The Frederick S. Upton Foundation is inviting non-profits to apply for its next round of BIG IDEA Grants.
Berrien Community Foundation President Lisa Cripps-Downey tells us the program supports non-profits that are planning new initiatives or programs to benefit the community. She says a past recipient of a BIG IDEA Grant is New Heights CCDA, which operates an auto repair service that helps those with low incomes.
“There was some equipment and things that they really needed in order to launch that to be able to help people, low-income families who needed additional help with auto repair,” Cripps-Downey said. “By buying that equipment, we were able to let them do more things for the community.”
Another past recipient was STEM for Them, a program that connects families looking to adopt with foster kids via STEM projects.
Downey says the Upton Foundation awards two BIG IDEA grants each year. One is $50,000, and the other is $25,000.
Non-profits interested in applying for BIG IDEA grants can submit a letter of intent describing their proposal by April 1. From there, a more involved application process begins. You can learn more right here.
