Gratiot County Community Foundation
The Gratiot County Community Foundation is a public charity based in Ithaca, Michigan. Incorporated in 1992, it receives charitable gifts intended for charitable purposes, primarily benefiting Gratiot County residents and institutions, and awards grants and scholarships for community projects and programs.
Gratiot County Community Foundation at a glance
In short: Gratiot County Community Foundation gave $341K across 33 grants in 2025 (avg $10K), mostly in Michigan. 53% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $341,399
- -13.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 33
- +6.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,345
- -18.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $20,286,147
- +6.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 53% first-time grantees (16 of 30, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Gratiot County Community Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation provides applications and policies for competitive grants and Youth Advisory Council grants; applicants can contact its Program Officer for guidance.
- Review Cycle
- The grants page lists October 1, 2026, as the next competitive grant-cycle deadline. The next Youth Advisory Council grant-cycle deadline will be announced.
- Deadline
- The grants page lists October 1, 2026, as the next competitive grant-cycle deadline.
- Next open deadline
- January 30, 2027 (Scholarships (General Program))
- Contact
Mailing address: 168 E Center St, Ithaca, MI 48847
Phone: (989) 875-4222
Website: https://gratiotfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Gratiot County Community Foundation
Gratiot County Community Foundation: Competitive Grants
Gratiot County Community Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Scholarships (General Program)
Gratiot County Community Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Expected ~January
Based on past cycles
Youth Advisory Council (YAC) Grants
Gratiot County Community Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Gratiot County Community Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was United Way of Greater Central Michigan ($25K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $171K.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($30,100), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
141 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 140 grants of 141 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s primary stated beneficiary area is Gratiot County, Michigan. Competitive grant applications are accepted from the county; applications from outside the county may be considered if adequate funds are available and a significant number of county residents will benefit. Its scholarship program lists Gratiot County and surrounding areas as its geographic scope.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Gratiot County Community Foundation open to new grantees?
53%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 16 of 30 grantees (53%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 33% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+0%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). 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 $251K (2020) to $494K (2019). In 2025 it made 33 grants totaling $341K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Women's Resource Center Alma, MI | Renovations | $16,200 |
| Gratiot Emergency Housing Corp Alma, MI | Housing | $16,000 |
| Ashley Community Schools Ashley, MI | Student Support | $15,050 |
| Breckenridge Elementary School Breckenridge, MI | Student Support | $15,050 |
| Carrie Knause Elementary St. Louis, MI | Student Support | $15,050 |
| Fulton Elementary Middleton, MI | Student Support | $15,050 |
| 2 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $30,100 |
| Eugene M Nikkari Elementary St. Louis, MI | Student Support | $15,050 |
| Gratiot County Hope House St. Louis, MI | Shelter | $15,000 |
| Heroes Center St. Louis, MI | Renovations | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Gratiot County Community Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $20,286,147 | $1,198,376 | $979,290 | $341,399 | 33 | $846,223 |
| 2024 | $19,029,200 | $1,336,603 | $1,019,159 | $395,379 | 31 | $958,679 |
| 2023 | $16,159,661 | $853,137 | $999,318 | $457,578 | 26 | $571,982 |
| 2022 | $15,134,170 | $1,181,707 | $998,007 | $341,838 | 25 | $651,034 |
| 2021 | $18,151,693 | $1,426,328 | $791,350 | $326,102 | 26 | $1,082,350 |
| 2020 | $15,743,867 | $1,216,937 | $797,541 | $251,328 | 20 | $687,378 |
| 2019 | $14,829,402 | $778,825 | $821,510 | $493,978 | 23 | $428,663 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is “to receive and accept property that will be exclusively used for charitable purposes, primarily for the benefit of Gratiot County residents and institutions.” Its filing describes grants and scholarships for community projects and programs in education, health, human services, arts, culture, and community service.
Competitive grant categories include community development, arts and culture, environment, education, health and wellness, social services, youth projects, and recreation. The foundation’s 2021 policies also include projects addressing residents’ physical, mental, and moral conditions.
Examples of supported organizations include Wings of Mercy East Michigan, whose stated mission is to provide free air transportation to low-income patients needing treatment at distant locations; Children’s Discovery Academy, which says it provides high-quality childcare while fostering positive community relationships; and Gratiot County Hope House, which says it meets temporary housing needs and provides emergency shelter and homeless services.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 31 grants totaling $395,379 in 2024 and 26 grants totaling $457,578 in 2023. Its 2025 filing lists a grant count of zero. Separately, the foundation reported awarding $74,955 in its Spring 2026 grant cycle, $90,200 in Fall 2025, and $92,843 in Summer 2025.
In 2024, Wings of Mercy East Michigan received $14,530, Children’s Discovery Academy received $9,823, and Gratiot County Hope House received $6,105.
