haven Area Community Foundation has a Technical Assistance Grant Program designed to assist nonprofit agencies in their efforts to build their organization’s internal capacity and effectiveness and fund activities that increase the success and impact of the organization’s programs. Applications may be submitted at any time for consideration. It is recommended that potential grantees call the Foundation to discuss their project prior to submitting an application. Please allow at least 4 weeks for the Foundation to consider your application.
For questions about the grant portal or our grantmaking process and guidelines, contact our Vice President of Grants & Program, Holly Cole.
Grant Impact Stories
Foundation Grants Additional $223,927 for COVID-19 Relief
“Winter always brings a higher level of need in our community, and the pandemic has only amplified that. Many of our partners are striving to simply maintain operations, while others have been required to greatly expand their capacity, all while complying with critical health and safety standards that have unfortunately limited their opportunities to generate revenue and fundraise.” – Holly Cole, Vice President of Grants and Program
Grant Helps Support Innovative Food Industry
The Board of the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation (GHACF) is pleased to announce eight third-round Community Impact grant awards, totaling $204,720, in support of Northwest Ottawa County and our surrounding communities. This includes a $75,000 grant to Muskegon Area First for the West Michigan Food Processing Association’s (WMFPA) FutureFood21 program: “Healthy Food & Sustainability through Increased Education.”
You Can Make an Impact in Our Community
Throughout our 49-year history, our Greatest Needs Fund has existed to provide support or the future needs that we can’t always anticipate. No year has demonstrated this more than 2020. While we have all been challenged by the upheaval that our world has faced since March, the response from our community has been—and continues to be—inspiring.