Search Through Washtenaw County Grants for Nonprofits in Michigan

Global Impact Cash Grants

Cisco welcomes applications for Global Impact Cash Grants from community partners around the world who share our vision and offer an innovative approach to a critical social challenge.

We identify, incubate, and develop innovative solutions with the most impact. Global Impact Cash Grants go to nonprofits and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that address a significant social problem. We’re looking for programs that fit within our investment areas, serve the underserved, and leverage technology to improve the reach and efficiency of services. We accept applications year-round from eligible organizations. An initial information form is used to determine whether your organization will be invited to complete a full application.

Social Investment Areas

At Cisco, we make social investments in three areas where we believe our technology and our people can make the biggest impact—education, economic empowerment, and crisis response, the last of which incorporates shelter, water, food, and disaster relief. Together, these investment areas help people overcome barriers of poverty and inequality, and make a lasting difference by fostering strong global communities.

Education Investments

Our strategy is to inclusively invest in technology-based solutions that increase equitable access to education while improving student performance, engagement, and career exploration. We support K-12 solutions that emphasize science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) as well as literacy. We also consider programs that teach environmental sustainability, eliminate barriers to accessing climate change education, and invite student engagement globally to positively affect the environment.

What we look for:

• Innovative early grade solutions using the internet and technology to bridge the barriers preventing access to education for underserved students globally.
• Solutions that positively affect student attendance, attitudes, and behavior while inspiring action by students to improve learning outcomes, whether they participate in person, online, or in blended learning environments. 
• Solutions with high potential to replicate and scale globally, thereby increasing the availability of evidence-based solutions that support student-centricity, teacher capacity in the classroom, and increased parental participation to help students learn and develop.

Economic Empowerment

Our strategy is to invest in early stage, tech-enabled solutions that provide equitable access to the knowledge, skills, and resources that people need to support themselves and their families toward resilience, independence, and economic security.

Our goal is to support solutions that benefit individuals and families, and that contribute to local community growth and economic development in a sustainable economy.

We target our support in three interconnected areas:

• Skills development to help job seekers secure dignified employment and long-term career pathways in technology or other sectors, including environmental sustainability/green jobs.
• Inclusive entrepreneurship with small businesses as engines of local growth as well as high growth potential start-ups as large-scale job creators nationally and internationally, in technology or other sectors, including environment sustainability/green businesses.
• Banking the unbanked through relevant and affordable financial products and capacity building services.

Cisco Crisis Response

We seek to help overcome the cycle of poverty and dependence and achieve a more sustainable future through strategic investments. We back organizations that successfully address critical needs of underserved communities, because those who have their basic needs met are better equipped to learn and thrive.

What we look for:

• Innovative solutions that increase the capacity of grantees to deliver their products and services more effectively and efficiently
• Design and implementation of web-based tools that increase the availability of, or improve access to, products and services that are necessary for people to survive and thrive
• Programs that increase access to clean water, food, shelter, or disaster relief and promote a more sustainable future for all
  • By policy, relief campaigns respond to significant natural disaster and humanitarian crises as opposed to those caused by human conflict. Also by policy, our investments in this area do not include healthcare solutions.

Climate Impact

Our strategy is to invest US$100 million in Cisco Foundation funds over the next decade to help reverse the impact of climate change, working toward a sustainable and regenerative future for all.

The commitment includes both grant and impact investment funding for early-stage climate innovation. Both categories of support will be focused on bold climate solutions, and the grants side will also concentrate on community education and activation. Grants will go to exceptionally aligned nonprofit organizations, while impact investments will go to highly promising for-profit solutions through the private sector and climate impact funds.

