West Michigan Youth Programs

As the birthplace of the Gerber Foundation, the foundation supports a variety of youth programming within a 4-county area that includes Lake, Muskegon, Newaygo, and Oceana Counties in West Michigan.

Grants are geared towards projects serving youth from 0-18 years of age. A special emphasis is placed on projects focused on:

  • Health, Nutrition and Dental issues
  • Early childhood services and Literacy
  • Parenting Education
  • Education (including Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts/Agriculture, and Math)
  • Life Experiences (camp scholarships, Ag Science Education, 4-H and FFA)

Agencies must be located in or directly serving youth from one of the 4 counties indicated above.

Grantees must be a public non-profit (with a 501c3 determination letter from the IRS) or governmental entity in order to apply. Programs that are collaborative and that have support from the broader community are encouraged.

Although typically under $10,000, grants may range from $100 to $20,000. Grants are generally limited to one-year commitments.

Applicants may contact the Foundation office to discuss their project with Foundation staff at any time throughout the year.

Apply Online

All applications must be completed through our online system

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Deadlines

Deadlines for Applications are March 15 and September 15 of each year. Results may be expected by the end of April and October, respectively, if requests are under $10,000. Or May and November, respectively, for requests over $10,000.