Community Foundation of Marquette County
The Community Foundation of Marquette County is a public charity based in Marquette, Michigan, formed in 1988. It awards grants and scholarships and supports initiatives intended to improve quality of life in Marquette County.
Community Foundation of Marquette County at a glance
In short: Community Foundation of Marquette County gave $2.3M across 80 grants in 2025 (avg $28K), mostly in Michigan. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,253,767
- -24.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 80
- +40.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $28,172
- -45.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $11,013
- Total assets
- $64,905,706
- +142.0% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Michigan (87% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Community Foundation of Marquette County
- How to Apply
-
Applicants apply through the grants portal; new applicants must register and be approved by foundation staff before accessing an application. Applications are reviewed by committees of community representatives, foundation staff, and board trustees. Approved applicants must sign and submit a grant agreement before receiving funds. The foundation’s 2025 filing says grant recipients must submit a written financial and evaluation report describing how the funds were used and what the grant accomplished.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists May 31 as the Community Impact Grants deadline, with applications released May 1. Its grantmaking page lists the next cycle as opening in May 2027. For Basic Needs Grants, the listed September 30, 2026 deadline has passed.
- Deadline
- The website lists May 31 as the Community Impact Grants deadline, with applications released May 1.
- Contact
Mailing address: 228 W Washington St Suite 6, Marquette, MI 49855
Phone: (906) 226-7666
Website: https://cfofmc.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
4 open opportunities from Community Foundation of Marquette County
Community Fdn. of Marquette County- Community Impact Grants
Community Foundation of Marquette County
Amount
Up to US $10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Community Foundation of Marquette County - Competitive Grant Cycle
Community Foundation of Marquette County
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Range Bank Clean Energy Fund
Community Foundation of Marquette County
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Community Foundation of Marquette County funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Superior Watershed Partnership ($361K). Together the top 10 received $1.4M.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($21,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
254 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 224 grants of 254 (88%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation states that its mission is to serve people in Marquette County. Its website describes the Community Impact and Basic Needs programs as supporting local communities and organizations in the county. The 2025 filing reports that 87% of grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 80 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Community Foundation of Marquette County gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $844K (2020) to $3.0M (2024). In 2025 it made 80 grants totaling $2.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Superior Watershed Partnership Marquette, MI | Enviromental Monitor | $360,925 |
| City of Marquette MI Marquette, MI | General Operations | $335,441 |
| Room at the Inn Marquette, MI | — | $184,004 |
| Grow and Lead Community and Youth Marquette, MI | General Operations | $173,526 |
| Superior Connections Recovery Commu Marquette, MI | — | $75,000 |
| Northern Michigan University Marquette, MI | Scholarships | $73,400 |
| Janzen House Marquette, MI | — | $50,000 |
| Upper Penisula Land Conservancy Marquette, MI | — | $45,901 |
| Community Foundation of Marquette C Marquette, MI | General Operations | $45,000 |
| Powell Township Schools Big Bay, MI | General Operations | $32,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Community Foundation of Marquette County?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $64,905,706 | $39,513,367 | $2,932,980 | $2,253,767 | 80 | $1,796,060 |
| 2024 | $26,822,641 | $3,910,816 | $3,549,344 | $2,968,714 | 57 | $1,362,902 |
| 2023 | $24,988,668 | $2,330,416 | $1,778,921 | $1,162,074 | 47 | $622,409 |
| 2022 | $22,525,710 | $2,994,805 | $1,680,580 | $1,077,418 | 44 | $302,740 |
| 2021 | $24,983,976 | $3,321,690 | $1,356,886 | $908,268 | 26 | $1,714,516 |
| 2020 | $21,749,043 | $1,879,856 | $1,297,398 | $844,415 | 36 | $740,065 |
| 2019 | $19,277,755 | $2,871,936 | $1,494,288 | $1,000,561 | 12 | $1,786,380 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to enrich the lives of all people in Marquette County by connecting donors with community needs, building permanent funds for charitable giving, distributing scholarships and grants, and leading and collaborating to address community opportunities.
Its 2025 filing describes grants supporting educational, cultural, recreational, environmental, and social welfare resources, as well as youth development and leadership. Examples of grantees’ work include Superior Watershed Partnership’s watershed protection, restoration, and education; Room at the Inn’s shelter, food, and case management services for people experiencing homelessness or a housing crisis; and Grow & Lead Community and Youth’s training and resources for nonprofits serving youth.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 80 grants totaling $2,253,767. Grants ranged from $5,146 to $360,925, with a median of $11,012.
