3/4/2025

The North Central Michigan Community Foundation’s (NCMCF) Youth Advisory Councils, or YACs awarded $19,792 in new grants to Crawford, Ogemaw, and Oscoda Counties for programs benefiting their peers and communities.

The NCMCF Board of Directors approved the YAC’s 18 grant award recommendations in February 2025. Grants awarded include:

• $4,421 to Ana's Treasures through three grants for the “2025 Ana's Essentials” project providing essentials like clothing, shoes, and hygiene products, and backpacks filled with school supplies.
   
• $2,600 to Chelsea's Closet through three grants for their “Growing Pains” project which enables high school students who can’t afford to purchase clothing, shoes, and accessories for formal affairs such as Homecoming, Prom, or special school dances the ability to rent/borrow these items. This grant money will be used to acquire these items in sizes that aren’t common, enabling all students, including those needing special accommodations, the ability to attend.
   
• $2,150 to COOR/Iosco Great Start Collaborative through three grants for the “Float Safe” project for a water safety and education initiative aimed to equip individuals with basic education and tools necessary to prevent drowning and ensure safe water practices for all ages.
   
• $300 to Crawford AuSable School District for the “GHS RoboVikes Robotics Team Support” project to support overnight travel for the GHS RoboVikes robotics team to district events; and for the purchase of a drive motor.
   
• $150 to Fairview Eagle's Nest Preschool for the “FENP Family Bingo Fundraiser” project for supplies, prizes, and decorations for a community bingo night that doubles as a family-friendly event and a fundraiser to support Fairview Eagle's Nest Preschool.
   
• $2,500 to Iosco County Coats for Kids for the “Keeping Kids Warm” project providing warm winter coats, boots, hats, and gloves, for children in Ogemaw County.
   
• $1,250 to Max-Well Therapy Center for the “Mirrors for Indoor Arena” project for the purchase of large, shatter-proof mirrors for the indoor arena so riders can see their progress.
   
• $1,000 to Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative for the “EcoCareers Expo” project which aims to inspire 8th-grade students from northeast Michigan schools through an immersive career fair, showcasing diverse job opportunities in environmental fields.
   
• $1,000 to Pegasus Springs Therapeutic Riding Center for the “Resilient Youth” project for assistance with funding for children ages 6 to 19 to attend the Center’s equine therapy programs.
   
• $4,421 to Rayola Inc. through three grants for the “Supplies for Children in Foster Care 2025” project to help fund efforts to provide comfort items to children in foster care in Crawford County, Ogemaw, and Oscoda counties.

The NCMCF YAC is a group of young people ages 12 to 21 from Crawford, Ogemaw, and Oscoda Counties. YAC connects youth to their communities through grantmaking and teaches the impact philanthropy has on the present and future.

The Community Foundation will host “Youth Advisory Council Day” online at ncmcf.org on May 6, 2025, to help the YACs raise additional funds to support their grantmaking and build awareness of what these Youth Advisory Councils do for their communities.

The next deadline for grant opportunities through NCMCF is with the Community Impact Grant program. Applications are due June 30, 2025. Nonprofits, schools, and churches interested in applying for a Community Impact Grant can access the online application and criteria at ncmcf.org. If you have questions or need assistance with the application process, please call 877-354-6881.

NCMCF serves Crawford, Ogemaw, and Oscoda Counties, and is an affiliate of the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan (CFNEM). CFNEM serves as the administrative arm for its affiliate foundations. NCMCF is led by a volunteer board of local citizens committed to providing people who care about the future of the region and its communities with unique and effective ways of supporting their community now, and for generations to come. The foundation oversees a group of permanently endowed funds from a wide range of donors. Gifts of all sizes from individuals, families, businesses, and agencies are invested in a balanced, well-managed portfolio to build endowments, enabling support for local community nonprofits now and forever. To donate or learn more about how community foundations work, visit ncmcf.org or call 989-354-6881; toll-free: 877-354-6881.

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