Annual Report
2020 Results
Collaboration, Connection, Trust
2020 will forever live in our memories as a time when the world reluctantly hit pause. Like everyone, our lives were upended. We were disoriented as we pivoted to working off-site and we were saddened as we mourned the staggering loss of life to COVID-19. Through all of this, we were incensed as we bore witness to systemic social injustices spotlighted as our nation struggled through a pandemic that disproportionately impacted our black and brown neighbors and further devastated already struggling families.
In our 2020 annual report, we seek to affirm our belief in place, equity, trust and community. As we all regain our civic footing, we believe that these values will help us heal and keep us ever mindful that while we were all experiencing the same storm, we were not all in the same boat.
We hope you enjoy the interactive elements of our report—a virtual placeholder to help connect us until we can resume social interaction again. We enthusiastically look forward to stepping out of our bubbles, continuing to lean into our important work of caring for our neighbors and celebrating our great communities together!
Grantmaking
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Total grants awarded in 2020
Leading with Trust
A Message from Board Chair Mary Frey Bennett
“This past year has been a lesson in humility and vulnerability. COVID-19 laid bare our nation’s disparities and inequities. As philanthropists, we have long been advocating for social justice, but when 2020 turned our world upside down, we realized that much more intentional work is needed.”
Leading While Listening & Collaborating
A Message from President Holly Johnson
“When we reflect on 2020 there will always be a collective sigh with memories of isolation, worry and stress. But I hope it also will be remembered as an inflection point where we built new muscle, better understood the barriers that foster inequity and deepened meaningful relationships.”
Stories of Impact
Rising to the Occasion
How Local Philanthropy and Community Responded to the Global Health Crisis
The coronavirus pandemic has been referred to by many as “the great equalizer,” but we know that this does not accurately capture the reality of the situation. While we are all at risk of infection, we are not all equally affected by the virus and the corresponding public health response. The pandemic amplified existing inequities, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable in our communities, including communities of color, older adults and low-income populations. The lasting effects of this virus will be wide and deep and are greatly impacted by the social determinants of health in our communities. Thus, it was and continues to be critical to apply an equity lens to the planning and implementation of short- and long-term response efforts.
Follow the link below to learn more about our community partners and the Frey Foundation response.
Committed to Serving Better
Staying the Course with a New Grant Portal and Reconfigured Community Space
Prior to the inescapable disruptions brought by 2020, the Frey Foundation embarked on a journey to better serve community partners with the initiation of two ambitious projects—streamlining the grant management and application process with a new online grant portal and improving on-site community space and technology. Rather than pausing these projects to exclusively navigate the uncertainties of the pandemic, we committed to moving forward knowing that, in the long-term, both resources will serve our partners as they work to address critical community needs.
Watch the video and follow the link below to learn more about both projects.
More Stories About the Previous Years' Grantees.
Average Grant Size: $49,320
Strategic Investments
by program area
Type of Support
by amount granted in dollars
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Grant Size
by number of grants awarded
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2020 Grants Awarded
By organization
| Organization Name | Project Title | Grant Amount | Program Area | Area Served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artists Creating Together, Inc. | COVID-19 Response | General operating support during the global health crisis | $5,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| Blandford Nature Center | Exploration and due diligence related to potential partnership opportunities | $29,200 | Children & Families | West Michigan |
| Blandford Nature Center | Second Nature campaign to restore The Highlands, a former golf course located in northeast Grand Rapids | $300,000 | Environment | West Michigan |
| Blandford Nature Center | Diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, including the documentation of the process and learning journey | $5,000 | Environment | West Michigan |
| Boys and Girls Club of Grand Rapids Youth Commonwealth, Inc. | Organizational capacity and strategic planning to advance long-term financial sustainability | $15,000 | Children & Families | West Michigan |
| Boys and Girls Club of Grand Rapids Youth Commonwealth, Inc. | Expanded services and programming to support local students attending school virtually due to COVID-19 | $15,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| Char-Em United Way, Inc. | COVID-19 Community Relief Fund to provide support for nonprofits on the front lines of the pandemic in Charlevoix and Emmet County | $5,000 | Health Crisis Response | Northern Michigan |
| Charlevoix County Community Foundation | Urgent Needs Fund support to nonprofit organizations responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in Charlevoix County | $15,000 | Health Crisis Response | Northern Michigan |
| Charlevoix County Community Foundation | Organizational Support Fund to provide unrestricted general operating support for nonprofit organizations that have been impacted by COVID-19 | $15,000 | Health Crisis Response | Northern Michigan |
| Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District | Infrastructure support to help strengthen community-based early care and education systems in Charlevoix and Emmet County | $81,000 | Children & Families | Northern Michigan |
| City of Whitehall | From Our House to Yours, a virtual streaming series of live plays and music during the COVID-19 pandemic | $9,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| Community Action House | Launch of Food Club & Opportunity Center of Greater Holland/Zeeland | $125,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Conservation Resource Alliance | Free spanning Emmet County's Carp and Maple Rivers | $100,000 | Environment | Northern Michigan |