Funding comes from the Cisco Foundation and will focus on:

• Identifying bold and innovative solutions that:
  • Draw down the carbon already in the atmosphere
  • Regenerate depleted ecosystems and broadly support the transition to a regenerative future
• Developing curricular initiatives to spur community engagement that can lead to measurable behavioral change and collective action

We will prioritize organizations that can achieve, measure, and report outcomes such as:

• Reduction, capture, and/or sequestering of greenhouse gas and carbon emissions
• Increased energy efficiency and improved mapping and management of natural resources, such as ecosystem restoration, forest treatments, reforestation, and afforestation that also will help repair our water cycles
• Transition to inclusive, just, coliberatory, and regenerative operating models, ways of being, and ways of organizing economies
• Creation of, and increase in, access to green jobs and job training
• Changes in community and individual behavior that lead to carbon footprint reduction, community climate resilience, and localized roadmaps to a sustainable shared climate future for all

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.

Mission Statement

The Speckhard-Knight Charitable Foundation strives to provide individuals with the resources to lead full, independent, and inspired lives by granting to nonprofit organizations.

Our Purpose

In 1963, residents established the foundation as a permanent source of community capital in Washtenaw County. Think of us as a savings account for the community, with proceeds from our funds distributed to support nonprofits through grants and students through scholarships. In more technical terms, AAACF is a tax-exempt public charity (EIN: 38-6087967) that helps individuals, families, groups, and organizations accomplish their philanthropic goals.

Our Values

Prioritizing Community: Our community includes all residents of Washtenaw County, representing the many communities within. We will listen actively and deeply to our community and will hold ourselves accountable for empowering people, especially those under-served or overlooked by current systems.

Pursuing Equity: We define equity as providing different levels of support based on an individual’s or group’s needs to achieve fair outcomes and to help all people achieve their full potential. We will work to understand and change root causes of injustice. We will engage in difficult conversations, take stands, and exert servant leadership in support of equity. Our board, staff, and volunteers will reflect the diversity of Washtenaw County. We recognize the foundation’s position of privilege in the community and will use it to pursue inclusion and equity.

Earning Trust: We will be self-reflective, candid, and transparent, and we will perform our work with integrity, professionalism, and stewardship.

Embracing Collaboration: We will use our financial, human, and social capital to seek allies, nurture relationships, and harness the power of partnership and mutual learning. We will strive to develop shared vision and goals with our community and partners.

Leveraging Knowledge: We will be a data-driven organization that generates, shares, and uses high quality information to make decisions, including information gained from the lived experience and voice of community residents. We will study, adapt, and implement innovative ideas to enhance our local impact.

SCHAA Grant Program 

This fund awards grants to support organizations and programs that serve older adults and their caregivers. For 2025 this committee will be prioritizing applications that focus on technology & transportation programs within Washtenaw County.

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.

Program Focus

For our 2023 program, CultureSource looked to our partner WolfBrown’s An Investment Framework for Supporting the Artists Ecosystem for inspiration. The report recommends support for those who strengthen ties between artists and audiences, recognizing their critical role in enhancing a flourishing, local arts ecosystem.

From these recommendations, three profiles of people will be eligible for the 2023 Creators of Culture program:

• Arts Curator — Someone who independently curates and pulls together exhibitions or performances as the focus of their creative practice. They primarily work to organize and present artistic products or processes other than their own. Examples of curators include people spotlighting artists through performing arts festivals, visual arts exhibitions, literary readings, and more.
• Arts Organizer — Someone who unites a group of people around a shared artistic activity that is not focused on the organizer’s own artistic work. Examples of arts organizers include people who facilitate regular playwriting workshops, quilt-making groups, ceramics classes, people who are responsible for monthly arts events at local venues, etc.
• Arts Journalist — Someone who consistently writes about local artists and arts activity in order to share the impacts and importance of that work with a greater audience. Examples of arts journalists include podcasters who feature local musicians, writers who highlight upcoming theater and dance performances, and critics who review recent visual arts exhibition openings, etc.

