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Announcing the Community Foundation’s 2021 Spring Competitive Grant Round

The Community Foundation for Oceana County is excited to announce the opening of their Spring 2021 Competitive Grant Round. The application opens Friday, March 5th, and requests are submitted online at the Foundation’s website.

This year, exciting new changes have been made to grant guidelines. The Foundation will consider requests up to $5,000 and, if needs arise, organizations are welcome to submit unique applications in both spring and fall rounds. “Foundation asset growth and the partnership of our many donor advisors allows us to better address the great nonprofit need of the times and their innovative program responses to best serve the County,” said Tammy Carey, CEO. Grants are reviewed and decided upon on an individual basis by a sub-committee of the Board of Trustees and the Youth Advisory Council.

The main source of funding for the Foundation’s twice-yearly grant applications is the Community Investment Fund. This unrestricted fund is designed to support emerging critical needs and to support community opportunities as developed. Other sources of grant funding are the Foundation’s Field of Interest Funds, focusing on arts, youth, health, parks, environmental needs, and community development projects. The Foundation also reminds nonprofit organizations that requests are still being accepted via the Urgent Needs Fund application process, to respond to pandemic-related needs.

The Foundation is hosting a Grant Application Workshop, virtually, at 10am on March 24th. The workshop will briefly cover the Foundation’s grant guidelines, the application process, and allow time for participants to ask questions. Information about the meeting will be posted on the Foundation’s Facebook page, website and shared directly with nonprofit organizations via our Community Matters e-newsletters.

In 2020, the Foundation awarded over $50,000 to area agencies, municipalities, and school districts from the spring and fall grant rounds. Support included Trinity Lutheran Church’s baby pantry, North End Park renovations to the Village of Pentwater, and funding to Love, INC for building repairs. Total grants and scholarships from all Foundation Funds totaled $912,188 in 2020, a milestone record. To learn more about past awards, visit www.oceanafoundation.org/ grants/past-grant-awards.

The Foundation is accepting applications now through April 19th. A Letter of Intent will be due two weeks prior on April 5th. Grantees are encouraged to discuss your proposal with the Foundation.