Annual Report
2021 Results
The Things that Hold Us Together
Whether you live in Northern or West Michigan, the past two years have undoubtedly led you to rely heavily on the things that connect you to those you love and the places you call home. We at the Frey Foundation are no different. In the past year, we have reflected on things that connect us to one another geographically, culturally, and as human beings. As a result, through our grantmaking activities and community partnerships we are renewing our commitment to connect people and places: to themselves, to each other, to their families, to community, and to the natural world.
Grantmaking
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Total grants awarded in 2021
A Year of Introspection & Impact
A Message from Board Chair Mary Frey Bennett
“The urgency of the pandemic allowed us to lean into the trust that we had established with our long-term community partners. We were able to streamline our processes to focus on what really mattered—the work. These efforts paid off in deeper and more authentic relationships that allowed us to meaningfully support our partners in one of the most difficult times in history.”
Building Connection & Going Deep
A Message from President Holly Johnson
“The silver lining of the last year was that it demanded that we slow down and reconnect with our families and our neighbors. As funders and philanthropists, it required us to work together to address challenges that arose to meet community needs in the most efficient way.”
Stories of Impact
Art as a Connector
Large Scale Public Artworks Reflect the Vibrancy of Grand Rapids’ Neighborhoods
Public art that contains images of people that look like you and that reflects your lived experience creates a sense of pride, respect, and belonging. The Diatribe’s 49507 Project engaged youth from its arts programming in community listening sessions with residents to gather creative input to understand how they imagine themselves and how they want to see their neighborhoods evolve. Michigan-based artists of color synthesized these ideas and designed seven large scale murals that celebrate and reflect Black and Brown lives, culture, and experiences in neighborhoods in Grand Rapids’ 49507 zip code. Murals were installed on prominent buildings and unveiled at well-attended community celebrations. The result is not only beautiful but is powerful.
More Stories About the Previous Years' Grantees.
Average Grant Size: $85,656
Strategic Investments in West & Northern Michigan
by program area
Type of Support
by amount granted in dollars
No Data Found
Grant Size
by number of grants awarded
No Data Found
2021 Grants Awarded
By organization
| Organization Name | Project Title | Grant Amount | Program Area | Area Served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ArtPrize Grand Rapids | Post-pandemic relaunch of the ArtPrize event and its potential to stimulate economic activity in downtown Grand Rapids | $250,000 | Community Arts | West Michigan |
| Arts Working Group | Professionally-led diversity, equity and inclusion initiative | $10,000 | Community Arts | West Michigan |
| Boys and Girls Club of Grand Rapids Youth Commonwealth Inc. | Expanded programming and provision of in-person academic support for students attending school virtually in 2021 | $75,000 | Children and Families | West Michigan |
| Boys and Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore | Capital campaign to renovate a former fitness center to establish the first standalone clubhouse in Muskegon | $175,000 | Children and Families | West Michigan |
| Challenge Mountain of Walloon Hills, Inc. | Improved storm water run-off at the Challenge Mountain Resale Store site | $5,000 | Children and Families | Northern Michigan |
| Charlevoix Historical Society | Renovations to the Harsha House Historical Museum | $2,000 | Community Arts | Northern Michigan |
| Citizens Research Council of Michigan | 2021 Public Policy Event | $1,000 | Building Community | State of Michigan |
| City of Grand Rapids | 2021 Grand Rapids Neighborhood Summit | $1,500 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| City of Grand Rapids | GRow1000 youth summer employment program | $10,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| City of Grand Rapids | Efforts to integrate indigenous history and art with the River for All project | $15,000 | Community Arts | West Michigan |
| Council of Michigan Foundations, Inc. | 2021 Annual Conference | $10,000 | Family & Philanthropy | State of Michigan |
| Degage Ministries | Capital campaign launched to expand service capacity for women and its social enterprise—Pauls' Mom's Cookies | $350,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Disability Advocates of Kent County | Building Opportunities Creating Independence capital campaign to relocate its administrative offices to the new Special Olympics Michigan Unified Sports & Inclusion Center | $100,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Dwelling Place of Grand Rapids, Inc. | Development of 48 new, affordable rental housing units in Plaza Roosevelt in southwest Grand Rapids | $100,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle Conservancy | Restoration of Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids | $100,000 | Community Arts | West Michigan |
| Festival of the Arts in Grand Rapids | Implementation of its strategic plan to enhance the inclusivity and sustainability of the annual event | $20,000 | Community Arts | West Michigan |
| First Steps Kent | Advancing Kent County's early childhood system | $270,000 | Children and Families | West Michigan |
| For Love of Water | Exploring the possibility of creating a new Michigan Water Resources Trust Fund | $30,000 | Environment | State of Michigan |