The roles of curator, arts organizer, and arts journalist are each different but thematically share the responsibility of highlighting artists and uplifting their careers to audiences who may or may not already be familiar with their work. They help to build a culture of support, appreciation, curiosity, and engagement through their writing, events, exhibitions, performances, workshops, and more.

Successful applicants will clearly fit the eligibility criteria, identifying either as a curator, arts organizer, or arts journalist. All successful applicants will share and split the total funding amount equally. We expect grants to be around $2,000-$3,000 each. This funding program is focused on curators, arts organizers, and arts journalists working independent of 501(c)3 nonprofits, meaning they are not receiving funding for their work at these institutions but external to them

Welcome to the James A. & Faith Knight Foundation

The James A. and Faith Knight Foundation was established in 1999 to honor the memory of James A. and Faith Knight and the many sacrifices they made to enable this foundation to carry on their legacy. The James A. and Faith Knight Foundation tries to make a difference in the organizations and communities it serves.

Funding Priorities

General operating support provides unrestricted funding to help support and maintain an organization as it pursues its mission. Core support is integral for nonprofits sustainability, impact, and growth. This type of grant is flexible and gives the grantee the ability to use the funds where they are most appropriate. While general operating support continues to remain relatively scarce among the nation’s largest grantmakers, we feel it is important and necessary to grant to nonprofits. We feel that it signals trust between the funder and the grantee without sacrificing accountability.

Animals and the Natural World

Animals, water, air and land are crucial to our lives yet are often vulnerable to the actions of humans. The James A. & Faith Knight Foundation desires to sustain the natural world that is so important to our quality of life. We invest in programs that:

• respect and enhance the care of animals,
• protect the diversity and integrity of ecosystems, and
• educate citizens about the importance of ecological communities.

Women and Girls

A better future for women and girls is a better future for all. We feel that programs that understand and specifically serve the needs of women and girls have the best chance to improve communities. In addition, national studies have found that less than 7% of the philanthropic dollar goes to programs that are focused on women and girls. For these reasons, we fund programs that:

• increase economic self-sufficiency for women and girls,
• effect public policy and advocacy in support of women and girls, and
• address the issues of human rights and equality of women in our communities.

Our Giving

The foundation giving is focused on Jackson and Washtenaw Counties in Michigan. We fund many different and far reaching organizations.

James A. & Faith Knight Foundation Grant

In general, the foundation supports organizations that believe in good nonprofit practices including sound financial management, developed governance practices, and clarity of mission. Attention to gender, diversity, and outcomes are important. Grant recipients will be asked to document their organization in these terms as part of the review process. An application will be reviewed by the Board and a smaller number will be asked for additional information, often including a site visit.

Funding Priorities

• General Operating Support -
  • General operating support provides unrestricted funding to help support and maintain an organization as it pursues its mission. Core support is integral for nonprofits sustainability, impact, and growth. This type of grant is flexible and gives the grantee the ability to use the funds where they are most appropriate. While general operating support continues to remain relatively scarce among the nation’s largest grantmakers, we feel it is important and necessary to grant to nonprofits. We feel that it signals trust between the funder and the grantee without sacrificing accountability.
• Animals and the Natural World -
  • Animals, water, air and land are crucial to our lives yet are often vulnerable to the actions of humans. The James A. & Faith Knight Foundation desires to sustain the natural world that is so important to our quality of life.
    • We invest in programs that:
      • respect and enhance the care of animals,
      • protect the diversity and integrity of ecosystems, and
      • educate citizens about the importance of ecological communities.
• Women and Girls -
  • A better future for women and girls is a better future for all. We feel that programs that understand and specifically serve the needs of women and girls have the best chance to improve communities. In addition, national studies have found that less than 7% of the philanthropic dollar goes to programs that are focused on women and girls.
    • For these reasons, we fund programs that:
      • increase economic self-sufficiency for women and girls,
      • effect public policy and advocacy in support of women and girls, and
      • address the issues of human rights and equality of women in our communities.

