Apply for a Scholarship

The Foundation Scholarship Programs for Muskegon, Oceana, Mason & Manistee counties are now accepting applications for the 2012/2013 school year. Applications are available online and are submitted electronically at the Foundation website, http://cffmc.org/receive/scholarship. The application process has been streamlined to three easy steps for students and families.

THE ONLINE APPLICATION DEADLINE IS:   MARCH 1, 2012

The Community Foundation for Muskegon County administers over 260 scholarship funds and grants hundreds of awards each year to both graduating high school seniors and current college students.  The Foundation’s “General Scholarship Application” is used to support scholarship applications for students in the Muskegon area as well as those in Oceana, Mason and Manistee Counties. 

The Foundation does not make awards solely on the basis of need.  Academic achievement, community involvement, extra curricular activity history and financial need are all taken into consideration.  All Foundation scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis.

Teacher Mini Grants Awarded

Teacher Mini Grants...WOW!

Our Youth Advisory Council (YAC) recently awarded 49 teacher mini grants, totaling $11,303.49.  These funds address a wide variety of classroom projects and provide the “extras” that make classroom experiences more valuable and memorable. 

Thanks to a YAC grant, Carlene Yarnot from Lincoln Park Elementary School will get to use “Math Magic” to increase her first grader’s number concepts and math proficiency. Other innovative projects include “Movement and Music” at McMillan Elementary- helping preschooler’s development through song and dancing, and “Seasonal Blessings” – where Muskegon Heights Adult and Alternative Education students will create Christmas and Easter decorations to be hand delivered to McCauley Place Nursing Home.

Fifth grade teachers at Cardinal Elementary teamed up to expand their annual Iditarod Unit, thanks to four different mini-grants.  Students will have expanded dog sled race themed book selections, receive Iditarod-themed rewards for reading their books, be able to travel along with the Iditarod via “trail mail,” and even be visited by an Alaskan Malamute named Mackinaw.

YAC was inspired by the new concepts being used in Muskegon County classrooms. These tools are creating a stronger and brighter generation in our school systems. 

Congratulations to all the grant recipients! 

Love Note Winners!

And the winners are...

We're excited to announce the six top vote-getters in our facebook Love Your Community Mini-grant contest!  Each of these Love Notes was created by the people, for the people, and checks for $500 each will soon be cut so they can implement their projects.  We're also excited to hear that some of the other ideas (not in our top six but still clearly winners!) might become reality as well because people are coming together to make them happen. LOVE is being declared for Muskegon County!

[To see the other 19 ideas, please visit and "like" our facebook page!]

Moonlight Movies on the Beach - Kerry L. Halloran and Cindy Beth Davis-Dykema
Bring your beach chairs, blankets, picnic basket, & popcorn to the shores of Lake Michigan.  This FREE family even will be held twice a month from June—August.  Enjoy a family favorite or old classic under the stars!

Linenbottom and his Amazing Wowsical Traveling Show - Love Community Garden
Linenbottom and his posse are rehearsed and ready to show up on a street corner near you—but we need a ride!  This love note will make the show mobile, hooking his stage to a bike for easy transport.  All shows are free—but Linenbottom does appreciate carrots!

Play It Forward Event for Snurfer Sculpture - Kenneth Johnson
Think this sculpture is cool?  Imagine a party to raise $$ to make it a reality in downtown Muskegon!  Local bands will pull together to celebrate Muskegon’s contribution to snowboarding, as well as showcase the tremendous talent of our local musicians.  What an inspiration!

Howmet Playhouse Children's Mural - Howmet Playhouse
Children from the White Lake area will create clay tiles illustrating their favorite part of living in White Lake...and these tiles will form a colorful mural for all to see in front of the Howmet Playhouse.  Whitehall Artist Cara O’Brien will glaze and fire the tiles, and create and install the mural.

Hackley Library Literary Landmark Event & Plaque - Friends of the Hackley Public Library
Caldecott Award-winning author Verna Aardema called Hackley Library “home.”  This earned the library the distinction of becoming a Literary Landmark (there are only 7 in the state!). This love note will fund a celebration—and plaque dedication—in Honor of the library’s achievement.

Lakeside Community Pocket Park - Lakeside Neighborhood Assocation/Lakeside District Association
Started in summer of 2010, this little park features planter boxes, a new fence, and native plants. We are looking to start a sidewalk and patio area, and need your help! 

Grant Deadline August 15

 COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES GRANT OPPORTUNITIES AND APPLICATION DEADLINE

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  Monday, August 15, 2011

Grant applications for the August 15 application deadline must be submitted electronically using the Community Foundation’s website.  The Community Foundation for Muskegon County will consider grant applications in the following areas of interest:  

 • Arts and Culture
• Health and Human Services
• Education
• Emerging Community Needs
• Environment
• Muskegon Development Downtown

 Available grant funds are limited within certain categories and grant applications will be accepted and evaluated on a competitive basis. Grants are awarded to 501(c)3 or other eligible non-profit charitable organizations serving the Muskegon region. In addition to available open competitive funds, the following Field of Interest funds will also award grants. 

The Julia Hackley Memorial Fund of the Foundation will consider applications that support the needs of City of Muskegon residents, with priority given to meeting the needs of low-income individuals and families.  

The Greater Muskegon Women and Children’s Fund will consider applications that focus on meeting the needs of Women and Children in Muskegon County. 

The Youth Advisory Council (YAC) of the Foundation will consider applications that address projects and programs that focus on serving youth in the areas of: violence prevention and community inclusiveness.  The Council has an interest in supporting a systems-approach and would prefer to support a program involving multiple constituents.

The Environmental Fund will consider applications that build community capacity, educate, provide environmentally oriented technical assistance, protect and preserve natural resources and clearly relate to the environmental interests and needs of the Muskegon region. 

The Muskegon County Medical Society Fund will accept applications that focus on programs and projects relating to health and science education and related activities.

The White Lake Community Fund will accept applications for projects in the White Lake area that address the following community needs: social services, environment, civic affairs, education and youth.   

 All grant applications will be evaluated in part on the following organizational characteristics:

• Staff capacity / organizational capacity to complete the proposed project
• Evidence of collaboration and cooperation with other organizations where appropriate
• Board of Directors and staff composition that reflects the organization’s constituencies and ability to complete the proposed project
• Capacity to measure results, conduct project/program evaluation and establish outcomes 
• An understanding of and ability to integrate the relationship between the proposed project, other services, service providers and community need. 
• Evidence of sound fiscal policy and responsible financial management
• A base of community and organizational financial and program support

 For more information applicants may contact Gina Van Bruggen or Marcy Joy, or call (231) 722-4538.