The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan was established in 1984 for the betterment of the residents of Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, St. Clair and Livingston counties. Over the years, the Community Foundation has helped to create and fund numerous projects that improve the lives of those who live in Southeast Michigan. The Foundation's interest areas span from arts and culture, to the environment, to health and human services. The Foundation wants to provide flexible support to a wide range of organizations that meet the interests of their donors.
Current priorities include the following:
Beyond these priorities, they consider a very wide range of requests. Here are a few key points to keep in mind:
Since its inception, the Foundation has distributed more than $1 billion through more than 67,000 grants to nonprofit organizations throughout Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, St. Clair and Livingston counties. Periodic press releases contain descriptions of recently selected grants are available at the Press Room section of the foundation's web site: http://www.cfsem.org/press_room/index.html.
Grants support a wide range of projects and organizations. As a potential partner, applicants simply need to read the guidelines and then contact The Foundation. If, after an applicants speaks to a Program staff member, and decides to pursue an application, simply follow the steps in the application checklist on the program page.
Eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) organizations, government entities, school districts, and universities. Projects must relate to the betterment of residents of Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, St. Clair and Livingston counties.
Quarterly deadlines occur on February 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15, annually.
While grants can range from $5,000 to $1 million depending on funds available, the majority of competitive grants range from $30,000 to $75,000.