Search Through Livingston County Grants for Nonprofits in Michigan

Who We Are

The Creag Foundation is a private grant making foundation established in 2009 in Woodinville, Washington.

The founders of the Creag Foundation believe that meaningful change can only be achieved through hard work, creativity and passion. They also understand the practical mechanisms that allow charitable organizations to succeed and grow. As a group, Creag Foundation principals are dedicated to helping today’s most innovative programs improve the human condition in a wide variety of ways.

Our Focus

The broad purpose of the Foundation is to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations who are innovators in the field of human services. Our particular focus is on smaller organizations that are starting out or established organizations that are looking for funding to take their organization in a new direction.

What We Fund

/ What We Fund

The Creag Foundation is focused on innovation in the industry. We will consider proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations that are finding new ways to address societal issues facing the nonprofit community. Applicants must have held 501(c)(3) status for one year before submitting. If your organization has held 501(c)(3) status for over a year, and your believe that your organization has a new approach to an existing social problem or is addressing a previously unaddressed social issue, you are welcome to contact us and request that we consider your organization for a funding opportunity.

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Culture Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent. Supported organizations include arts schools, ballets, museums, operas, performing arts centers, symphonies and theaters.

Funding Priorities in Culture

In the recent past, 25% of total funding has been allocated to Culture. Organizations with budgets over $10 million have received 60% of the funding in Culture.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted toward new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

The Labcorp Charitable Foundation

We believe every person deserves equitable care and education.

In 2020 Labcorp established a private charitable 501(c)(3) foundation to advance our desire to bring quality healthcare access to all by supporting education and our local communities. 

Common grant opportunities include:

• Supporting food pantries and meal programs
• Providing healthcare and patient services for underserved populations
• Encouraging STEM programming
• Advocating for healthy lifestyles through ongoing medical research and screening

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. believed effective change should make an impact from the start, yet carry long into the future. To do both, he earmarked a portion of his estate and the eventual sale of his beloved Buffalo Bills to fund his namesake foundation. The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation began operations in 2015 to continue his legacy—one of generosity and innovation, healthy risk taking and collaboration, and an unshakeable community focus.

And today, his hand-picked Life Trustees have determined to focus the efforts of the foundation on Mr. Wilson’s home and adopted home regions of Southeast Michigan and Western New York.

With a structure that dictates spend-down of our funds by 2035, we match the urgency that people in need feel every day and focus on collaborative investments that consider both immediate impact and long-term benefit.

Our time is short. But with collaboration, vision and a healthy dash of courage, transformation that shifts the very foundations of our communities is possible.

Grantmaking Focus Areas

Active Lifestyles

By supporting access to safe spaces and programs that get kids physically active and moving, the Foundation aims to introduce lifelong healthy habits through its Youth Sports & Recreation grantmaking. Spanning all generations, the Foundation’s investments in Parks, Trails & Green Design looks to connect people and communities to each other, nature and recreation.

Preparing for Success

Strong work ethic, confidence and a desire to learn are attributes that can be instilled at a young age and carried through adulthood. Our Preparing for Success focus area is centered on providing the communication, teamwork and critical-thinking skills people need to grow and adapt throughout their life and career.

Caregivers

There are more than 40 million family members - spouses, daughters, sons, grandchildren - and friends in the United States caring for older adults, a number that will grow dramatically in the coming years. The Foundation aims to elevate caregivers’ critical roles by highlighting the often-hidden value and contributions they make to families and communities every day.  

Entrepreneurship & Economic Development

Several years into recovery after a decades-long economic slide in both Southeast Michigan and Western New York, the Foundation’s investments in Entrepreneurship and Economic Development look to leverage this momentum by spurring small business growth, place-based community and economic development, and talent attraction and retention. 

Foundation Initiative: Nonprofit Support & Innovation

Without strong, healthy nonprofits that have the resources and support to meet their mission, none of the work the Foundation invests in across its focus areas can happen. While the Foundation works with individual grantees to help them build their own capacity through project-specific grants, it also is taking a sector view of nonprofit support as a special initiative of the Foundation in order to help strengthen communities.

Helping Build Better Futures

Our mission is to deliver great value to our customers every day. For over four decades, our deep commitment to the principles of providing value and caring for others has helped define our culture. It extends beyond the walls of our stores, distribution centers, and offices, and into our local communities around the world. The intersection of these principles defines our global community mission:

Deliver great value to our communities by helping vulnerable families and children access the resources and opportunities they need to build a better future.

