South Haven Area Community Foundation (SHCF) will begin accepting grant applications for the 2023 grant award cycle on January 1, 2023. Area 501(c)(3) nonprofits, school systems or municipal governments can submit applications for grant funds towards programs or projects that positively impact the greater South Haven area primarily through education, economic development, and/or arts and culture.
Applications and grant details are available online at www.southhavencf.org/grants. The deadline to submit is March 15, 2023. Grant Awardees will be notified in May.
SHCF will be launching a revised grant structure for the 2023 grant cycle. First, a two-tired application system will be initiated to better accommodate the needs of local organizations seeking funds. Tier One will accommodate grantees seeking up to $1,000 for general operating expenses and/or project costs. Tier Two will accommodate grantees seeking from $1,001 up to $10,000 for project costs only.
“The South Haven area is home to many nonprofit organizations, each with very different financial needs and goals,” said SHCF President Roger Beglin. “The new Tier 1 program will assist smaller organizations with operating expenses, which was previously excluded from funding. We feel this will provide crucial funding to those who need it most.”
Applicants will be asked to select a tier upon applying and will be limited to one application per grant cycle. For more information about the new tiers, visit www.southhavencf.org.
The second update to the grant program limits the number of consecutive years grantees can apply. Awardees who receive Foundation grants 5 consecutive years from 2023 will be required to take one year off before applying again.
“We have many repeat recipients,” Beglin said. “We love the work they do but we also want to make sure that we are funding a diverse range of projects.”
Each winter the Foundation requests grant proposals from the area’s non-profit organizations concentrating on the fields of art, culture, education, and economic development with the goal of enriching and improving the lives of area residents. To date, it has awarded over $600,000 to local organizations.
Grant monies are made available by donations made to the SHCF endowment fund. In addition to grant distribution, the foundation manages and grows funds for local non-profits and scholarship funds though endowments. Those interested in starting an endowment fund or making donations to the existing funds can contact the South Haven Area Community Foundation at execdirector@southhavencf.org. The Foundation serves the cities of South Haven and Bangor, and the townships of Arlington, Bangor, Casco, Columbia, Covert, Geneva, Lee and South Haven. For more information, visit www.southhavencf.org or call 269-815-4223.
– From South Haven Community Foundation