Among the largest reported 2025 grants were $360,925 to Superior Watershed Partnership, $335,441 to the City of Marquette, $184,004 to Room at the Inn, and $173,526 to Grow and Lead Community and Youth. Other recipients included Superior Connections Recovery Community ($75,000), Northern Michigan University ($73,400), Janzen House ($50,000), and Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy ($45,901).
The foundation’s website describes Community Impact Grants as supporting projects with meaningful, measurable local benefits, including new projects and improvements to existing programs. Applicants may request up to $10,000. Its Basic Needs Grants support organizations addressing urgent needs such as food, clothing, essential items, and safe shelter; applicants may also request up to $10,000. Both programs describe partial awards as possible.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Thomas Blake as chair, Judy Vonck as vice chair, Andrew Herro as treasurer, and Maura Davenport as secretary. It lists Kyle Aho, Mark Canale, Shannon Edmark, Marcia Gonstead, Lisa Jahnke, and Alexander Kofsky as trustees.
Community Foundation of Marquette County is led by Zosia Eppensteiner, CEO on every filing since 2021; 1 of 14 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Zosia Eppensteiner
CEO
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$68K (2021) → $115K (2025)
Thomas Blake
Chair
Treasurer → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alexander Kofsky
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jack Lenten
Trustee
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2020
Vice Chair → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Jahnke
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Canale
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marcia Gonstead
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shannon Edmark
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Emily Leach
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kyle Aho
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Victoria Leonhardt
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Judy Vonck
Vice Chair
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maura Davenport
Secretary
Trustee → Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Herro
Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (18)
- Former: Don Mourand (2019–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Gail Anthony (2019–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Lowell Larson (2019–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Patricia Davis (2021–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Robert Eslinger (2021–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Andy Herro (2023–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Susan Goodkind Wideman (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: John Lenten (2021–2023) — Chair
- Former: Alex Flannery (2023) — Trustee
- Former: Sally Searle (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Anne Giroux (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Thomas Vear (2021) — Chair
- Former: Fred Taccolini (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: James Hewitt (2019–2020) — Secretary
- Former: Levi Giroux (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Tom Vear (2019–2020) — Chair
- Former: Trish Davis (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Deborah Veiht (2019) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $115K, to Zosia Eppensteiner (CEO).
Frequently asked questions about Community Foundation of Marquette County
How much does Community Foundation of Marquette County give each year?
Community Foundation of Marquette County gave $2.3M across 80 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $3.0M across 57 grants.
What is Community Foundation of Marquette County's typical grant size?
Community Foundation of Marquette County's median grant in 2025 was $11,013, and its average grant was $28,172, across 80 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Community Foundation of Marquette County give grants?
Community Foundation of Marquette County gives mostly in Michigan: 87% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Marquette, MI (23 grants), Ishpeming, MI (5 grants), Negaunee, MI (4 grants) and Big Bay, MI (4 grants).
Does Community Foundation of Marquette County give general operating support?
Yes: 90% of Community Foundation of Marquette County's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (63 of 70) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Scholarships" (6 grants).
Who are Community Foundation of Marquette County's largest grantees?
Community Foundation of Marquette County's largest 2025 grantees include Superior Watershed Partnership ($360,925), City of Marquette MI ($335,441) and Room at the Inn ($184,004), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($21,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Community Foundation of Marquette County?
Community Foundation of Marquette County reported $64.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $39.5M.
What does Community Foundation of Marquette County fund?
The foundation’s mission is to enrich the lives of all people in Marquette County by connecting donors with community needs, building permanent funds for charitable giving, distributing scholarships and grants, and leading and collaborating to address community opportunities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Community Foundation of Marquette County?
Applicants apply through the grants portal; new applicants must register and be approved by foundation staff before accessing an application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Community Foundation of Marquette County's EIN?
Community Foundation of Marquette County's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-2826563. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 16, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 14, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Community Foundation of Marquette County funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Community Foundation of Marquette County's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Community Foundation of Marquette County funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/community-foundation-of-marquette-county-morg_46ed790835cb4bbbb6dbb3180ce403ff
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_382826563_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Community Foundation of Marquette County funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/community-foundation-of-marquette-county-morg_46ed790835cb4bbbb6dbb3180ce403ff},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Community Foundation of Marquette County's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Community Foundation of Marquette County down — hundreds of funders to go?