Our Social Impact Areas

We bring our community relations mission to life around the world by focusing our giving on four social impact areas where we believe we can have the most impact and are critical to helping families and children succeed and thrive.

Basic Needs

We are passionate about supporting nonprofit organizations that help fill critical basic needs such as a warm meal, clean clothing, and a safe place to sleep for vulnerable families.

Education & Training

Our efforts have focused on quality enrichment and extracurricular programs that provide skills, resources, and opportunities to support school and career success for children, teens, and young adults.

Patient Care & Research

We support organizations that deliver services to families and children facing health challenges and life-threatening illnesses.

Empowering Women

We support programs that provide services ranging from help for those fleeing domestic violence, to others that offer education, training, and job placement resources.

Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation collaborate with a wide range of nonprofit organizations that align with our strategic funding priorities. We prioritize our funding to activities and programs that have a broad reach and support the needs of underserved communities. We aspire to have a positive impact on the communities we serve by using our financial and volunteer resources and business expertise in collaboration with community organizations to help solve complex societal problems.

• Financial health
• Housing affordability
• Small business growth
• Sustainability

We may also support other local needs in eligible communities such as disaster relief, arts and culture, civic engagement, education, human and social services, and workforce development. However, opportunities are limited as our intent is to direct the majority of our giving within our major focus areas.

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation Vision

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation, "A Foundation for All", was established in 2002. It was begun in order to give a clear voice for those who wish to be a part of the many, worthy, forces for change in our world.

We are a foundation whose purpose is to look ahead towards the future, giving the past its due by remembering where we came from, and how much we can all accomplish together. We aim to make the critical difference on our planet by recognizing and having respect for our ever changing world. We respect all Life, the Environment, and all People, no matter who they are.

Georgia-Pacific Foundation

Established in 1958, the Georgia-Pacific Foundation sets aside resources to improve life in the communities where we operate. We’ve worked with thousands of outstanding community-based programs, service projects and disaster relief efforts, focusing our investment in four areas we believe make the most impact:

• education
• entrepreneurship
• enrichment of community
• environment

Investment Priorities

• Aligns with GP’s mission and values
• Aligns with GP’s Four Focus Areas of giving: Education, Environment, Enrichment of Community and Entrepreneurship
• Serves communities where GP has manufacturing facilities
• Creates value by contributing to and positively impacting long term well-being and sustainability of GP communities

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

Creators of Culture

Improving access to capital for small-scale arts activity in Southeast Michigan

Creative activity of all scopes and scales can contribute to the vitality of communities. With this as a core belief, the Creators of Culture program launched in 2019 as an annual funding opportunity to support people, groups, collectives, and entities that do not traditionally receive philanthropic support but contribute greatly to our creative ecosystem in Southeast Michigan.

Creators of Culture aims to nurture a more equitable, diverse ecosystem of regional arts activity, specifically as a counterbalance to the access to resources possessed by large, established nonprofits.

We are excited to announce that the next iteration of Creators of Culture will focus on arts groups working with cross-sector partners and initiatives.

Program Structure

Grants of $2,000-$3,000 will be dispersed to grassroots arts organizations and artist-led collectives and groups who are interested in deepening their work in community wellbeing. For this program, we are framing community wellbeing as prosperous initiatives that impact or address mental health, food justice, cultural exchange, policy change, water quality, water, or other ideas and issues related to wellbeing.

The Opportunity:

To support small, creative organizations throughout Southeast Michigan, whose programming intersects art with community wellbeing. Applying groups should facilitate the first step in exploring work across sectors: having a meeting with a prospective partner. Potential grantees should submit one application per group. 

Centene Charitable Foundation

Successful corporate citizenship happens when companies invest in the local organizations that know their communities best. The Centene Foundation works with our local partners on initiatives that focus on inclusion, the whole person and community development.

Vision

Centene’s purpose is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. The Centene Foundation is an essential part of how we pursue this purpose. We achieve measurable impact for the communities we serve through partnerships and philanthropy efforts that invest in initiatives with holistic approaches to dismantling barriers to health.

Areas of Focus

Reflecting Centene’s commitment to the needs of those who rely on government-sponsored health care and to addressing social determinants of health and health equity, preference will be given to initiatives in three distinct areas of focus.

