Apr
Total grant requests in the Spring 2026 cycle reached a record high. Our Fund for the Community, Fund for Youth, Donor Advised Funds, and Field of Interest Funds helped us support as many projects as possible as we worked together to meet the various community needs. A total of $487,415 was granted to 45 organizations serving Emmet County: a record amount for our organization.
Notably, beginning with the Fall 2025 Grant Cycle, the Community Foundation lifted the $15,000 cap on grant requests. State and national funding changes have made local funding sources more important than ever. This change means organizations can now request funding that better reflects the scale of need in our community.
Grants benefiting the wider community are reviewed and recommended by our Grant Distribution Committee, composed of local community members, and approved by the Foundation’s board of directors. Andi Tolzdorf recently joined the grant distribution committee and already sees the impact on the Petoskey-Harbor Springs area community. “Even in my first cycle, it was clear that the needs in our community are both significant and diverse. Being part of a process that helps address that need and creates immediate impact across Northern Michigan is rewarding.”
The Community Foundation’s grant cycles support a variety of needs across Emmet County. Grants awarded this cycle include services for area seniors, food and housing assistance, arts and recreation opportunities, and conservation efforts. Bay Bluffs will create a safe and accessible courtyard for resident well-being, NCMC Foundation will launch a teaching clinic for dental hygiene students, the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan will receive support to improve safety in their survivor service spaces, and the Great Lakes Plover Project will advance their environmental stewardship and outreach support.
Our Youth Advisory Committee (YAC), a group of 24 area students in grades 8-12, determines grant requests specifically focused on serving the area’s youth. Harbor Springs High School sophomore and YAC member Elise Whitfield said that being a part of the grantmaking process helps youth have a direct impact on our community. “We think about what would be good for the community, and we get to decide what we want to help and what we want to see change.” The Youth Advisory Committee recommended $66,105 in grants to 15 organizations serving youth in our area. This experience engages youth in hands-on philanthropy, building leadership skills and encouraging active citizenship while supporting a range of local youth initiatives.
The Community Foundation remains committed to responding to the evolving needs of the Petoskey-Harbor Springs area and looks forward to continuing its work in partnership with local organizations and community members.
Click on a recipient below to see grant details, including the funds that supported each award.
$5,451 awarded to launch a district-wide facility dog program for student support.
Supported by: Fund for Youth; Ted and Brenda Frey Donor Advised Fund
$12,395 awarded to keep student greenhouse projects growing year-round.
Supported by: Mary Elliott Rapin Fund; Ted and Brenda Frey Donor Advised Fund; Yazaki Northern Michigan Fund; Fund for Youth
$15,000 awarded to create a safe, accessible courtyard for resident well-being.
Supported by: Fresh Baby Building Healthy Communities Fund; Dan and Linda CasaSanta Family Fund; Susan Irish Stewart Charitable Fund; Ann K. Irish Charitable Fund; Maude and Gorton Milliken Fund; Dorothy Scott Fund for Senior Citizens
$15,000 awarded to improve auditorium sound infrastructure.
Supported by: Fund for the Community
$4,140 awarded to develop local songwriting talent with hands-on workshops.
Supported by: Mary Elliott Rapin Fund; Fund for Youth
$10,000 awarded to provide winter clothing for neighbors in need.
Supported by: Ted and Brenda Frey Donor Advised Fund; Donovan Charitable Fund of Harbor Springs; Dorothy Scott Fund for Senior Citizens
$2,050 awarded to equip younger day campers for safe climbing adventures.
Supported by: Donovan Charitable Fund of Harbor Springs
$11,319 awarded to build Emmet County's 911 workforce pipeline.
Supported by: Fund for Youth
$20,000 awarded to create a year-round adaptive recreation center.
Supported by: Thomas D. Ogden Family Fund; Ted and Brenda Frey Donor Advised Fund; Dan and Linda CasaSanta Family Fund; Fund for the Community
$5,000 awarded to provide winter food support for northern Emmet County.
Supported by: Ted and Brenda Frey Donor Advised Fund; Fresh Baby Building Healthy Communities Fund; Susan Irish Stewart Charitable Fund; Ann K. Irish Charitable Fund
$4,700 awarded to enhance public space with a community art gallery.
Supported by: Hal and Gail Willens Family Fund; Fund for the Community
$17,000 awarded to protect collections and create flexible community space.
Supported by: Mary Elliott Rapin Fund; Fund for the Community
$10,633 awarded to replace aging kitchen equipment for senior meals.
Supported by: Birchwood Outreach Fund; Anonymous; Maude and Gorton Milliken Fund; Dorothy Scott Fund for Senior Citizens
$2,000 awarded for emergency vouchers for clothing and household essentials.
Supported by: Dorothy Scott Fund for Senior Citizens
$7,500 awarded to bring Carnegie Hall performance to local audiences.
Supported by: Buzzelli Family Charitable Fund; Fund for the Community
$4,350 awarded for piping plovers stewardship and outreach support.
Supported by: Fund for the Community
$9,500 awarded to close the preschool tuition gap for families in need.