Our Purpose

More than 50 years ago, residents established the foundation as a permanent source of community capital in Washtenaw County. Think of us as a savings account for the community, with proceeds from our endowed funds distributed as grants for local nonprofits and scholarships.

Our Services

Meeting Charitable Goals: We work with donors and their professional advisors to help them meet their charitable goals. The combination of donors’ resources and philanthropic intentions with our financial expertise creates meaningful, lasting impact in our community.

Building Healthy Endowments: Our Board of Trustees, Finance & Investment Committee, and professional investment consultants work to protect our endowed funds to ensure their long-term growth, stability and permanence.

Leading Positive Change: Using hard work, research, and an array of community partnerships, we craft grant and scholarship programs that maximize the positive impact of our community’s resources.

Glacier Hills Legacy Fund Golden Opportunities

The Glacier Hills Legacy Fund Golden Opportunities grant program supports organizations and services providing solutions to reduce inequities for vulnerable older adults in Washtenaw County.

Our Purpose

In 1963, residents established the foundation as a permanent source of community capital in Washtenaw County. Think of us as a savings account for the community, with proceeds from our funds distributed to support nonprofits through grants and students through scholarships.

In more technical terms, AAACF is a tax-exempt public charity that helps individuals, families, groups, and organizations accomplish their philanthropic goals. Through a core team of our staff, trustees, and hundreds of volunteers, AAACF connects people, charitable causes, and permanent capital for community impact.

Our Mission

The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation enriches the quality of life in our region through its knowledgeable leadership, engaged grantmaking, and creative partnerships with donors to make philanthropic investments and build endowment.

Community Grantmaking

The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation's Community Grantmaking Program seeks to increase opportunities for equity in education and to decrease racial and economic inequities throughout Washtenaw County by investing in community-based organizations, capacity-building programs, and/or services that support:

• Increase literacy efforts for marginalized youth in elementary to high school
• Providing mental health and wellness opportunities for marginalized youth from preschool to high school
• Mentoring programs that provide a holistic approach and empower marginalized youth from preschool to high school
• Educational programming to support those experiencing unemployment and/or economic hardship

Mission

Our mission is to advance the work of organizations that cultivate creative and cultural expression in Southeast Michigan.

Digital Access for the Arts Funding

DAAP recognizes the need for arts and cultural organizations to embrace the futures of their work online, in-person, and all of the spaces between. This funding opportunity as a part of the initiative will make sixteen (16) grants of $5,000 to CultureSource member organizations to make informed investments in technology that enhance their work and sustain their digital, online, and hybrid futures.

Applications can support an organization’s investment in equipment that enhance their programmatic work, software that helps with internal processes, or even work with a consultant or implementation specialist to help boost the organization’s capacity to grow their digital, in-person, and hybrid arts and culture work.

Our Purpose

In 1963, residents established the foundation as a permanent source of community capital in Washtenaw County. Think of us as a savings account for the community, with proceeds from our funds distributed to support nonprofits through grants and students through scholarships.

In more technical terms, AAACF is a tax-exempt public charity that helps individuals, families, groups, and organizations accomplish their philanthropic goals. Through a core team of our staff, trustees, and hundreds of volunteers, AAACF connects people, charitable causes, and permanent capital for community impact.

Our Mission

The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation enriches the quality of life in our region through its knowledgeable leadership, engaged grantmaking, and creative partnerships with donors to make philanthropic investments and build endowment.

AAPS Education Fund

The Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS) Education Fund, held under the auspices of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, supports classroom projects that enhance and enrich the learning experience and provide the skills and proficiency required for employment and further education for all students attending Ann Arbor Public Schools.

• The Ann Arbor Public Schools Education Fund will distribute $15,400 total in competitive grants.
• Requests should not exceed $2,000.
• Programs/projects must address (1) Literacy or Math (2) Science & Technology (3) the Arts (4) Mental health/Well-being or (5) Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Our Mission

Ann Arbor Farm & Garden is a social and philanthropic 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

Our mission is to promote and support local gardens, farms, and environmental stewardship through education, community service, and financial grants and scholarships.

