5/15/2026
CHEBOYGAN—The Straits Area Community Foundation (SACF) recently approved six grants totaling $4,850 through its 2026 Youth Advisory Council (YAC) grants. The Straits Area YAC awards grant funding to support projects and programs directly benefiting youth and projects important to youth.
PawsPack Therapy Dogs received $1,000 for their “Paws of Hope: Expanding Community Therapy Dog Services” program, which serves schools, hospitals, senior centers, veterans, first responders, and community programs.
MichiganWorks! Northeast Consortium received $750 for their “Thrive Bags: Tools for Teen Well-Being” project which promotes youth mental health, stress relief, and personal hygiene by providing practical care items and local resource information through youth-assembled bags for teens under 18 in Cheboygan County and Mackinaw City.
Northland Players received $800 for materials for their Summer Youth Theater productions.
Cheboygan County Humane Society received $800 for their “FIX the Problem” program to assist with the spaying/neutering of feral cats in Cheboygan County.
Cheboygan-Otsego-Presque Isle Counties Great Start Collaborative received $500 for middle and high school students in Mackinaw City and Cheboygan County to attend STEM Career Exploration Summer Camps.
Chelsea’s Closet received $1,000 for their “Increasing Need” project for the purchase of clothing and accessories for formal affairs such as Homecoming, Prom, or special school dances. (Pictured right: Straits Area YAC members visit Chelsea's Closet to see some of their grant funding at work for fellow youth.)
The Straits Area Youth Advisory Council is a youth philanthropy program of SACF. Young people involved in YAC learn the important role of philanthropy in their community, gain leadership skills, serve their communities, and award youth grants through the Straits Area Kellogg Youth Endowment Fund. Through this program, they are empowered to make a difference in their community.
The next opportunity for submitting grant applications is through SACF’s Community Impact Grant. The application deadline is June 1, 2026. Applications are available at sacf.net.
Pictured top: Straits Area YAC members from Cheboygan County gather for their annual grant review meeting.
The Straits Area Community Foundation serves Cheboygan County and Mackinaw City. SACF is an affiliate of the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan (CFNEM), accredited by National Standards for U.S Community Foundations®. CFNEM serves as the administrative arm for its affiliate foundations. SACF 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 sacf.net or call 989-354-6881; toll-free: 877-354-6881.
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