Grantee Stories

2023 Catalyst Award Recipients Announced

2023 Catalyst Award Recipients Announced

This year CFMC celebrated their 35th year of impact as a foundation providing vital support to programs, projects, and initiatives across the entire county.  Each year as a part of the celebration, the foundation recognizes individuals, businesses, and service organizations who go above and beyond to make a difference in their community and inspire others to do the same.

Honoring Sharon: A Special Conversation

Honoring Sharon: A Special Conversation

In 2021, the Jumpstart a Heart campaign was organized by the Marquette County Law Enforcement Administrators and Association (MCLEAA) and the Community Foundation of Marquette County to replace the automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) for law enforcement units...

Celebrating the Joy of Clean Laundry

Celebrating the Joy of Clean Laundry

North Star Montessori Academy students, who are enjoying the school'sbrand new laundry room, made a sign to thank the Community Foundationand the donor who sponsored the project. Finding solutions to community needs, whether they’re large or small, usually takes time,...

What Will Waino Bring?

What Will Waino Bring?

Waino Liuha receives an award from United Way of Marquette CountyCampaign Co-Chair Walt Lindala, in 2006.  When you ask people in the community what they remember about Waino Liuha, they light up. Waino may have passed in 2013, but his spirit is still alive,...

Ray Leverton: A Lifetime of Service

Ray Leverton: A Lifetime of Service

Ray Leverton with Jason Chapman, Ishpeming City Council member, displaying the tribute from the State of Michigan recognizing Ray for his lifelong service to the community. Photo courtesy of the City of Ishpeming Ishpeming lost one of its dearest community members on...

Six Feet Over Recognizes Suicide Survivors Fund as Model

Six Feet Over Recognizes Suicide Survivors Fund as Model

Katie Hardy, executive director, Six Feet Over; Zosia Eppensteiner, CEO, CFMC;and Dave Aro, who established the Marquette County Suicide Survivors Support Fund. Six Feet Over, a nonprofit based in Detroit that provides suicide support and prevention services, recently...

We Remember: Charles P. “Snook” Smith and June Schaefer

We Remember: Charles P. “Snook” Smith and June Schaefer

The Community Foundation would like to remember Charles P. “Snook” Smith, a longtime Ishpeming resident who passed away on December 27, 2022 at the age of 94. A husband, dad, grandpa and great grandpa, Charles leaves behind “a legacy of songs, stories, memories and...

New Fund News: The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum Endowment Fund

New Fund News: The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum Endowment Fund

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum (HOF) is the only nonprofit that honors and celebrates the athletes, pioneers and visionaries from the United States who have significantly enriched the international sports of skiing and snowboarding, and showcases their stories and historic memorabilia in a national museum located in the birthplace of organized skiing: Ishpeming, Michigan. HOF has recently partnered with the Community Foundation of Marquette County to establish the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum Endowment Fund.

Anthony and Edmark Join Community Foundation Board of Trustees

Anthony and Edmark Join Community Foundation Board of Trustees

The Foundation is pleased to welcome Gail Anthony and Shannon Edmark to its Board of Trustees. Gail Anthony joins the board as an honorary trustee. Anthony served as CEO of the Community Foundation for eight years, retiring in December 2020. She has served the...

Celebrate Community Together!

Celebrate Community Together!

You’re invited to the Community Foundation of Marquette County’s 2022 Annual Celebration on Wednesday, September 14 at 5:00 p.m. The event will be held at the Northern Center on the campus of Northern Michigan University. The evening will be a celebration of the...

A Community of Belonging – Making Playgrounds Accessible for All

A Community of Belonging – Making Playgrounds Accessible for All

Thanks to Make it Marquette for "A Community of Belonging – Making Playgrounds Accessible for All, " -- a wonderful article by John Schiebe about Kids Cove and other local efforts and organizations that are making space and creating opportunities for inclusive,...

Year-end charitable giving

As you work with your advisors on year-end planning, consider some of these giving strategies that will allow you to support the Community Foundation and charitable causes important to you while accomplishing tax savings. Claim an Above-the Line Deduction in 2021 For...