Competitive grants are offered in three annual cycles, with listed cycle dates of February 1, June 1, and October 1. Applicants generally must be tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Applications are accepted from the Gratiot County area; applications from outside the county are considered only if funds are available and a significant number of Gratiot County residents will be served. The application requests organizational and project information, including a needs statement and project details; responses to its application sections must be no more than four pages. Review considerations include community benefit, project sustainability, collaboration, local support, organizational capacity, and application completeness. Grant agreements or award letters specify approved uses, and most grantees must report how funds were used.
The foundation also invites applications from area youth for community service projects implemented by youth. Eligible applicants may be youth groups that are nonprofits or affiliated with a nonprofit, such as clubs, churches, or schools.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s website lists Chelsea Holmes Matz as Executive Director and Ashtyn Bush as Senior Program Officer. It lists Ali Barnes as President, Renee Sopel as Vice President, Joy O’Neill as Treasurer, and Jennifer Stambaugh as Secretary. Listed directors include Traci Gavenda, Nora Colthorp, Paul Hungerford, John Pobanz, Chief Rich Ramereiz, Marisa Bramer, Els De Saegher, Tim Lambrecht, Sarah Doherty, Sue Meier, Erin Steward, Carolyn Studley, Kasey Zehner, Dr. Benjamin Peterson, and Laura Bever.
Gratiot County Community Foundation is led by Chelsea Holmes, Executive Director since 2025 (on filings since 2021); 1 of 19 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Chelsea Holmes
Executive Director
Executive Di → Executive Director, 2025
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$69K (2022) → $95K (2025)
Ali Barnes
President
Director → Vice President, 2021
Vice President → President, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Pobanz
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Bever
Director
Director → Secretary, 2020
Secretary → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Stack
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nora Colthorp
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paula Moeggenborg
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Renee Sopel
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rich Ramereiz
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tim Lambrecht
Director
Director → President, 2021
President → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Erin Steward
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Traci Gavenda
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carolyn Studley
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Els De Saegher
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Benjamin Peterson
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joy O'Neill
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marisa Bramer
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jim Wheeler
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Stambaugh
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (13)
- Former: Sandy Allen (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Mike Miller (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Sara Wassenaar (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Andrew Pomerville (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Audra Stahl (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Pam Munderloh (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Royce Humm (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Tina Travis (2019–2021) — Executive Di
- Former: Ruggie Ramereiz (2019–2020) — Vice President
- Former: Cindy Bosley (2019) — Director
- Former: Dan Rossman (2019) — Director
- Former: Kristi Teal (2019) — Director
- Former: Sue Malone (2019) — Director
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 $95K, to Chelsea Holmes (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Gratiot County Community Foundation
How much does Gratiot County Community Foundation give each year?
Gratiot County Community Foundation gave $341K across 33 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $395K across 31 grants.
What is Gratiot County Community Foundation's typical grant size?
Gratiot County Community Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $10,345, across 33 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Gratiot County Community Foundation that year got $9K on average.
Where does Gratiot County Community Foundation give grants?
Gratiot County Community Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Alma, MI (8 grants), St. Louis, MI (6 grants), Ithaca, MI (5 grants) and Breckenridge, MI (4 grants).
Does Gratiot County Community Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 6% of Gratiot County Community Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 33) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Student Support" (8 grants), "Renovations" (4 grants) and "Public Safety" (3 grants).
Who are Gratiot County Community Foundation's largest grantees?
Gratiot County Community Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include United Way of Greater Central Michigan ($25,000 across 2 grants), Ashley Community Schools ($23,550 across 2 grants) and Women's Resource Center ($16,200), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($30,100), which are not listed by name. Together they received 19% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Gratiot County Community Foundation?
Gratiot County Community Foundation reported $20.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.2M.
What does Gratiot County Community Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is “to receive and accept property that will be exclusively used for charitable purposes, primarily for the benefit of Gratiot County residents and institutions.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Gratiot County Community Foundation?
The foundation provides applications and policies for competitive grants and Youth Advisory Council grants; applicants can contact its Program Officer for guidance. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Gratiot County Community Foundation's EIN?
Gratiot County Community Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-3087756. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 9, 2026)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 16, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 4, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 17, 2020)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Gratiot County Community Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Funders that support many of the same organizations
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Alden and Vada Dow Fund
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Saginaw Community Foundation
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Eightcap Inc
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Eightcap, inc. Improves our community by collaborating with private, government, and community organizations to deliver programs that alleviate the causes of poverty and its effects, allowing individuals to become self-sufficient.
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Total Given
$245K
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Gratiot County Community Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/gratiot-county-community-foundation-morg_0d6e9c8f61184d939647daf9c84ae774
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_383087756_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Gratiot County Community Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/gratiot-county-community-foundation-morg_0d6e9c8f61184d939647daf9c84ae774},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Gratiot County Community Foundation'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.
Gratiot County Community Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?