• Healthcare Access
• Social Services
• Education

Purpose

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds were created to provide permanent, endowed support for programs and initiatives that reflect the personal passions of Mr. Wilson. Those areas of support are: Caregiving, Design & Access, Youth Sports, and Grosse Pointe Community Assets.

Background

On November 18, 2015, The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation announced a series of grants to fund projects and initiatives that reflect the personal passions of the late Ralph C. Wilson, Jr., a Detroit native and the founder and longtime owner of the Buffalo Bills professional football team.

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is dedicated primarily to sustained investment in the quality of life of the people of southeastern Michigan and western New York, reflecting Mr. Wilson’s devotion to his hometown of Detroit and the people of greater Buffalo, home of his Bills franchise. Among the grants announced were funds to create the permanent Legacy Funds at the Community Foundation, to align with some of the key priority areas of the Foundation in perpetuity.

The Community Foundation is honored that The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation trustees, as part of their investments, have chosen to work with the Community Foundation in this way, to permanently support organizations and causes that Mr. Wilson cared about so deeply.

Focus Areas

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Funds support grants in separate key areas that honor the lifetime interests of Mr. Wilson:

Caregivers Fund

• support for projects within southeast Michigan that assist caregivers of persons who are unable to fully care for themselves and are part of an underserved community, with a preference for requests to provide support to caregivers of older adults.

Design & Access Fund

• support for projects in southeast Michigan that serve to increase the walkability and bikeability of local communities and/or increasing outdoor recreational activities within the region.

Youth Sports Fund

• support for projects in southeast Michigan that bring high-quality sports programs to youth.

Grosse Pointe Community Assets Fund

• Support for projects of anchor nonprofit organizations that provide services and experiences to residents of the 5 Grosse Pointe communities, home to Mr. Wilson during his lifetime.

Please check FAQ here for additional informations.

Ameriprise Financial Grantmaking

At Ameriprise Financial, giving back is deeply rooted in our culture. We’ve initiated positive change in the communities where we live and work for more than 120 years. We believe our community involvement enables us to actively live our values. Through grant making, volunteerism and employee and financial advisor gift matching programs, we support a diverse group of over 6,000 nonprofits across the country.

Focus Areas

Awarding grant dollars to nonprofits is one way we strengthen our communities and help individuals on a path to financial independence. To ensure we're meeting the needs of our communities and making an even greater collective impact, we focus on three key giving areas when awarding grants.

Volunteer engagement is a priority across all focus areas:

The engagement of Ameriprise employees and financial advisors is a critical component of our philanthropy. Whether it’s serving on a nonprofit board, engaging friends, clients and community members in volunteering or providing skills-based support, our relationships with nonprofits go deep. For this reason, we give priority across all focus areas to applications where there is active volunteer engagement of Ameriprise advisors and employees. 

Meeting Basic Needs

At Ameriprise Financial, we help clients achieve financial security and peace of mind. That’s satisfying, meaningful work. We also help the people in our neighborhoods who struggle to meet basic needs such as where their next meal comes from, where they’ll sleep tonight or how they’ll find a higher wage job. We’re here to help them through the three platforms of our Meeting Basic Needs focus area.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Hunger
• Food banks, food shelves and food pantries, daily meal programs or meal services for the homebound
• Hunger-relief programs targeted to meet the special needs of children, ethnic populations or veterans
• Food programs run by nonprofits where hunger is not their sole focus, for example a youth meal program at the YWCA or a backpack program run by a Boys & Girls Club
• Shelter
• Emergency shelter, including youth homelessness
• Transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and efforts to end chronic homelessness
• Housing-first models (programs quickly providing housing and then addressing needed services)
• Achieving and maintaining home ownership, repair and maintenance efforts helping keep seniors, veterans and other populations in their homes 
• Adult Self-Sufficiency: Programs serving adults age 21 and older that help address the following areas:
• Basic hard and soft skills that help adults achieve economic and family stability
• Basic financial and budgeting skills
• Increase employability and wages, including work readiness and job transitions
• Employment of disabled adults

Supporting Community Vitality

We believe communities should be strong, healthy and resilient. We want livable places for all, where neighbors look out for one another, cultural events are well-attended and people pull together in times of crisis and joy. We work to create economic vitality and cultural enrichment through the following areas of focus.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Community Development
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Economic development
• Strengthening and supporting small businesses and nonprofits through technical expertise
• Cultural Enrichment
• Arts education
• Access for underserved populations
• Diverse artists and performances that spark topical community conversations 

Volunteer Driven Causes: Ameriprise employees and financial advisors are outstanding volunteers who serve in teams and also as individuals bringing personal skill-sets to nonprofits. Volunteering is part of the culture at Ameriprise and we are proud to support communities through contributions of both service and financial resources. 