| Council of Michigan Foundations, Inc. | 48th Annual Conference | $10,000 | Building Community | State of Michigan |
| Crooked Tree Arts Council, Inc. | COVID-19 Response | General operating support during the global health crisis | $15,000 | Health Crisis Response | Northern Michigan |
| The Diatribe | Project 49507 to develop large scale murals in Grand Rapids neighborhoods | $25,000 | Arts | West Michigan |
| DisArt | COVID-19 Response | General operating support during the global health crisis | $10,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| Ebony Road Players | COVID-19 Response | General operating support during the global health crisis | $5,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle Conservancy | Restoration of Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids | $250,000 | Arts | West Michigan |
| Family Promise of Grand Rapids | Support for flexible funds to provide shelter for at-risk families during the COVID-19 pandemic | $5,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| Feeding America West Michigan Food Bank | Support for food security in West and Northern Michigan | $10,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| Festival of the Arts in Grand Rapids | Strategic planning efforts to improve the accessibility and sustainability of the Festival of the Arts | $10,000 | Arts | West Michigan |
| Grand Action Foundation | Grand Action 2.0 project planning and startup support | $250,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Art Museum | Live Artfully event honoring Milt and Barb Rohwer | $10,000 | Arts | West Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Art Museum | COVID-19 Response | General operating support during the global health crisis | $5,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Ballet Co. | COVID-19 Response | General operating support during the global health crisis | $5,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Children's Museum | 2020 State of Play event | $2,500 | Children & Families | West Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Children's Museum | COVID-19 Response | General operating support during the global health crisis | $15,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Civic Theatre | Behind the Curtain capital campaign to modernize and improve accessibility of the facility | $300,000 | Arts | West Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Community College Foundation | Launch of the Grand Rapids Promise Zone Scholarship | $250,000 | Children & Families | West Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Community Foundation | Nonprofit Technical Assistance Fund for 2020 | $30,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Community Foundation | La Lucha Fund to provide immediate financial resources directly to families who are undocumented or have mixed immigration status in Kent County | $20,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Community Foundation | Nonprofit Technical Assistance Fund to provide additional support to organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic | $10,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Nehemiah Project | Ignite the Movement capital campaign to build on the momentum of collective community efforts to stimulate economic development in southeast Grand Rapids | $210,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation | Urgent Needs Fund to support nonprofit organizations responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in five-county service area | $15,000 | Health Crisis Response | Northern Michigan |
| Grand Valley Metropolitan Council | Lower Grand River Water Trail Development Plan | $5,000 | Environment | West Michigan |
| Grand Valley State University | Learner Design Summit to redesign high school to college pathways for the 21st century | $10,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Grandville Avenue Arts and Humanities, Inc. | COVID-19 Response | General operating support during the global health crisis | $15,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| Great Lakes Center For The Arts | 2020 collaborative arts events in Northern Michigan | $15,000 | Arts | Northern Michigan |
| Hand2Hand | Expansion into 21 additional Kent County schools and increased demand due to COVID-19 | $5,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| Harbor Springs Area Chamber of Commerce | Harbor Stars Awards event | $1,000 | Building Community | Northern Michigan |
| Harbor Springs Lyric Theatre | COVID-19 Response | General operating support during the global health crisis | $10,000 | Health Crisis Response | Northern Michigan |
| Health Net of West Michigan | External and independent evaluation of client and community impact | $15,000 | Children & Families | West Michigan |
| Health Net of West Michigan | Capacity to assist with the influx of 2-1-1 calls at the Heart of West Michigan United Way during the COVID-19 pandemic | $5,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| Heart of West Michigan United Way | Kent County Coronavirus Response Fund to support nonprofits serving vulnerable populations to meet their basic needs | $125,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| Home Repair Services of Kent County, Inc. | Financial counseling and education expansion to help prevent foreclosures in Kent County | $50,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Housing Next | Enhancing and disseminating housing needs assessment data throughout Kent County | $35,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Housing North | Launch of backbone organization for equitable housing efforts in Northern Michigan | $150,000 | Building Community | Northern Michigan |
| IFF | Expansion of high-quality, replicable, early childhood education options in Grand Rapids | $250,000 | Children & Families | West Michigan |
| Interlochen Center for the Arts | Construction of Dow House, new on-campus housing to help attract and retain artistic talent in northern Michigan | $100,000 | Arts | Northern Michigan |
| Issue Media Group LLC | COVID-19 Recovery Reporting program focusing on highlighting the voice of marginalized communities | $10,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| John Ball Zoo | Time to Soar capital campaign to improve and expand a community-based amenity | $450,000 | Arts | West Michigan |
| Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes, Inc. | Endowment of the Edward J. Frey Distinguished Achievement Award | $60,000 | Family & Philanthropy | West Michigan |
| Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes, Inc. | Building Futures...Inspiring Dreams capital campaign to develop a Junior Achievement Free Enterprise Center in Grand Rapids | $300,000 | Family & Philanthropy | West Michigan |
| KCONNECT | Interim backbone support for Kent County equitable housing efforts | $15,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Kent County Parks Foundation | Memorial gift in honor of Peter Secchia | $500 | Environment | West Michigan |
| Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance | Sponsorship of 2020 Virtual Summit on Race and Inclusion | $1,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| LINC UP Nonprofit Housing Corporation | Strategic planning to help ensure ongoing organizational impact | $15,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Little Traverse Civic Theatre | COVID-19 Response | General operating support during the global health crisis | $5,000 | Health Crisis Response | Northern Michigan |
| Madison Square Church | 415 Franklin project's early childhood learning center in Southeast Grand Rapids | $150,000 | Children & Families | West Michigan |
| National Wildlife Federation | Launch of Sacred Grounds program in the Grand Traverse Bay Watershed | $20,000 | Environment | Northern Michigan |
| NIA Centre | Feasibility study for a capital campaign for permanent space to house the organization and its programs | $10,000 | Arts | West Michigan |
| North Kent Connect | Building Connections capital campaign and Stable Housing program | $150,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Northwest Michigan Habitat for Humanity | Home Ready project and organization capacity building | $100,000 | Building Community | Northern Michigan |
| Oakdale Neighbors | Capacity building support | $10,000 | Children & Families | West Michigan |
| Opera Grand Rapids | COVID-19 Response | General operating support during the global health crisis | $5,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| Parallel 45, Inc. | COVID-19 Response | General operating support during the global health crisis | $5,000 | Health Crisis Response | Northern Michigan |
| Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation | Regional Resiliency Fund to help small businesses with nine or fewer employees in Emmet County that have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic | $10,000 | Health Crisis Response | Northern Michigan |
| Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation | Urgent Needs Fund to support nonprofit organizations responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in Emmet County | $15,000 | Health Crisis Response | Northern Michigan |
| Rende Progress Capital | Support for the small business loan recovery fund | $30,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| Site Lab, Inc. | ALE PRIZE, an outdoor, socially distanced event that will spotlight independent local artists and performers of color | $2,500 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| Start Garden LLC | 100 Comeback program providing funding to entrepreneurs and their families that have been impacted by COVID-19 disruption | $10,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| Talent 2025 Inc | COVID-19 Response | General operating support during the global health crisis | $5,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| The Children's Advocacy Center of Kent County | COVID-19 Response | General operating support during the global health crisis | $5,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| The Children's Advocacy Center of Kent County | Children’s garden designed to promote healing for young survivors of sexual exploitation | $9,500 | Children & Families | West Michigan |
| The Ferris Foundation | Ferris Math Forward project to combat COVID-19 related educational/career path disruption | $3,500 | Children & Families | West Michigan |
| The Greater Grand Rapids Chamber Foundation | Rapid Response Economic Relief Fund for small businesses affected by closures from the COVID-19 pandemic | $20,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| The Manna Project, Inc. | Ensuring accessibility to healthy food in northern Michigan communities during the COVID-19 pandemic | $2,000 | Health Crisis Response | Northern Michigan |
| The Right Place Foundation | Advancing capacity of Lake County's Economic Development Alliance | $25,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| The Salvation Army- Petoskey | Launch of Pathway of Hope project in northern Michigan to promote family financial sustainability | $10,000 | Children & Families | Northern Michigan |
| The STEM Greenhouse | STEM Scholars after school enrichment program with hyper-local outreach to middle school students | $5,000 | Children & Families | West Michigan |
| The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay | Initiating innovative green infrastructure practices in Elk Rapids designed to improve the health of the Grand Traverse Bay watershed | $9,500 | Environment | Northern Michigan |
| Traverse Bay Children's Advocacy Center | Power of 10 campaign to double organizational capacity to serve young survivors of child abuse | $7,000 | Children & Families | Northern Michigan |
| Trout Unlimited | West Michigan trout streams conservation project designed to conserve and protect local coldwater fisheries and watersheds | $50,000 | Environment | West Michigan |
| Urban League of West Michigan | COVID-19 Response | General operating support during the global health crisis | $3,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| Urban League of West Michigan | 2021 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Corporate Breakfast | $1,250 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| West Michigan Trails & Greenways Coalition | Bridge towards sustainability for a collaborative organization that promotes connected communities through a network of regionals trails | $20,000 | Environment | West Michigan |
| YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids | Childcare provided for first responders and essential health care employees at "pop-up" childcare centers during the COVID-19 pandemic | $10,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |
| YWCA West Central Michigan | Provision of services to the surge of victims and survivors of domestic violence during the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders | $5,000 | Health Crisis Response | West Michigan |