Eslinger and Gonstead join Board of Trustees

Eslinger and Gonstead join Board of Trustees

The Community Foundation of Marquette County is honored to announce that Robert Eslinger and Marcia Gonstead have joined its Board of Trustees for three-year terms. Eslinger recently retired from Northern Michigan University where he served as the Dean of the College...

Shiras Institute supports Playground For All

Shiras Institute supports Playground For All

On Wednesday, October 20, representatives from the Shiras Institute presented a check to the Marquette Playground for All Committee for $15,000.  This donation will help fund the playground that will be built as an enhanced replacement of the current Kids Cove...

2021 Catalyst Award Recipients Announced

2021 Catalyst Award Recipients Announced

Each year, the Foundation Board of Trustees nominates individuals, organizations, and businesses to receive Catalyst Awards. A Catalyst Award recognizes the efforts of those that build community through volunteerism or philanthropy and inspire others to do the same –...

Paul F. Blewett Legacy Funds Distribute Over $75,000

Paul F. Blewett Legacy Funds Distribute Over $75,000

The Paul F. Blewett Legacy Funds were established at the Community Foundation of Marquette County in 2010, to provide support to multiple local and regional organizations that Paul cared most about. This year, a total of $ 76,192.65 was distributed. Following the...

2021 Annual Celebration Honors Community Who Make a Difference

2021 Annual Celebration Honors Community Who Make a Difference

The 2021 Annual Celebration took place at NMU on Wednesday, September 22. The evening included Catalyst Awards presentations, prize drawings from Donckers and the Delft, the first Range Bank Clean Energy Grant award, and a special announcement for the Jumpstart a...

Johanna Pohjala Fund for Weavers : Fund Spotlight

Johanna Pohjala Fund for Weavers : Fund Spotlight

A loom made by Matt Riihinen in Negaunee during the winter of 1945-1946. Photo courtesy of Christine Simonen This loom has a fascinating history, and helped inspire the Johanna Pohjala Fund for Weavers, a field of interest fund established at the Community Foundation...

Jackson Mine Park Pavilion Opens : Grant Spotlight

Jackson Mine Park Pavilion Opens : Grant Spotlight

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...

Schenk Scholarship Legacy Fund : Fund Spotlight

Schenk Scholarship Legacy Fund : Fund Spotlight

Schenk Scholarship Legacy Fund : Fund Spotlight The children of Wilbur and Catherine T. Schenk wanted a way to honor their parent’s memories and support the educational pursuits of Forest Park High School’s graduating seniors. Wilbur Schenk was principal, then...

Range Bank Clean Energy Fund

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...

Over $100,000 in Grants to Local Nonprofits Awarded

Over $100,000 in Grants to Local Nonprofits Awarded

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...

Jumpstart a Heart: AEDs for Marquette County Law Enforcement

Jumpstart a Heart: AEDs for Marquette County Law Enforcement

In 2020, Marquette County Law Enforcement responded to 46 cardiac emergency calls requesting the use of life saving Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). Law Enforcement Officers are frequently the first to arrive on scene for medical calls because they are...

COVID-19 Community Response Fund

COVID-19 Community Response 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...

Catalyst Award Recipients Announced

Catalyst Award Recipients Announced

Each year the Board of Trustees of the Community Foundation of Marquette County nominates individuals, organizations, and businesses to receive Catalyst Awards. A Catalyst Award recognizes the efforts of those that help build community through volunteerism or...

Huron Mountain Club Fund Distributes $56,000 to Local Nonprofits

Huron Mountain Club Fund Distributes $56,000 to Local Nonprofits

The Community Foundation of Marquette County, on behalf of the Huron Mountain Club Fund, is pleased to announce $56,000 in grants and awards to nonprofits in Marquette County. Several Big Bay organizations received support as well as other local nonprofits, including...

Community Foundation of Marquette County Announces New Trustees

Community Foundation of Marquette County Announces New Trustees

Mark Canale and Maura Davenport were recently appointed to serve three-year terms on the Board of Trustees of the Community Foundation of Marquette County. The board serves on a volunteer basis as the legal entity of the Foundation. Both Canale and Davenport...

Community Environmental Monitoring Program

Community Environmental Monitoring Program

CEMP is an independent program established by the Community Foundation of Marquette County and the Eagle Mine to conduct environmental monitoring related to mining operations at the Eagle Mine in north Marquette County by working with universities, contractors and EPA...