Funding for Volunteer-Driven Causes is determined by current Ameriprise volunteerism. In general, funding is in proportion to the size of the Ameriprise volunteer team supporting a nonprofit. A team may include employees, financial advisors and/or staff or a combination of any Ameriprise volunteers. 

Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan

The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan was established in 1984 to ensure residents in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, Livingston and St. Clair counties can thrive. Since then, we have grown to be among the top 25 community foundations in the United States. We’ve distributed more than $1.4 billion through more than 85,000 grants to nonprofits in fields as diverse as arts, children and youth, economic stability, health and human services, and the environment.

We convene partners to solve regional challenges and serve as a trusted philanthropic advisor for donors who want to do good.

Clarence and Lillian Constantakis Environmental Scholarship

The purpose of the Clarence and Lillian Constantakis Scholarship Fund is to provide post-secondary educational scholarships for students who are pursuing an undergraduate degree in environmental science, conservation, or a related field at Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, or Wayne State University.

Payments may be applied toward tuition, or miscellaneous educational expenses as designated by the recipient, such as fees, books and supplies or room and board expense.

Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan

The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan was established in 1984 to ensure residents in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, Livingston and St. Clair counties can thrive. Since then, we have grown to be among the top 25 community foundations in the United States. We’ve distributed more than $1.4 billion through more than 85,000 grants to nonprofits in fields as diverse as arts, children and youth, economic stability, health and human services, and the environment.

We convene partners to solve regional challenges and serve as a trusted philanthropic advisor for donors who want to do good.

Hellen Tallman Fund

The purpose of the Helen Tallman Scholarship is to provide educational scholarship support to engineering and medical or pre-medical students at Wayne State University.

Background

As the last member of her family line, Helen Tallman established a fund at the Community Foundation to live out her family’s legacy. The Tallman family owned an antique store on the east side. A successful business, they were always committed to taking a portion of their earnings and giving back. One of Helen’s interests was education, which led her to direct a portion of the permanent fund’s assets each year to support students at Wayne State University.

Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan

The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan was established in 1984 to ensure residents in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, Livingston and St. Clair counties can thrive. Since then, we have grown to be among the top 25 community foundations in the United States. We’ve distributed more than $1.4 billion through more than 85,000 grants to nonprofits in fields as diverse as arts, children and youth, economic stability, health and human services, and the environment.

We convene partners to solve regional challenges and serve as a trusted philanthropic advisor for donors who want to do good.

Jeptha Wade Schureman Scholarship Program

The purpose of the Schureman Scholarship Program is to assist students who are residents of Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Lenawee, Washtenaw, Livingston and St. Clair counties attend one of the 15 public universities in Michigan. Up to ten scholarships of $7,500 each will be awarded to students each year. The scholarship is not renewable, but Schureman Scholars may reapply for scholarship consideration. Notification of the Schureman Scholarship Program is sent to the Financial Aid Office at each of the 15 nonprofit, public universities in Michigan with a request to make the information available to their students.

Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan

The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan was established in 1984 to ensure residents in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, Livingston and St. Clair counties can thrive. Since then, we have grown to be among the top 25 community foundations in the United States. We’ve distributed more than $1.4 billion through more than 85,000 grants to nonprofits in fields as diverse as arts, children and youth, economic stability, health and human services, and the environment.

We convene partners to solve regional challenges and serve as a trusted philanthropic advisor for donors who want to do good.

Miguel Cabrera Family Scholarship

The purpose of the Miguel Cabrera Family Scholarship Fund is to provide educational scholarships that benefit students graduating from high schools in Michigan, with a preference for students from Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, Livingston and St. Clair counties, or Florida, with a preference for students from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Initially, the Fund will award $1,000 to one student from Michigan and $1,000 to one student from Florida. Scholarship awards will be renewable awards for each year of attendance, up to four years. If a suitable candidate from Florida is not identified, then a second student from Michigan may be awarded the scholarship.

Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan

The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan was established in 1984 to ensure residents in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, Livingston and St. Clair counties can thrive. Since then, we have grown to be among the top 25 community foundations in the United States. We’ve distributed more than $1.4 billion through more than 85,000 grants to nonprofits in fields as diverse as arts, children and youth, economic stability, health and human services, and the environment.

We convene partners to solve regional challenges and serve as a trusted philanthropic advisor for donors who want to do good.

Otis Smith Scholarship

The purpose of the Otis M. Smith Scholarship Program is to provide scholarships to selected single parent mothers to assist them in obtaining post-secondary education at selected accredited institutions. Non-renewable scholarships of up to $3,000 will be made with assistance of advisors to the Otis M. Smith Scholarship Program, including Otis Smith’s brother. While scholarships are not renewable, prior recipients are eligible to apply. 

Payments may be applied to tuition and fees, or miscellaneous educational expenses as designated by the recipient.

Background

The Otis M. Smith Scholarship Program was established by Mr. Otis M. Smith to honor the memory of his mother who, as a single parent, encouraged and supported her children to attain post-secondary education. Mr. Smith worked at many odd jobs as a youth after his father died when he was age 11. He attended Fisk University and received a law degree from Catholic University. He served as Auditor General and Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of Michigan. He was Vice President and General Counsel of General Motors and upon retirement, served as ‘of counsel’ to the law firm of Lewis, Clay & Munday. Although a modest man throughout his life, he was a leader and role model and active volunteer serving on numerous local and national board.

Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan

The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan was established in 1984 to ensure residents in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, Livingston and St. Clair counties can thrive. Since then, we have grown to be among the top 25 community foundations in the United States. We’ve distributed more than $1.4 billion through more than 85,000 grants to nonprofits in fields as diverse as arts, children and youth, economic stability, health and human services, and the environment.

We convene partners to solve regional challenges and serve as a trusted philanthropic advisor for donors who want to do good.

Robert Stempel Scholarship

The purpose of the Robert Stempel Memorial Scholarship is to provide educational scholarship support for students at selected Detroit high schools, including Cass Technical High School, Detroit School of Arts, Renaissance High School, University Prep Science and Math High School and University Prep High School.

Background

Mrs. Patricia A. Stempel established the Robert Stempel Memorial Scholarship to provide college financial support for the students of select Detroit high schools who plan a career in science and/or engineering.

Payments are limited to tuition and fees, books and supplies and room and board expense. The Robert Stempel Memorial Scholarship is a one-time award.

Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan

The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan was established in 1984 to ensure residents in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, Livingston and St. Clair counties can thrive. Since then, we have grown to be among the top 25 community foundations in the United States. We’ve distributed more than $1.4 billion through more than 85,000 grants to nonprofits in fields as diverse as arts, children and youth, economic stability, health and human services, and the environment.

We convene partners to solve regional challenges and serve as a trusted philanthropic advisor for donors who want to do good.

VVA Detroit Chapter #9 Descendants of Vietnam Veterans Scholarship Fund

The purpose of the V VA Detroit Chapter #9 Descendants of Vietnam Veterans Scholarship Fund is to provide post-secondary educational scholarships for students between the ages of 16 and 30 who are the natural or adopted direct lineal descendent of a qualifying Vietnam veteran.

Initially, the Fund will award up to $1,500 for part-time students (at least 6 credit hours) and up to $3,000 for full-time students (at least 12 credit hours). The scholarship awards will be renewable for each year of attendance, up to four years.

If selected for this scholarship, applicants must be able to promptly provide the following:

• Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214) with social security numbers redacted.
• A notarized affidavit certifying your relationship with the Vietnam veteran. The Community Foundation will provide the form.

Payments are limited to tuition and fees, books and supplies, and room and board expenses. For students attending a trade school, tools and other similar items are considered eligible expenses.

Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan

The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan was established in 1984 to ensure residents in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, Livingston and St. Clair counties can thrive. Since then, we have grown to be among the top 25 community foundations in the United States. We’ve distributed more than $1.4 billion through more than 85,000 grants to nonprofits in fields as diverse as arts, children and youth, economic stability, health and human services, and the environment.

We convene partners to solve regional challenges and serve as a trusted philanthropic advisor for donors who want to do good.

