West Michigan Grants

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 the following major target areas:

Health, Nutrition, & Dental Issues

Early Childhood Services & Literacy

Parenting Education

Education
(Including Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts/Agriculture, and Math)​

Life Experiences
(Camp Scholarships, Agricultural Science Education, 4-H and FFA)

Info & Requirements

Grants are to fund programming, generally limited to one-year commitments, and are normally under $10,000, with the average grant size being less than $5,000. Programs that are collaborative and that have support from the broader community are encouraged.

Although the Foundation prefers to fund programming only, capital campaign requests are considered, from time-to-time, on a very limited basis. Please contact the Foundation before applying for capital campaign funding.

Contact the Foundation office to discuss your project with Foundation staff:

Applying for a West Michigan Grant

Deadlines for Applications are March 15 and September 15 of each year at 4pm.
Results may be expected by the end of April and October, respectively.

The following information will be needed as you complete your grant proposal. Grants under $2,000 have a shortened application process based on the amount entered. While requests for capital projects are seldom made, you may contact the Foundation to discuss your need for support and guidance on your request.

All applications must be completed through our online system.

Project Information:

Optional Items:

Organization Information:

Budget Information:

Required Attachments:

Recent Awards:

Early Childhood/Literacy

We are committed to ensuring that every child is ready to enter kindergarten and is provided with a nurturing and safe childhood. To that end, we fund numerous avenues for early literacy, safety education, and other programs to make sure children are ready to succeed.

Parenting

Committed, nurturing, and loving parents are not a guarantee in this world. But they are a necessity for healthy, well developed children who are ready to learn.

Education (STEM)

Not limited to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education – we prefer to focus on Strategies That Engage Minds.

Health/Nutrition/Dental Care

Life Experience

There are some general youth programs that have been a part of the Foundation’s interest since the establishment of the Foundation. These provide opportunities for children to experience things outside of their normal activities. Support includes camp scholarships, the local Agricultural fair and 4-H activities, a variety of TrueNorth Youth Programs and Services including: Children’s Christmas, Coats for Kids, Tools for Schools, Children’s Car Seats, and TrueMentors.

General Youth