FIELD OF INTEREST GRANTS

 

Apply for a spring 2025 Field of Interest Grant

The Field of Interest grant program is a grant opportunity that occurs twice a year, made possible by the Keweenaw Community Foundation's Field of Interest Funds. Each fund is designed to support a specific cause, population, or geographic area, reflecting the interests of the donor(s) who created it.

Available Grants

  • CLK Youth Hockey Fund: awards to organizations that support youth hockey in the Calumet, Laurium, and Keweenaw communities. ($3,000 available)

  • David Wiitanen and Slim McLean Memorial Youth Hockey Fund: awards to organizations that support youth hockey throughout Houghton and Keweenaw Counties. ($5,000 available)

  • Great Start Early Childhood Fund: supports projects and programs enhancing early childhood care and education for children from pre-birth to age eight in Baraga, Houghton, and Keweenaw Counties. Focuses include family engagement, social-emotional health, and school readiness. ($2,000 available)

  • Joe Freed Empowerment Fund: supports efforts to empower individuals with mental and/or intellectual or developmental disabilities in the Copper Country region to be a valued, thriving part of our community. Employment, ride-sharing, engaging in community activities, expanding social networks, and reducing stigma and misconceptions through public awareness are a few examples of empowering these individuals. Priority will be given to projects with community-wide impact. ($5,000 available)

  • Kellogg Youth Endowment Fund: supports new or existing programs that directly benefit youth in Houghton and Keweenaw Counties. ($12,000 available)

eligibility

  • Grants are made to the following organizations:

    • Tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations

    • Educational institutions

    • Governmental institutions

    • Religious institutions

  • Grants cannot be made to individuals

  • Grants must be used for charitable purposes

  • Grants must be to support programs/projects in Keweenaw and Houghton Counties unless stated otherwise

  • Grants must comply with the KCF Non-discrimination Policy

  • Grants may not be used for a political campaign or to support attempts to influence any governmental body

Important Dates

  • February 1, 2025: Applications open online

  • March 16, 2025, at 11:30 PM EST: Deadline to submit applications online

  • Late April: Grant recipients notified

  • May: Grants awardees announced

Application Instructions

  • Submission: Complete the online application. Review application questions.

  • Selecting a Fund: Please indicate which Field of Interest fund you are applying to. You may apply for any portion of the available grant amount listed. You do not have to request the full amount. If multiple funds fit the scope of your proposal, you may select more than one fund to apply to. Please refer to the fund description for more details.

  • Budget Template: Use this grant budget template, or use your own.

  • Submission Deadline: March 16, 2025, at 11:30 PM EST

  • If you are a tax-exempt nonprofit organization, you will be asked to submit a copy of your IRS Determination Letter for 501(c)(3).

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact Sara Fletcher, Program Manager, at (906) 482-9673 or email sara@keweenawgives.org.

Application Review Process

  • Submission Screening: KCF Staff reviews all submissions to ensure completeness and eligibility and prepares all necessary documents for the Advisory Committees.

  • Committee Review: Grant applications are reviewed by volunteer Advisory Committees comprised of community members or the KCF Granting Committee.

  • Recommendation and Approval: The Advisory Committees make grant recommendations to the KCF Board of Advisors, who review the recommendations and make the final determinations.

  • Notification of Decision: All applicants will be notified via email of the outcome of their application, whether they are awarded funding or not, typically by May.

Requirements if you are awarded a grant

  • Signed Acceptance of Grant Agreement (now available online - see your award letter for details).

  • The Foundation's policy is to disburse grant money when required by the recipient organization. When the need arises, kindly provide a written request via email with the grant number, the amount you wish to be paid, and the date you require the check. Please provide evidence and maintain sufficient documentation to demonstrate compliance with the request.

  • Project Report:

    • For the Foundation to maintain an ongoing flow of funding, grants obligated or encumbered should be distributed within twelve (12) months from the award date. Otherwise, the grant will be rescinded.

    • A report with your grant number on it is required within 30 days of funds being disbursed. Please contact us if you need an extension. New for 2025: submit your grant report online!

  • Photos: Please include a few photos of your project when you submit the report to be included in the publicity of our granting program. We would prefer pictures with people, but be sure to have consent to share.

Attention all 501(c)(3) and other non-profit status organizations: To be placed on the Keweenaw Community Foundation’s request for proposals list, please email your contact information to mail@keweenawgives.org or fill out the form on our Contact Us page and choose to be added to the mailing list. You will be notified when grants become available.