Grants funded under this program must be in accordance with our mission.

The mission of Ann Arbor Farm & Garden is to promote and support local gardens, the benefits of horticulture, and community beautification through grant and scholarship awards, related educational programs, and service opportunities.

We’re a welcoming, active group of learners, doers, explorers, and leaders, passionate about sharing and promoting the many benefits of gardens and gardening with each other and our community.

We raise money for annual grants and scholarships, expand our gardening and environmental knowledge, and share beauty with others through garden tours and flower therapy. In the process, we create strong social connections and lifelong friendships.

Funding Priorities

The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to further the mission of Ann Arbor Farm & Garden (AAF&G). 

Funding amounts depend on the success of the annual Ann Arbor Garden Walk.

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.

Youth Council Grant Program

AAACF's Youth Council is a group of 25 high school students living in Washtenaw County who come together to make a meaningful difference in the community through philanthropy and community service.

The Youth Council will typically distributes ~$110,000 in competitive grants to nonprofits delivering programs and services in Washtenaw County. The Youth Council analyzed the Needs Assessment which was completed in November of 2020 and decided to strategically focus their efforts on one issue area to maximize impact:

• Mental Health & Wellness: programs/projects which address depression, anxiety, self-harm, body image, academic stress and overall mental well-being for high school age youth (ages 13-18)

In addition, grants will be available for programs serving youth ages 5-18 which:

• Support the work of the Juvenile Division of the Probate Court
• Provide services for children living with disabilities

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.

Arts and Culture Program

Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF) is investing in strengthening arts & culture nonprofits in Washtenaw County through a racial equity lens. This program invests funds to activate the artistic and cultural identity of all people in Washtenaw County and ensure a fundamental level of access to arts and culture for everyone.

This program is now open.

Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF) is investing in strengthening arts & culture nonprofits in Washtenaw County through a racial equity lens. We seek to activate the artistic and cultural identity of all people in Washtenaw County and ensure a fundamental level of access to arts and culture for everyone.

AAACF is seeking opportunities to invest funds in new and existing community-based projects that are serving communities through arts and culture focusing on racial equity to support:

• Community driven art programs and organizations that serve and engage/collaborate with Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities.
• Arts programs and organizations with BIPOC leadership
• Equity in arts education
• Entrepreneurship in the Arts for Economic Development
• Empowering the digital capacity of organizations to reach BIPOC communities
• Vocational training for the marginalized community in the Arts 

The Dedicated Grant Program is comprised of four Field of Interest Funds which each have their own unique purpose and geographic area covered within Washtenaw County. For 2025, AAACF will distribute over $60,000 in competitive grants to local nonprofits delivering services aligned with each Fund's purpose.

Funds included in the 2024 Dedicated Grant Program

African American Endowment Fund

This fund will award grants that seek to improve the physical, economic, social, and educational conditions that affect the quality of life for African Americans in the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti area.

Barden Family Fund for Enhancing Community

This fund will award grants that support efforts by Washtenaw County organizations serving veterans and their families; programs for aviation education, awareness and promotion; activities that carry out the Catholic ideals of service and social justice; and/or efforts at building community, including service clubs.

Dexter Community Fund

This fund will award grants that work to enrich the quality of life within the Dexter community (services/programs for seniors, mental health services for youth and adults, improved outdoor recreational opportunities, services/programs for teens, services/programs for people who are homebound, programs to enhance arts and culture).

Jr. League of AA/Parke Davis Pharmaceutical Research Domestic Violence & Dating Prevention Fund

This fund will award grants to nonprofits in Washtenaw County that work to end violence against women and children by supporting early intervention and prevention programs in the areas of domestic and dating violence.

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.