Jackson Mine Park Pavilion Opens : Grant Spotlight
This past month the City of Negaunee held a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the pavilion building in Jackson Mine Park. The project has been in the works since 2012, with a total cost of $485,000. Funds and grants have been raised over the past seven years (2012-2019), including a grant from the Negaunee Area Community Fund. The project “broke ground” in 2019, after the City was awarded a grant through the DNR, fulfilling the resources needed for the project.
The finished building consists of a large, covered picnic area and restrooms, with plans of adding on a kitchen area. The project also included an on-site parking lot. The pavilion, which is located off the Iron Ore Heritage trail, on Tobin Street in Downtown Negaunee, is open to the public and available to reserve for private events through the City of Negaunee.
Projects like this show the opportunities that become feasible when our grantmaking abilities are utilized to their fullest potential. When we work together, we can achieve greater goals. By helping organizations leverage funding, we engage as partners in larger projects which then have a greater impact in our community.
Range Bank Clean Energy Fund
Grants from the Range Bank Clean Energy Fund support energy transition programs and initiatives in Marquette County including, but not limited to, greater reliance on renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, reductions in energy demand through a variety of energy efficiency improvements.
Applicants must be qualified nonprofit organizations serving Marquette County. No grants are made to individuals, private foundations, or for-profit enterprises. The maximum grant amount is $5,000.
Projects can include physical improvements (e.g. LED lighting/exit Signs, occupancy sensors, insulation, solar, battery storage, level II EV charging ) and/or non-physical activities (e.g. community engagement, education).
2021 APPLICATIONS ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED. Please join our email list or check back in 2022.
History of the Clean Energy Initiative
Michigan is in the midst of a major energy transition, which includes greater reliance on renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, and reductions in energy demand through a variety of energy efficiency improvements. This “clean energy” transition presents opportunities and challenges that are felt acutely at the community level. Community foundations are well-positioned to help successfully address such challenges and opportunities.
With a 2018 grant from Mott Foundation, the Community Foundation of Marquette County created energy information materials, developed three demonstration sites that illustrate energy efficiency and renewable energy practices, and convened an energy awareness community event.
These outreach efforts served to educate the community on the benefits of clean energy, share environmental and economic benefits documented from project demonstration sites. Key partners of the Initiative included the Superior Watershed Partnership, Michigan Energy Options and Range Bank.
The Community Foundation of Marquette County, including four affiliate funds – Negaunee, Greater Ishpeming, Marquette, and Gwinn Area – recently granted over $100,000 as part of the annual competitive grant cycle.
Of the total grant funding, over $25,000 was awarded to programs related to human services. Over $21,000 was awarded to environment and recreation. Over $17,000 was awarded to arts, culture, and music. Over $15,000 was awarded to youth and education. Over $14,000 was awarded to health. Over $5,000 was awarded to community improvement. This grant cycle included funds from the COVID-19 Community Response Fund to support nonprofits that continue to navigate organizational and operational needs from ongoing pandemic response.
2021 grantees included Willow Farm Therapeutic Riding program, which received funds to replace expired helmets for youth involved in the program. The grant was made possible by the Stephen Blondeau Memorial Fund, which was established at the Community Foundation in 1996 to support projects related to youth safety in the Upper Peninsula.
Willow Farm Therapeutic Riding volunteer Luanne Peterson said, “As an affiliate program of the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) International, horseback riding helmets are a safety requirement that we continue to adhere to. PATH International requires all participants to wear protective headgear that is American Society for Testing and Materials – Safety Equipment Institute (ASTM-SEI) certified. Depending on the amount of use, riding helmets hold the ASTM-SEI certification for 3 – 5 years after they are purchased. This grant will allow the program to provide required safety gear for youth and continue to follow PATH International’s protocols for safety.”
Volunteers from each of the Community Foundation’s affiliate fund form committees to review applications and recommend grants to the Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees. Grant distribution events were recently held for the Ishpeming, Negaunee and Marquette affiliates to celebrate the grantees making an impact on residents of Marquette County. A final grant distribution event will be held on July 4 in Gwinn at The Up North Lodge. This event is part of the popular Bike Night event series and is a fundraiser for the Gwinn Area Community Fund.
On March 19, 2020, nine days after Governor Whitmer declared a state of emergency in Michigan, we partnered with United Way of Marquette County and announced the COVID-19 Community Response Fund. A dedicated committee of volunteers began meeting weekly to review and award grants with the goal of quickly distributing aid to nonprofits on the front lines responding to the needs in our community. The Fund was set up in three phases, outlined below.
Nonprofits: applications for the Community Response Fund are currently closed, but if your organization has an immediate/emergency need, please get in touch with our office directly: info@cfofmc.org.
