ALPENA—The Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan (CFNEM) recently awarded a new round of Community Impact grants and Northeast Michigan Women’s Giving Circle (WGC) grants covering a four-county area that includes Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, and Presque Isle Counties. The Board of Trustees recently approved 61 new grants totaling $134,343.

$96,773 awarded in new Community Impact grants are:

1. Huron Pines - $5,000 for the Preserving the Long Lake and Lake Huron Watersheds through Land Protection project.
2. Lions Club of Michigan - $5,000 for the Expanded Pop Up Pantry/School Food Pantry project.
3. NEMCSA - $5,000 for the “Ensuring Exploration in the Winter Months” project.
4. Pegasus Springs Therapeutic Riding Center - $5,000 for Project Year-Round / Capacity Building for a Sustainable Future.
5. Alcona Community Schools - $4,800 for the “Expanding Safety & Technology in Industrial Arts” project.
6. Harrisville United Methodist Church - $4,800 for the Feeding Alcona County Families project.
7. Rogers City Community Schools - $4,000 for the Rogers City Elementary “Salmon In The Classroom” project.
8. Hope Shores Alliance - $3,749 for the “Increasing Accessibility and Collaboration through Technology” project.
9. Alcona Community Schools - $3,500 for the Backpack Program.
10. Alpena Montmorency Alcona Educational Service District - $3,500 for the AMA Classroom Library Makeover Series.
11. Hillman Community Schools - $3,264 for the Hillman Band Marching Percussion Purchase project.
12. Friends Together - $2,700 for the “Living Sense-ibly with Friends” project.
13. Alcona County Baby Pantry - $2,500 for the “Safety for Alcona County Children” project.
14. Alpena Hockey Association - $2,500 for the Alpena Hockey Cohesive Look Initiative.
15. Boys and Girls Club of Alpena - $2,500 for the Triple Play (Mind, Body and Soul) project.
16. PoWeR! Book Bags - $2,500 for the Little Learners at the Presque Isle and Montmorency County Health Departments project.
17. McLaren Northern Michigan Foundation - $2,200 for Recreational and Occupational Therapy at the Justin A. Borra Behavioral Health Center.
18. Alcona Historical Society - $2,000 for the Historic Harrisville Train Depot Fencing project.
19. Alpena Huron Shore Baseball and Softball - $2,000 for the Complex Lighting project.
20. NEMROC Inc. - $2,000 for the Improvement to Educational Centers project.
21. Northeast Michigan Center for Fine Arts, Inc. (Art in the Loft) - $2,000 for the “Cooking for Life: A Health & Wellness Culinary Program”.
22. NEMCSA - $1,990 for the “Enhancing Social and Emotional Wellness of At Risk Students” project.
23. Alpena County - $1,500 for the “Alpena: Students Fight Back!” project.
24. Friends of the Alpena Farmers Market - $1,500 for the Alpena Farmers Market Mich-e-ke-wis Park Table and Chair project.
25. Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary - $1,500 for the 2024 Thunder Bay International Film Festival.
26. HeadWaters Land Conservancy - $1,500 for the HeadWaters Hardware Replacement project.
27. Northeast Michigan TNR - $1,500 for Operation Feral Cat.
28. Park Family Foundation, LLC - $1,500 for the Ready, Set, S.N.A.P (Special Needs Adult Programming) project.
29. Second Chance Animal Shelter - $1,500 for the Fix a Feline project.
30. The Sunset Project - $1,500 for the Sanctuary Selections Film Competition project.
31. CupKids Org Incorporated - $1,250 for the “Ensuring that Missing and Trafficked Children and Youth Come Home Safely” project.
32. Presque Isle County Historical Museum - $1,250 for the PICHM Signage Restoration project.
33. Friends of Ocqueoc Outdoor Center - $1,200 for a Mural Making Workshop.
34. Thunder Bay Curling Club - $1,200 for the “Learn to Curl Workshop”.
35. Mikado Township - $1,130 for the LED Sign for Community Events/Local Information project.
36. American Red Cross of Northern Michigan - $1,000 for the Disaster Cycle Services/ Home Fire Campaign project.
37. The Huron Endurance and Resources Project - $1,000 for the Bay to Beacon Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, and Kids 1-Miler project.
38. Alcona Community Schools - $990 for Alcona Community School Weight Room Equipment Updates.
39. Alpena Childcare & Development Center - $900 for the “Recliners for the Dreamers Room” project.
40. City of Alpena Downtown Development Authority - $800 for the Downtown Alpena Flower Planters project.
41. Tip of the Mitt Junior Golf Association - $800 for the Golf in Schools project.
42. The Alcona Music Project, Inc. - $750 for Station Exterior Improvements Project: Phase One.

