PA R T N E R S
in Progress
Since February, Grand Rapids Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees has approved $2,039,000 in grant partnerships, thanks to the generosity of our donor partners. Funds to support these gifts have come from the Fund for Community Good, Field of Interest Funds and our Kent County COVID-19 Recovery Fund. These partnerships with local nonprofits support our community in many ways.
BAXTER COMMUNITY CENTER, $400,000 For 50 years, Baxter Community Center has provided quality services and met critical needs of Baxter neighborhood residents. This grant is awarded to maximize organizational potential and secure a sustainable future of service to our community.
FAMILY OUTREACH CENTER, $50,000 This grant partnership supports Family Outreach Center’s high demand for culturally responsive mental health services to children and adults. These services are for people who are uninsured or underinsured, which is critical, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
GRAND RAPIDS URBAN LEAGUE, $150,000 Grand Rapids Urban League is an anchor institution providing trusted employment, youth development and health education supports in communities of color. This grant partnership helps them continue critical operations while they leverage their relationships to provide culturally responsive services related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
HEART OF WEST MICHIGAN UNITED WAY, $50,000 This grant partnership supports the Kent County Coronavirus Response Fund, developed to meet immediate needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as housing, food and shelter.
HISPANIC CENTER OF WESTERN MICHIGAN, $25,000
PARTNERS in community | 6
This grant partnership supports multilingual translation and interpretation services. These help all community members access critical information about minimizing exposure to and spreading COVID-19, as well as other resources.
HISPANIC CENTER OF WESTERN MICHIGAN, $25,000 This grant helps fund back office support so the Hispanic Center can do financial due diligence and distribute funds for La Lucha Fund (described below).
INSTITUTE OF UBUNTU, $200,000 A grant partnership with Black Impact Collective supports their exploration of seven impact areas for the immediate and postCOVID-19 recovery for Black and African American people living in greater-Grand Rapids.
KCONNECT, $10,000 KConnect is a public, private and nonprofit sectors collaboration created to dissolve systemic inequity across the prenatal to career continuum, while improving outcomes for all. This grant partnership supports developing a comprehensive community plan to address housing insecurity and racialized disparities in Kent County.
KENT SCHOOL SERVICES NETWORK, $500,000 KSSN creates the supports necessary for a community school model that ensures student access to physical health, mental health and human services within their schools. This grant partnership helps major community health and human service providers address basic needs, so students are ready to learn.
LA LUCHA FUND, $100,000 This grant partnership provided seed funding for La Lucha Fund. The fund was developed in light of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide direct financial support to people who are undocumented or families who are mixed status in Kent County. The fund was developed through a partnership between Movimiento Cosecha, Grand Rapids Area Mutual Aid Network and LatinxGR.