Winnifred Stinson Basile Scholarship

The purpose of the Winnifred Stinson Basile Scholarship is to provide educational scholarship support to business students at private accredited educational institutions located in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Examples include, but are not limited to, Baker College, Davenport University, Lawrence Technological University, Madonna University, Rochester College, the University of Detroit-Mercy, and Walsh College.

The Winnifred Stinson Basile Scholarship is a one‐time award, though students may reapply understanding that it is a competitive process each year and there is no guarantee of an additional award.

Kids need to play.

The Skatepark Project believes encouraging free play and providing youth with opportunities to develop active, healthy lifestyles are key to ensuring their well being. With childhood obesity rates more than tripling since 1980*, access to parks is no longer a luxury—it’s essential to the health of our children.

Children in low-income families are particularly at risk, in part because they have fewer opportunities to participate in organized sports leagues and activities. Fighting obesity has become a critical national priority, with long-term health risks including—but not limited to—heart disease, high cholesterol, depression, and even cancer**. More importantly, healthier kids are happier.

Two of the nation’s most prominent advocates for youth have joined together to address this issue. The Skatepark Project has partnered with the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation to promote the creation of free, public skateparks in the 16 counties of Southeast Michigan and Western New York served by RCWJRF.

With grant funds of up to $250,000, the Built to Play Skatepark Program supports community groups and municipalities seeking to create free, public skateparks that serve low-income communities. Built to Play Skatepark Grants also include an additional $50,000 to fund processes and design features that lessen the environmental impact of the skatepark. The Built to Play Skatepark Program also provides advisory services and advocacy training to assist groups in organizing and managing their efforts.

While we realize that not every community can afford to build a world-class skatepark, we believe that every community deserves a quality facility created by experienced skatepark contractors. We believe that a small, excellent skatepark is better than a large, flawed one. We also believe that local officials should treat public skateparks the same way they treat public basketball courts or tennis courts, meaning that anyone may show up and use them during regular park hours, unsupervised. We know that kids everywhere love their local skateparks and that more skateparks will result in even more healthier, happier kids. 



The Built to Play Skatepark Program primarily considers skatepark projects that:

• are designed and built from durable, low-maintenance materials by qualified and experienced skatepark contractors.
• include local skaters in leadership and volunteer roles throughout the planning, fundraising, and design process.
• will serve low- to middle-income areas and/or areas with a high population of “at-risk” youth.
• can demonstrate a strong grassroots commitment to the project, particularly in the form of fundraising by local skateboarders and other community groups.
• encourage skaters to look after their own safety and the safety of others without restricting their access to the park or over-regulating their use of it.
• are open during daylight hours, 365 days a year.
• don’t charge an entrance fee or require registration.
• are in areas that currently have no accessible skateboarding facilities
• are committed to a process that minimizes the environmental impact of the skatepark.

Supply Vs. Demand

As the benefits of skateparks are felt within a community, the demand for grants from the Built to Play Skatepark Program will become increasingly competitive across the region. If your proposed skatepark does not reflect the priorities outlined above, your project is unlikely to receive a grant through this program.

All Built to Play Skatepark Grant Applicants will receive a detailed review of their projects, whether a grant is awarded or not.

Focus of Built to Play Skatepark Grants

The principal focus of Built to Play Skatepark Grants is to encourage and facilitate the design, development, and construction of new quality skateboard parks and facilities, located in eligible communities in the 16 counties served by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. Skatepark projects in communities outside this service area or those seeking funds for anything other than the construction of a skateboard park may not apply for a Built to Play Skatepark Grant. Built to Play-funded skatepark projects must also incorporate processes and design features that minimize the environmental impact of the skatepark.

More information about The Skatepark Project’s Skatepark Grant program can be found here.

About the Foundation

Jesse W. Couch lived a life of zeal, honor, and dedication to the betterment of his community. The Couch family now humbly stewards the foundation he created to carry on his legacy of service for future generations. We believe that impact is best accomplished through partnerships with local organizations that know the people and communities they serve. We invest in and support efforts to protect the environment, further conservation and preservation initiatives, and save historical architecture that preserves community heritage. We also support initiatives that promote wellness and mental health and organizations seeking to provide and further education for all communities.