Community Impact grants are awarded at CFNEM through two different grant cycles throughout the year. For granting purposes, the Community Endowment Fund consists of the Community Endowment Fund, Genite Family Fund, Chuck and Kathy Ingle Fund, Lappan Fund, Neva Nelson Memorial Fund, Panel Processing Fund, Pfeiffenberger Fund, Marianne Kalivoda Hall Memorial Fund, Reitz Family Fund, Stevens Fund, and Weinkauf Fund. Additional funds supporting grants for this cycle include the Ann M. Kuntz Fund, Mr. and Mrs. O.B. Eustis Memorial Fund, Montmorency County General Fund, Wayne Wire Cloth Products Fund, Alcona General Fund, Alcona County Health Care Initiative Fund, United Communities of Presque Isle Fund, Lewiston Industrial Development Fund, Presque Isle General Fund, Huron Shores Health Fund, and the Spendable Tobacco Fund.

The Community Foundation also approved $37,570 through the annual round of Northeast Michigan Women’s Giving Circle grants. These grants are reviewed and recommended annually by a committee of ten WGC members who serve two-year terms. WGC grants are awarded for issues important to the women of northeast Michigan from the WGC Endowment Fund.

2023 WGC grants include:

1. Hope Shores Alliance - $4,000 for the Technology Lending Library for Survivors project.
2. Montmorency County Public Libraries - $3,000 for the Montmorency County Public Libraries Fine Arts project.
3. United Way of Northeast Michigan - $3,000 for Dolly Parton Imagination Library Coverage for Presque Isle County.
4. Boys and Girls Club of Alpena - $2,720 for the Empowering S.M.A.R.T. Girls to Create Change project.
5. Alcona Community Schools - $2,500 for the “Continue the Music” project.
6. Church of Christ - Atlanta Caring Place - $2,500 for the “Helping Families in Need” project.
7. District Health Dept. #4 - $2,500 for the “Mommy and Me Education” project.
8. Rogers City Area Seniors - $2,500 for the Product Pantry project.
9. The Stone House Studio - $2,500 for the ArtWorks Lecture Series.
10. Harrisville United Methodist Church - $2,400 for the Feeding Alcona County Families project.
11. Alpena Hockey Association - $2,000 for the “Hockey is Hers Too” project.
12. City of Alpena Downtown Development Authority - $1,500 for the 2024 Alpena Flower Festival.
13. United Way of Northeast Michigan - $1,400 for Presque Isle County Project Connect.
14. Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan - $1,000 for the Washington Avenue New Home project.
15. PoWeR! Book Bags - $1,000 for the Little Learners at Early Head Start in Presque Isle and Montmorency Counties project.
16. The Sunset Project - $1,000 for the Sanctuary Selections Film Competition.
17. Alpena Childcare & Development Center - $800 for the Strollers for Toddlers project.
18. Alcona Historical Society - $750 for the Historic Harrisville Train Depot Fencing project.
19. Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary - $500 for the Community Labyrinth project.

The next opportunity for submitting grant applications is through the Northeast Michigan Youth Advisory Council for youth programs in Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency and/or Presque Isle County. Apply online through the Community Foundation Grant Portal at cfnem.org. Applications are due by October 15, 2023.

The Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan is a charitable organization committed to providing people who care about the future of our area with unique and effective ways of supporting their community now, and for generations to come. Led by a volunteer board of local citizens, 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 students and local community nonprofits now and forever.

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