The Oceana Community Foundation awarded $85,768 in total grants to 20 organizations in this year’s Spring Community Grant round, providing funding to all applicants and in some cases meeting the full program cost. These investments help support a wide range of initiatives across our county, focusing on youth leadership and literacy, community parks and recreation, environmental conservation, arts and culture enrichment, senior health, and much more.
“This grant cycle reflects significant service demands on our nonprofit partners and their valiant efforts to meet resident needs with budgets stretched thin. We are so fortunate for our many funding partners that helped us meet these requests and supported the launch of multiple new projects, including two literacy programs by Michigan Dyslexia Institute and United Way of the Lakeshore,” shared Tammy Carey, CEO of the Foundation, “Each project shows how, together, we’re building a more connected community where everyone can thrive.”
This grant round provided funding to the following grantees:
- $1,000 – American Youth Foundation to support Oceana County middle‑school students participating in Camp Miniwanca’s Michigan Middle School Leadership Initiative.
- $5,000 – Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp to support Blue Lake Public Radio’s essential operations and emergency broadcasting services following the loss of federal funding.
- $2,000 – Claybanks Township to purchase picnic tables for the Lake Michigan shoreline park to support family use, gatherings, and recreation near the new playground.
- $5,000 – Disability Network West Michigan for an Accessible Oceana County initiative to assess and improve physical, digital, and communication accessibility across the county.
- $5,000 – Health Department of Northwest Michigan to expand the Senior Smiles program, providing free oral‑health assessments, cancer screenings, and education for seniors in Oceana County.
- $4,000 – Lakeshore Keepers to install a public live‑feed camera and security camera at Little Sable Point Lighthouse to expand access, enhance visitor experience, and protect the historic site.
- $10,260 – Michigan Dyslexia Institute Inc. to support the opening of its Oceana County Center at the new WSCC Hart campus, providing scholarships for Orton Gillingham reading instruction while training local instructors in dyslexia aligned intervention.
- $2,700 – Michigan State University Extension – Oceana County 4‑H to purchase an enclosed equipment trailer supporting safe storage, transport, and growth of the 4‑H Shooting Sports program.
- $2,500 – Migrant Legal Aid, Inc. to provide mobile legal outreach, rights education, and on‑site assistance to migrant farmworkers in Oceana County.
- $4,938 – Muskegon Conservation District to remove invasive species from public sites in Oceana County and build local capacity for invasive species management.
- $2,500 – Newaygo County Museum & Heritage Center to bring hands‑on local history education programs to Hesperia students in grades 2–5.
- $3,000 – Oceana Conservation District for the “Barberry Be Gone” program to help residents remove invasive Japanese barberry and replace it with native plants.
- $3,750 – Oceana County Council on Aging to improve language access by translating materials, adding bilingual signage, and expanding culturally welcoming programs for Spanish speaking seniors.
- $2,500 – Oceana County Economic Alliance Corporation to host a Start Garden 5×5 Pitch Night event supporting early-stage entrepreneurs.
- $4,000 – Oceana County Parks & Recreation Commission to purchase equipment and establish in‑house maintenance capacity for county parks.
- $5,000 – Oceana Cross Country Ski Association to upgrade grooming equipment to maintain over 15 miles of Nordic ski trails and support free community winter recreation.
- $5,000 – Shelby Township to install Oceana County’s first indoor climbing wall at the new Tiger Athletic Complex.
- $10,000 – United Way of the Lakeshore to launch an Early Childhood Literacy Program in Oceana County, to train and support volunteers providing early literacy 1:1 intervention in K–1 classrooms.
- $2,700 – West Shore Beekeepers Association to support their Youth Apiary Project by providing beekeeping equipment and mentorship for local youth.
- $4,920 – West Shore Educational Service District to expand Elementary Esports programming, providing equipment and coach training to support teamwork, digital literacy, and social‑emotional learning in Oceana County schools.
The Foundation’s grant committee awarded just over $20,000 in grants from the Foundation’s Community Investment Fund, an unrestricted fund designed to address the community’s most pressing needs, as well as from Field of Interest funds created to support specific charitable areas such as health, environment, parks and arts. The committee also authorized housing-focused grants to several unfunded Wish List requests for Family Promise of the Lakeshore, Mid-Michigan Community Action Agency and Staircase Youth Services, plus a grant to Elevate Oceana for furniture in the women’s house from the Janie Denman Memorial and Harbor House Women & Girls field of interest funds.
The Youth Advisory Council board awarded an additional $10,000 from the Oceana Youth Fund. This committee is made up of local high school students and emerging philanthropists who meet monthly to identify youth needs in the community and schools, responding through targeted grantmaking and volunteer efforts. Their work brings fresh insight to each grant round as they help shape opportunities for their peers.
In addition, the Foundation’s donor advisors awarded $39,500, playing a significant role in expanding grant impact this round. These grant recommendations came from the Gail Paulus Family Fund, Mrs. Mullen’s Closet Fund, William R. Lathers Foundation Fund, Ordoobadi Family Fund, JT Sackett Fund, Mary R. Sanford Memorial Fund, Wilson Family Little Point Sable Fund, Peterson-Carey Family Fund, Richard and Ryan Walsworth Memorial Fund, Marge & Doug Gregg Fund, and the Electric Forest Charitable Fund. An additional $19,180 came from anonymous donors, reflecting the quiet generosity that continues to bloom within our community.
The next Community Grant application cycle will open on August 1st, with letters of intent due on August 15th and full applications on August 30th. More information on the upcoming Fall Community Grant Round is available at the Foundation’s website or by contacting our Program Officer, Hannah Naples, with any questions.
For details about making a gift, now or through an estate plan, creating a named fund, or learning more about Foundation programs & activities, call Tammy Carey at 231-869-3377 or visit the Foundation’s website at www.oceanafoundation.org.