Supported by: Birchwood Outreach Fund; Mary Elliott Rapin Fund; Thomas D. Ogden Family Fund; Yazaki Northern Michigan Fund
$2,000 awarded to support stronger swim training for local youth.
Supported by: Boeckman Family Fund
$18,000 awarded to renovate softball field for students and community teams.
Supported by: Ted and Brenda Frey Donor Advised Fund; Fund for Youth
$7,600 awarded to restore windows for historic Harbor Springs landmark.
Supported by: Ann K. Irish Charitable Fund; Maude and Gorton Milliken Fund
$15,000 awarded to provide locally grown produce for pantry clients.
Supported by: Boeckman Family Fund; Birchwood Outreach Fund; Ann K. Irish Charitable Fund; Maude and Gorton Milliken Fund; Dorothy Scott Fund for Senior Citizens
$5,000 awarded to create accessible pathways to festival events.
Supported by: Julie and Murray Cotter Family Fund
$5,000 awarded to help students succeed through tutoring scholarships.
Supported by: Buzzelli Family Charitable Fund; Ted and Brenda Frey Donor Advised Fund; Fund for Youth
$15,000 awarded to strengthen community suicide prevention training.
Supported by: Petoskey Rotary Charities Fund
$5,533 awarded to help lost pets return home faster.
Supported by: Dan and Linda CasaSanta Family Fund; Seguin Family Fund
$20,000 awarded to meet rising food pantry demands for local families.
Supported by: Julie and Murray Cotter Family Fund; Ted and Brenda Frey Donor Advised Fund; Hal and Gail Willens Family Fund; Holder Family Foundation Fund; Dorothy Scott Fund for Senior Citizens; Fund for the Community
$7,500 awarded for monthly local produce distributions for employees.
Supported by: Holder Family Foundation Fund; United Way Health and Human Services Fund
$25,000 awarded to launch a teaching clinic for dental hygiene students.
Supported by: Fresh Baby Building Healthy Communities Fund; Dan and Linda CasaSanta Family Fund; Maude and Gorton Milliken Fund; Healthy Community Fund; Fund for the Community
$4,000 awarded to equip volunteers to deliver food safely and efficiently.
Supported by: Ted and Brenda Frey Donor Advised Fund; Fund for Youth
$15,000 awarded for safety study to for active transportation in Oden.
Supported by: Hal and Gail Willens Family Fund; Fund for the Community
$52,500 awarded to build pilot homes for a new workforce neighborhood.
Supported by: Birchwood Outreach Fund; Donovan Charitable Fund of Harbor Springs; Ledyard Family Charitable Fund; Fund for the Community
$3,648 awarded to stabilize and retain employees through a success coach.
Supported by: Fund for the Community
$8,000 awarded to connect the community to water stewardship through art.
Supported by: Mary Elliott Rapin Fund; Holder Family Foundation Fund; Fund for the Community
$5,000 awarded to help graduates enroll and succeed after high school.
Supported by: Mary Elliott Rapin Fund; Ted and Brenda Frey Donor Advised Fund; Fund for Youth
$15,000 awarded to expand renewable energy learning with wind turbines.
Supported by: Yazaki Northern Michigan Fund; Dan and Linda CasaSanta Family Fund; Fund for the Community
$5,000 awarded to explore global cultures through immersive field trips.
Supported by: Donovan Charitable Fund of Harbor Springs
$7,500 awarded to develop conceptual plan for amenity-rich township park.
Supported by: Susan Irish Stewart Charitable Fund; Ann K. Irish Charitable Fund
$6,500 awarded to provide a home away from home for families in crisis.
Supported by: Ted and Brenda Frey Donor Advised Fund; United Way Health & Human Services Fund; Fund for Youth
$7,083 awarded to prevent displacement for families needing housing assistance.
Supported by: Ted and Brenda Frey Donor Advised Fund; United Way Health and Human Services Fund; Northern Michigan Housing Fund
$5,800 awarded to support youth mentorship at Beaver Island Sustainability Fair.
Supported by: Ted and Brenda Frey Donor Advised Fund; Hal and Gail Willens Family Fund; Susan Irish Stewart Charitable Fund; Fund for Youth
$5,000 awarded to reduce financial barriers for local blood cancer patients.
Supported by: Dorothy Scott Fund for Senior Citizens
$15,413 awarded to strengthen water quality monitoring programs.
Supported by: Hal and Gail Willens Family Fund; Robert Horner Fund for Natural Resource Conservation; Matt Mathias (Emer A. Mathias) Fund for Conservation
$15,000 awarded to build fundraising capacity to sustain trail impact.
Supported by: Maude and Gorton Milliken Fund; Fund for the Community
$2,500 awarded to celebrate fresh water with local festival.
Supported by: Fund for the Community
$4,000 awarded to upgrade kitchen supplies for senior meals.
Supported by: Anonymous
$4,800 awarded to support teen mental health through equine-assisted therapy.
Supported by: Fund for Youth
$24,000 awarded to improve safety and hygiene in survivor service spaces.
Supported by: Birchwood Outreach Fund; Petoskey Rotary Charities Fund; Holder Family Foundation Fund; Anonymous