General Competitive Grants

Geographic Scope: Oceana County, Michigan

Award Amount: Generally up to $3,000 for one-time grant commitments. Longer term commitments may be considered for initiatives showing exceptional promise for community impact.

Focus Areas: Education, the arts, health and human services, the environment, community development, and emerging community needs.

Funding Priorities: The Foundation seeks to support projects that will create opportunities for all people to participate in everything the community has to offer.

Eligibility:

• Nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations serving Oceana County
• Must be determined by the IRS as 501(c)(3) and 509(a) public charities
• Faith-based organizations are eligible if they qualify as public charities under Section 501(c)(3)

What They Don't Fund: Due to federal tax laws, the Foundation must reject grant recommendations that would:

• Benefit a specific individual
• Fulfill a personal obligation
• Support a political campaign
• Support a private foundation

Application Frequency: Organizations can typically apply only once per calendar year. However, when a Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued from a specific grantmaking committee, even organizations receiving a grant during that calendar year may be able to apply.

Decision Process: Volunteer advisory committees, with staff support, review requests for funding and present recommendations to the Board of Trustees for final approval. The grant process takes around 8-10 weeks from application to announcement of awards.

Contact Information:

• Address: P.O. Box 902, Pentwater, MI 49449 or 388 S. Hancock Street, Pentwater, MI 49449
• Phone: 231-869-3377
• Website: oceanafoundation.org

How to Apply

1. Initial Consultation: Begin by contacting a member of the grant staff to discuss your proposal before submitting an application.
2. Online Application: After the initial consultation, you will be directed to complete the online application.
3. Required Steps:
   • Contact the Foundation's grant staff to discuss your proposal
   • Complete the online application
   • Submit within the deadline period

Grant Deadlines

• March 31 (Spring deadline)
• August 31 (Fall deadline)

Timeline

• Grant process takes approximately 8-10 weeks from application submission to announcement of awards

Additional Resources

• Review Grant Guidelines for information on how to strengthen your proposal
• Check the Spring Grant Catalog to see featured projects and organizations
• For questions about eligibility or the application process, contact the Foundation's grant staff