Through our responsive grantmaking program, the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area (CFHZ) recently distributed $201,000 to local nonprofit organizations.
The grants supported investments across a broad range of issues, including supporting former foster youth, community development work, and increasing accessibility.
“Our responsive grants support our vision of a thriving community for all who live and work in the Holland/Zeeland area,” said Yadah V. Ramirez, Director of Community Impact. “Using Community’s Endowment dollars, we assist local nonprofits as they respond to promising opportunities and pressing needs, helping extend their missions and increase their impact.”
In total, seven nonprofit organizations received grant funding.
Grant Me Hope – Grant Me Hope Homes: The Rock
Amount Awarded: $40,000
Purpose: To launch services for male former foster youth at the old Rock Island Restaurant that has been remodeled into a dormitory style home. Providing safe and supportive transitional housing with programs to meet the needs of former foster youth will assist these young adults with learning the skills and saving the money they need to transition to successful independent living.
Latin Americans United for Progress – LAUP Community Center Development
Amount Awarded: $40,000
Purpose: To develop an empty warehouse connected to the LAUP office into a center for community development, events, and increased program offerings. The space will serve as a safe, trusted gathering place to give current and future generations of the Hispanic/Latino community opportunities to socialize, learn, and access resources and opportunities to thrive.
3Sixty – Place-Based Leadership
Amount Awarded: $35,000 over two years.
Purpose: To support the launch of a leadership program in Holland’s Eastcore neighborhood that equips residents with processes and tools they can use to continue making sustainable change for themselves and their community. Since 2005, 3Sixty has been working in Eastcore to build a living community: one where each resident feels equally known and committed to the well-being of the neighborhood.
Jake Norris, Executive Director of 3Sixty, said, “We believe our Eastcore neighborhood is full of assets just waiting to be leveraged for its flourishing. The most overlooked assets are the gifts of the individuals who call Eastcore home, especially our underrepresented neighbors. In supporting 3Sixty’s Place-Based Leadership Program, the Community Foundation of Holland/Zeeland is investing in the residents living here, and helping them shape the future of this neighborhood, together.”
Empowering Youth Global Connection – Expanding EYGC Cultural Programming
Amount Awarded: $32,900 over two years.
Purpose: To expand capacity to grow cultural appreciation classes and add a new life-skills class for teens coming from immigrant or adoptive families. Immigrant teens are vulnerable to additional stress and anxiety during adolescence and are often relied heavily upon by their parents and younger siblings. EYGC will help provide a pathway to education and empowerment.
Holland Museum – Addressing Accessibility
Amount Awarded: $23,733
Purpose: To increase accessibility in the Museum’s spaces through the installation of a hearing loop system, addition of headsets for guided tours, updated wayfinding signage, and installation of ADA power door operators. These accessibility improvements will provide a more equitable experience and accessible space for all who visit.
“As an institution that values life-long learning opportunities and seeks to welcome everyone and their stories, this project strikes at the very core of our guiding values,” said Joseph McCluskey, Development and Communications Associate Director at Holland Museum. “Through this grant, we will be able to ensure that many more guests can enter our spaces with dignity, navigate them with clarity, and fully participate in the many educational opportunities that we offer.”
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Holland – Southside Unit Entrance and Safety Improvements
Amount Awarded: $20,000
Purpose: To provide student members and their families utilizing the southside facility with a safer and more dignified arrival and departure experience.
Hand2Hand – Nutrition Packs and Backpacks
Amount Awarded: $9,800
Purpose: To supply 1,857 Holland/Zeeland area students ages 3-18, with a backpack and a nutrition pack containing nutrition information, a water bottle, and healthy snacks. This approach removes barriers and puts tools directly in families’ hands to build healthy eating habits.
More information about our grantmaking is available here.