The Sturgis Area Community Foundation is currently accepting applications for Community Impact Grants.
Community Impact Grants (formerly known as Sturgis Competitive Grants) are made from the unrestricted pool of resources at the Community Foundation. Grant decisions are intended to support the mission of the Community Foundation — to enrich the quality of life for all people in the Sturgis area.
Grant committees review requests for proposals quarterly. The upcoming deadline for funding proposals is April 1, 2022.
Past Community Impact Grant Recipients
In 2021, SACF awarded five Community Impact Grants during its fall cycle. Grant awards varied depending on the project but ranged from $5,000 to $80,000 each.
Community Healing Centers—Hope House Revitalization Project
Hope House has been a part of the Sturgis community for nearly 20 years. Not only does this home provide stable housing for women and women with children, but it also offers residents case management services in the form of care coordination, transportation, personal goal setting, coping skills, parenting skills, and other daily life skills. Grant funding will provide neighborhood revitalization through updated landscaping, re-grading the driveway with gravel, fixes to the back ramp/garage windows/and trim, the purchase of new play equipment for the children who stay at Hope House, and updated porch furniture.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County—Before & After-School Care Program (K-5th Grade)
Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County’s KidsCare program provides affordable before- and after-school care for Sturgis Public School students in Kindergarten through fifth grade. With support from the Community Foundation, full and partial scholarships are made available for families in need of extra support. The program is housed at Eastwood Elementary school and transportation to and from school is provided by the school district for participating students. In addition, the program provides breakfast, snacks, and after-school homework help.
City of Sturgis—Splash Pad
The City of Sturgis will use grant funding to assist with the costs of constructing a unique, fully accessible splash pad at Thurston Woods Park. On February 10, 2021, the City Commission officially authorized City staff to proceed with developing a preliminary design for the splash pad. The City hosted a series of community input sessions, administered resident and youth surveys, consulted with universal design and splash pad design professionals, and worked with engineers to develop a site plan for the project.
Sturgis Historical Society—Windows to Our Past
Windows to our Past is a family of films about the history and culture of Sturgis, Michigan. From the story of early African Americans who first settled in our area to the various Icons of Industry who shaped our town forever, the project will dramatically showcase the identity of our community for years to come. Funding will assist the historical society in continuing the project, which seeks to complete sixteen films over a period of seven years.
SturgisSUCCESS—College and Career Readiness Programming
Sturgis Success, a local Career and College Access program, has existed for ten years. It is designed to help every graduate from Sturgis High School to be able to realize their goals and have an action plan started and in place to do so. Through SturgisSUCCESS, students receive help with college applications, FAFSA filings, connections to military recruiters and employers, apprenticeship programs, and anything else the student needs in order to be able to achieve the career of their choice. Grant funding will assist the SturgisSUCCESS program in becoming self-sustainable through support of the SturgisSUCCESS Endowment Fund.
Through philanthropic services, strategic investments, and community leadership, Sturgis Area Community Foundation helps people support the causes they care about, now and for generations to come. For more information on grants or donor services, email sacf@sturgisfoundation.org.