| Girls Choral Academy | Succession plan and continued program delivery through executive leadership transition | $10,000 | Community Arts | West Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Art Museum | Imagine More campaign to renovate and relocate the museum’s education spaces | $375,000 | Community Arts | West Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Children's Museum | 2021 State of Play event | $5,000 | Children and Families | West Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Christian Schools Foundation | Increase community-based early care and education capacity and create an outdoor natural playscape accessible to the surrounding community | $100,000 | Children and Families | West Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Community Foundation | Nonprofit Technical Assistance Fund to collaboratively address capacity building and technical assistance among nonprofits in Kent County | $30,000 | Family & Philanthropy | West Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Media Initiative and Film Incubator | The production of A City Within a City documentary film | $30,000 | Community Arts | West Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Symphony Society | 2021 Celebration of Soul event | $3,500 | Community Arts | West Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Whitewater, Inc. | Construction phase of the Lower Reach section of the Grand River restoration project through downtown Grand Rapids | $1,000,000 | Environment | West Michigan |
| Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy | Public access to the 244-acre Mitchell Creek Meadows Nature Preserve | $300,000 | Environment | Northern Michigan |
| Grand Valley Metropolitan Council | Lower Grand River Watershed 2021 Annual Spring Forum | $500 | Environment | West Michigan |
| Grand Valley State University | Nonprofit/Funder Dialogue Series | $5,000 | Family & Philanthropy | West Michigan |
| Grandville Avenue Arts and Humanities, Inc. | Strategic planning initiative | $15,000 | Community Arts | West Michigan |
| Habitat for Humanity of Kent County, Inc. | Effort to increase multi-unit, single family homes in Grand Rapids. | $60,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Hand2Hand | Hope in Action capital campaign to acquire permanent space to operate its weekend backpack food program on behalf of children in Kent and Ottawa counties | $40,000 | Children and Families | West Michigan |
| Harbor Hall Foundation | New women's residential space and clinic as a part of the New Horizons capital campaign | $150,000 | Family & Philanthropy | Northern Michigan |
| Harbor Springs Chamber Foundation | Harbor Stars Community Awards Dinner | $1,000 | Building Community | Northern Michigan |
| Has Heart | Repurpose a historic building in downtown Grand Rapids for use as an exhibit hub for art produced by area veterans. | $20,000 | Community Arts | West Michigan |
| Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition | 2021 Great Lakes Conference | $1,000 | Environment | State of Michigan |
| Housing Kent | Launch and first three years of the new backbone organization to help advance Kent County's housing efforts | $300,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Housing North | Advance workforce housing efforts in Northern Michigan | $50,000 | Building Community | Northern Michigan |
| John Ball Zoo | Feasibility study for a new West Michigan aquarium sited in Grand Rapids or Muskegon | $20,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| KCONNECT | Improve outcomes for Kent County children through cradle-to-career collective impact initiative | $300,000 | Children and Families | West Michigan |
| Little Traverse Conservancy, Inc. | Permanent protection of up to 3,000 acres of land in the Maple River watershed in Emmet County | $170,000 | Environment | Northern Michigan |
| Mel Trotter Ministries | Temporary emergency shelter at 250 Ionia Ave SW in downtown Grand Rapids | $20,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Mel Trotter Ministries | Workforce development initiative as a part of its Immeasurably More capital campaign | $125,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Michigan League for Public Policy | 2021 Michigan League for Public Policy Forum | $1,000 | Building Community | State of Michigan |
| Michigan League for Public Policy | Kids Count in Michigan data capacity-building project | $30,000 | Children and Families | State of Michigan |
| Muskegon Museum of Art Foundation | Expansion of existing facility to increase museum capacity and sustainability | $250,000 | Community Arts | West Michigan |
| NIA Centre | Partner with the arts community on African American culture, beginning with Opera Grand Rapids on Stinney: An American Execution and related events | $7,000 | Community Arts | West Michigan |
| Opera Grand Rapids | World-premiere production of Stinney: An American Execution | $15,500 | Community Arts | West Michigan |
| Rotary Charities of Traverse City | Leadership Learning Lab initiative in Northern Michigan designed to strengthen nonprofit leaders, organizations and the communities they serve | $150,000 | Family & Philanthropy | Northern Michigan |
| Samaritas | Renovation of a space in southeast Grand Rapids to serve as the organization’s West Michigan Program Hub and increase its capacity to serve children and families | $155,000 | Children and Families | West Michigan |
| Site Lab, Inc. | Temporary installation of large-scale art exhibits at The Highlands in northeast Grand Rapids | $20,000 | Community Arts | West Michigan |
| Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council | Efforts to develop strategies and action plans for incorporating the core values of anti-racism, justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion into the organization's policies, operations, and procedures | $7,500 | Environment | Northern Michigan |
| Urban Core Collective | Efforts to improve the readiness of community-based organizations to compete in the federal grant application process | $45,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Urban League of West Michigan | 2022 MLK Jr. Corporate Breakfast | $1,500 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| West Michigan Center for Arts and Technology | Teen Arts + Tech afterschool program for high school students and STEAM in-school programs for middle school students | $100,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| West Michigan Chapter of Association of Fundraising Professionals | 2021 National Philanthropy Day event | $1,000 | Family & Philanthropy | West Michigan |
| West Michigan Environmental Action Council Education Foundation | Rainy Day Project designed to empower neighbors and conserve water | $20,000 | Environment | West Michigan |
| West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation | Pre-feasibility preparation and capital campaign feasibility study | $7,500 | Building Community | West Michigan |