Census 2020

Census 2020

Community Foundation of Marquette County is excited to partner with Michigan Nonprofit Association and Grow & Lead: Community and Youth Development for Census 2020 education and outreach efforts! ...

Paul F. Blewett Legacy Funds Distribute Over $125,000

Paul F. Blewett Legacy Funds Distribute Over $125,000

The Paul F. Blewett Legacy Funds were established at the Community Foundation of Marquette County in 2010, to provide support to multiple local and regional organizations that Paul cared most about. This year, a total of $128,409.37 was distributed. Following the...

2020 Grant Recipients Announced

2020 Grant Recipients Announced

The Community Foundation of Marquette County, including four affiliate funds – Negaunee, Greater Ishpeming, Marquette, and Gwinn Area – granted a total of $58,334 this year in the annual competitive grant cycle. Forty-one percent ($24,000) was awarded to programs that...

Marion C. Vander Veen Family Great Lakes Education Donor Advised Fund

Marion C. Vander Veen Family Great Lakes Education Donor Advised Fund

Marion Vander Veen was born in Webberville, MI on January 21 in 1924. She then moved to various cities in Michigan, before meeting husband, Dick, in Muskegon, where they played opposite each other in their high school Christmas pageant. While Dick served in WWII,...

Silver Creek Block Party

In 2018, Silver Creek Church requested a grant from the Community Foundation of Marquette County to host a block party. The church received $1,000 from the Youth Advisory Committee. The grant money request was to be used for quality backpacks, school supplies, and...

YAC Packs

Members of the Ishpeming Youth Advisory Committee help pack 150 hygiene packs for the local Ishpeming & NICE Community Schools.

Great Lakes One Water

Great Lakes One Water

The Community Foundation of Marquette County has joined four other community foundations in the Lake Superior/Upper Peninsula region to release an action plan designed to protect the water resources of the region by limiting the impact of extreme weather events and...

Catpacks

Catpacks

Packing Catpacks: an organization that supplies food to children who are facing food insecurities over weekends and holidays during the school year.

Just Believe

Just Believe

Delight Hill, with Just Believe, stopped by to discuss her work with sun safety programs in the community and to make ultraviolet detecting bead bracelets.

YAC Hats!

Amanda Matznick, Owen Morton, Levi Giroux, Spencer Giroux and Myah McNabe help make and deliver winter hats to the local Salvation Army.

Habitat Home Dedication in Ishpeming

In the Community Foundation world, it is very easy to get caught up in the details of operations, finance and fundraising. Last week I was acutely reminded that although important to our success, our true purpose can easily be forgotten, when planning annual...

YAC Members visited Camp Pow-Low

YAC Members visited Camp Pow-Low

YAC Members visited Camp Pow-Low. In 2018 the committee helped fund the Girl Scout Outdoor Experience for new tent platforms.

Women’s Center

Women’s Center

Grant follow-up with the representatives from the Women’s Center

2018 Annual Celebration

Thank you to all the sponsors and guests who attended our 2018  Annual Celebration! This year, with the help of our attendees and Superior Watershed Partnership, we were able to raise over $20,000 for a new K-12 Great Lakes Education Fund: The Marion VanderVeen...

West End Business After Hours

Congratulations Peninsula Art Appreciation Council/Vista Theater! On Wednesday evening, November 7th the Greater Ishpeming Area Community Fund and the Negaunee Area Community Fund held a Business After Hours event at the Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in Ishpeming....

Patriot Packs and Hematite Power Packs

Members of the GIACF Youth Advisory Committee along with adviser, Shannon Edmark, collected and packaged personal care items to be distributed to middle and high school students who participate in Patriot Power and Hematite Power Pack food programs. The packed 80 bags...

Silver Sample Summer Seniors

The sense of accomplishment as one conquers a situation which might otherwise be out of reach is very powerful.  The Silver Sampler Summer Seniors offered a new set of outdoor recreation experiences for seniors 55 and over who live within the service area of the...