Together, we raised over $178,000
Our community stepped up to help in a big way. Our affiliate funds, including three Youth Advisory Committees, provided support. Individual donors, businesses, and foundations gave generously, knowing their donations would make an impact that was swift and meaningful. We have been honored to be a trusted resource, directing much-needed dollars where they made a difference.
Phase One:
March – December, 2020
64 grants were made totaling $89,561.19 to support nonprofits and charities meeting the basic needs of residents in Marquette County. This rapid response phase supported the work of organizations and agencies assisting the most vulnerable in our community.
Phase Two:
December 2020 – February, 2021
23 grants were made totaling $35,620.00 to support operating expenses for Marquette County nonprofits, including program assistance and revenue loss from canceled events.
Phase Three:
Being Prepared for the Next Emergency
The magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis demonstrated the need for emergency funding to support county-wide efforts in addressing emergency and disaster relief. To improve our preparedness and increase our ability to respond to emergencies of all types, the Community Response Fund was approved by the Board of Trustees in 2020. Because the fund is endowed it can also continue to grow, extending the impact in perpetuity.
Marquette County has always been committed to coming together in supporting each other during times of crisis and ensuring those who struggle financially and economically are supported in every way possible. Working together, we will continue to survive and thrive. Click here to donate the Community Response Fund.
The Youth Advisory Committees (YAC) of the Community Foundation of Marquette County are proud to announce the distribution of 18 grants to nonprofits to support youth programming. There are three YAC groups in the county, including the Ishpeming, Marquette, and Negaunee areas, with members from local middle and high schools.
Despite the restrictions and hurdles presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the groups have volunteered on several community projects and continue supporting local nonprofits with grants. As part of the $17,500 in grants awarded by YAC in 2020, a total of $4,000 directly involved funding for COVID-19 relief for nonprofits to purchase personal protective gear.
The groups also remain involved in community projects, volunteering time and efforts in several areas. Last fall, the Marquette YAC adopted a portion of the Iron Ore Heritage Trail that they help maintain throughout the year. The Greater Ishpeming YAC collected items to assemble hygiene packs that were distributed to 150 students from Ishpeming and NICE Community Schools. Program Associate and Marquette Area YAC Advisor Emma Schultz says the student members in YAC gain valuable experience as part of their involvement:
“The opportunity to learn leadership skills and network with nonprofits and community leaders is not only a great resume builder for young people, but it also shows them the importance of giving back to their communities. YAC is a unique program allowing students, sometimes from different schools, to come together and learn team building while being a part of something positive for the places where they live.”
Over 30 years ago, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation sponsored the Youth Challenge for Community Foundations program, encouraging the establishment and growth of youth endowment funds. Since then, funds have been used exclusively for grants allocated by youth advisory committees for youth programming through local nonprofits. Since being established, YAC has had over 100 students involved in various projects and grantmaking in Marquette County.
All of the YAC groups are currently looking for more student members to get involved. Students in grades 6-12 in Marquette County are eligible to apply. For more information or an application, please contact Emma Schultz at program@cfofmc.org or 906-226-7666.
The COVID-19 Community Response Fund, a collaboration of the Community Foundation of Marquette County and United Way of Marquette County, recently granted over $35,000 to twenty-three Marquette County nonprofits. These grants were given as “phase two” of the fund, supporting operational expenses for local nonprofits.
The COVID-19 Community Response Fund volunteer committee met weekly and biweekly since March 2020 to establish the fund, review applications, and quickly disperse grants as part of phase one. The fund distributed over $88,000 in grants in phase one, supporting basic needs such as food for children and seniors and protective equipment for front-line workers and volunteers, among many other requests.
The committee met in January to review phase two applications, providing operational support for nonprofits. These organizations have been affected by decreases in funding typically provided by fundraising events and admission or program fees. The committee awarded $35,620 in phase two grants to help offset these losses – the complete list of phase two awardees is below.
In the last ten months, the COVID-19 Community Response Fund has awarded over $124,000 in phase one and phase two grants to Marquette County nonprofits and charitable causes.
COVID-19 Community Response Fund Phase Two Grant Recipients
906 Community Church
Bay Cliff Health Camp
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Marquette and Alger Counties, Inc.
Cancer Care of Marquette County
Care Clinic
Forsyth Township Police
Girl Scouts
Hope Free Lutheran Church
Ishpeming Historical Society
Janzen House
Little Brothers, Friends of the Elderly
Marquette Alger Resolution Services
Marquette Regional History Center
Moosewood Nature Center
Negaunee Senior Center
NICE Community Schools
Room at the Inn
St. Anthony’s Catholic Parish
Superior Children’s Advocacy
Superior Housing Solutions
The Salvation Army – Marquette and Ishpeming
Trillium House
UP Children’s Museum