Annual Grant Focus

Each year, we seek to partner with and support non-profit organizations making an impact in the focus areas listed here.  The focus areas for 2025 are:

• Animal Wellbeing: We are dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations that nurture compassion and respect for all living animals. We must have animal-focused organizations that advocate for animal rights and provide humane treatment across all spectrums.
• Early Childhood Education: We are looking for schools that are providing young children with a creative and balanced approach to education. Things we love in early childhood curriculums:
  • Life Skills
  • Collaboration With Their Peers and Teachers   
  • Having Fun   
  • Montessori Teachings   
  • Project Based Teachings   
  • Diversity   
  • More Time Outside   
  • Less Screen Time
• Teachers: Teachers are essential to providing children with the best possible education. We must invest in their future and are always looking for teams that help them succeed in educating future generations.
• Get Outside: Being outside can improve memory, fight depression, lower blood pressure, and more! We support organizations that facilitate and encourage more outdoor activities that help create healthier communities. 

Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit organizations in the United States that have shown exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working together as equal partners, not as donors and recipients, to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaborating with others for the greater good.

Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $75,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Since its inception in 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 262 partnerships from cities and towns across America. Like so many of our clients working in the nonprofit community, Mutual of America is dedicated to having a direct, positive impact on society.

Purpose

The Detroit Auto Dealers Association (DADA) Charitable Foundation Fund supports grants to charitable organizations that make a lasting impact on the lives of children and youth in southeast Michigan.

Impact

The DADA Charitable Foundation Fund provides support to nonprofit organizations in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, St. Clair, Monroe and Livingston counties, with a primary focus on charitable organizations and activities that assist children and youth. The fund is supported by proceeds from the North American International Auto Show Charity Preview.

Since its inception in 1999, the DADA Charitable Foundation Fund has provided more than $6.4 million to support nonprofit organizations that are improving the lives of children and youth in southeast Michigan. This partnership is unique among auto trade associations nationally — a permanent legacy to benefit our region for generations to come.

Our Priorities

While the Community Foundation has a large footprint in terms of the types of organizations we fund, there are common priorities that we look for in any application, no matter how large or small, and no matter what topic area. While we do not expect that all of these priorities will be addressed in every application to the Community Foundation, we want to give you a sense of what kinds of lenses we look through when reviewing applications. Our current priorities include:

Sustainability

We view sustainability in two ways. First, we want to support projects and ideas tied to a longer term vision for an organization. We do not want to make grants for projects that end the moment the grant is over. We will look closely at the overall financial health of your organization, as well as your programmatic and fundraising visions. We will want to support you at key moments in time along your path as a growing organization —helping to put new strategies in place, or building out existing strategies in more comprehensive ways.

Regional Impact

We actively serve a seven-county area and think about issues from a regional perspective. While we know that every grant we make will not touch all seven counties, we are particularly interested in projects that serve a large portion of the region, build relationships across communities in the region, and/or serve to test a new model in a specific geography that could later be adopted by other nonprofit organizations in the region.

Leverage

We want our funds to help you leverage other dollars into your organization and for the region. As such, we look closely at proposals to understand what kind of leverage will occur.

Collaboration

Beyond leveraging dollars, we like to see good models, ideas and human resources leveraged as well. We encourage collaboration among nonprofit organizations and also between nonprofit and/or government entities when it makes sense.

The purpose of this fund is to support small to mid-sized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that have arts and culture as core of their mission. This is a broad yet competitive fund which supports organizations physically located in and/or operate in one or more of seven counties of the Community Foundation’s service area: Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, Livingston and St. Clair.

We anticipate proposals that reflect the importance of organizations and programming that:

• Increase accessibility—ensure affordable, high-quality arts experiences reach all corners of Southeast Michigan.
• Boost organizational capacity—enable growth in programs and operations.
• Drive regional economic impact—position arts as a key contributor to community vitality.

Our Mission

The Hansen Family Foundation provides opportunities to domestic, international, secular, and non-secular organizations that support the American way of life, which is defined by the principles of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” 

Causes

Children

The Hansen Family Foundation supports causes dedicated to helping children both home as well as abroad. Learn More

Education

The Hansen Family Foundation believes that a decent education should be made available to everyone, young or old, the world over. Learn More

Animals

The Hansen Family Foundation believes in helping those who cannot speak on their own behalf. Learn More

Environmental

The Hansen Family Foundation is dedicated to preserving the world we all share. Learn More

Humanitarian

The Hansen Family Foundation views the plight of our fellow man as an opportunity to actively engage and effect change. Learn More

Arts & Culture

The Hansen Family Foundation supports all forms of artistic and cultural endeavors. Learn More