Lego Club at Forsyth Township Public Library

The Forsyth Township Public Library received a grant to fund their Lego Club program. The grant helped them purchase a variety of building clocks and idea books in preparation for the launch of Lego Clubs for children of varying ages in the Gwinn Community. The Lego...

Second Annual Blind Groundhog Beer Sampling – February 2, 2018

Will we have six more weeks of winter or an early spring? Who knows? Punxsutawney Phil is a groundhog, not a meteorologist! This year Phil and all other craft beer lovers will be invited to the Community Foundation of Marquette County’s second annual Blind Groundhog...

Clark Lambros’ Beach Park Fund Donor Story

Clark Lambros’ Beach Park Fund Donor Story

It’s Tuesday afternoon, and Vango’s is alive with friendly conversation and the warm smell of pizza dough. The Marquette restaurant has served as a gathering spot for the community for decades, in large part because of the generous and dedicated work of Michele...

Healthy Living continues in Marquette County – MI Health Endowment

Healthy living will continue in Marquette County schools, preschools and day cares this year all thanks to a 100,000 grant from The Michigan Health Endowment Fund. Marquette-Alger Regional Educational Service Agency (MARESA), and The Superior Health Foundation and the...

Night at the Diner – November 2, 2017

Join us on November 2nd at 6:00 PM for an entertaining evening as the River Rock Banquet Center is transformed into a 1950's diner. Enjoy burgers, fries, soda pop and ice cream served by some of the spunkiest, sassiest and down right hilarious local actors and...

Negaunee library installs dropbox

The Negaunee Public Library has installed a remote dropbox at the Negaunee Township Hall along M-35. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Friday. The dropbox was made possible by grants from the Community Foundation of Marquette County, the Institute of Museum and...

Kids get new backpacks in K.I. Sawyer

About 50 kids got free new backpacks Wednesday evening at the St. Francis Connection Center in K.I. Sawyer. The kids, who were all grade schoolers and middle schoolers, were able to select the backpack of their choice once their number was drawn by one of the center’s...

Let’s Build Together this Summer!

Birds in Palmer had some new spots to nest Monday evening, July 17th. About 50 kids spent the day making birdhouses at the Richmond Township Library.With some help from parents, kids attached wooden parts, sanded rough corners and decorated their finished birdhouses....

Spring 2017 Grants

Spring 2017 Grants

Community Foundation Announces 2017 Grant Recipients On Monday June 5th, 2017 at the Kaufman Auditorium, the Community Foundation of Marquette County announced the recipients of the 2017 competitive grant cycle. Community funds generated through a multitude of local...

Annual Celebration – October 3, 2017

The Community Foundation has been working attentively for over 28 years to build, inspire and impact our quality of life in Marquette County. On October 3, 2017 in conjunction with its affiliate funds, the Foundation will observe its 28th anniversary through a donor...

Spring Grant Distribution – June 5, 2017

On Monday, June 5th, 2017 at 6 pm the Community Foundation of Marquette County will announce the recipients of the 2017 competitive grant cycle at the Kaufman Auditorium. Community funds generated through a multitude of local donor gifts invested over the last 28...

Matt Davidson Donor Story

Matt Davidson Donor Story

On March 1, 2017, the Matt Davidson Memorial Scholarship Fund, a permanent endowment, was established at the Community Foundation of Marquette County with gifts received from family and friends. This fund will be used primarily to provide scholarships to graduating...

Mark Ulrickson Donor Story

Mark Ulrickson Donor Story

A new scholarship fund at the Community Foundation of Marquette County will help local students receive a college education and carry on the legacy of the late Dr. Mark Ulrickson, a Marquette ophthalmologist, Ishpeming native and supporter of the Big Brothers Big...

Pam Benton Memorial

Pam Benton Memorial

Pam served as a Trustee of the Community Foundation since the fall of 2013. She brought to the position her experience and knowledge of philanthropic operations and development and quickly embraced the philanthropic goals of the foundation. “Pam was a dynamic and...

Community rises to UPAWS challenge, surpasses year-end goal

Community rises to UPAWS challenge, surpasses year-end goal

At its sold-out annual fundraising gala, the Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter announced the public kick-off for the Imagine the PAWSibilites: Campaign for an Animal Community Center. The kick-off included a $100,000 challenge match from the Troudt Fund at the...