Annual Report
2024 Results
50 Years of Partnerships
In 2024, the Frey Foundation celebrated fifty years of walking alongside partners who do great things. We looked back at our story, and began refining our vision for the future.
Grantmaking
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Total grants awarded in 2024
A Year of Celebration
A Message from President Holly Johnson
“As we look back on first 50 years, we know our impact goes beyond the numbers—it’s about the lives changed and the communities uplifted through these investments”
Collaborative Spirit
A Message from Board Chair Tripp Frey
“Now fully in our third generation of leadership, the Frey Foundation remains committed to doing great things.”
Stories of Impact
Storytime in the Park - Garfield Park
Increasing Family Literacy
In 2024, Storytime in the Park celebrated 15 years of fostering community fun while working to bridge the literacy gap in Grand Rapids. This volunteer-powered gathering in Garfield Park has become a flagship community gathering. Every Tuesday in the summer, families enjoy a read-aloud and partake in a variety of programming—from LEGO creations to superhero visits to performances from members of the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra. Each week all attendees aged 18 and under receive a free book and ice cream. In 2024, it distributed more than 11,000 books and boasted nearly 15,000 participants.
Harbor Springs Festival of the Book
Engaging with Authors
One of the biggest predictors of a child’s academic success is the presence of books in the home. Each September, this three-day literary festival in northern Michigan attracts visitors and authors throughout the nation, providing a unique opportunity for Emmet County schools to participate in experiential learning. K-12 area classrooms are provided with a visit from an author and/or illustrator. During these experiences, each child receives a signed copy of a book from the visiting presenter. In 2024, the festival’s Books for Schools program ensured that there are over 2,700 new books in Emmet County homes.
More Stories About Grantees
Strategic Investments
by program area
Type of Support
by amount granted in dollars
Grant Size
by number of grants awarded
2024 Grants Awarded
By organization
| Organization | Project | Awarded Amount | Program Area | Area Served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFP West Michigan Chapter | 2024 National Philanthropy Day | $1,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Amplify GR | Boston Square neighborhood community ownership pilot program | $21,500 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| AQUME Foundation | 2024 Annual Gold Gala | $1,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| ArtPrize 2.0 | Relaunch of a highly-valued annual public art event in Grand Rapids | $135,000 | Community Arts | West Michigan |
| Arts Marketplace | Business development resources for women and minority owned small businesses | $10,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Beaver Island Community School | Childcare landscape assessment to better understand the current needs, preferences, and barriers | $2,400 | Children and Families | Northern Michigan |
| Camp Daggett | Kitchen renovation and improvements at a summer camp in Petoskey | $5,000 | Family and Philanthropy | Northern Michigan |
| Children's Healing Center | A Million Minutes More capital campaign to renovate and relocate to a new facility in West Michigan | $100,000 | Children and Families | West Michigan |
| Council of Michigan Foundations | 2024 Family Foundation Retreat and Annual Conference | $10,000 | Building Community | State of Michigan |
| Fans of Valley Field | Sullivan Field expansion and revitilization on the West Side of Grand Rapids | $62,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Festival of the Arts | 2024 Festival of the Arts | $5,000 | Community Arts | West Michigan |
| First Steps Kent | Parent outreach and education efforts in Kent County | $10,000 | Children and Families | West Michigan |
| Fountain Street Church | Restoration of the Historic Memorial Bell Tower | $10,000 | Family and Philanthropy | West Michigan |
| Friends of Grand Rapids Parks | New outdoor educational and interpretative structure dedicated to Mayor Rosalynn Bliss in Riverside Park | $5,000 | Environment | West Michigan |
| Good Hart Artist Residency Inc | Organization transition, capacity building and growth | $10,000 | Community Arts | Northern Michigan |
| Grand Action Foundation 2.0 | Community engagement and administrative efforts | $10,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Grand Action Foundation 2.0 | Capital campaign for the Acrisure Amipitheater near downtown Grand Rapids | $1,500,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Children's Museum | 2024 State of Play | $5,000 | Children and Families | West Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Community Foundation | 2024 Nonprofit Technical Assistance Fund | $30,000 | Family and Philanthropy | West Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Public Museum Foundation | Riverfront expansion and community archives portions of the Expanding Curiosity capital campaign | $200,000 | Community Arts | West Michigan |
| Greater Grand Rapids Chamber Foundation | Farewell event for Mayor Rosalynn Bliss | $5,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Habitat for Humanity of Kent County | Imagine capital campaign to add 100 units of affordable housing in Grand Rapids | $200,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Harbor Springs Festival of the Book | 2024 Books for Schools program that provides signed copies of books to students during author visits to Emmet County K - 12 classrooms | $36,750 | Children and Families | Northern Michigan |
| Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition | Great Lakes Conference 2024 | $1,000 | Environment | State of Michigan |
| Heart of West Michigan United Way | Disaster recovery from water main break in southeast Grand Rapids | $10,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| HOAP | Expansion of Parentpreneur Program for young mothers | $10,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Home Repair Services | Capacity building for Mobile Home Repair program in Kent County | $7,500 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Housing North | Expansion of Emmet and Charlevoix County Housing Ready program | $50,000 | Building Community | Northern Michigan |
| Housing North | Backbone efforts coordinating the housing system in Northern Michigan | $100,000 | Building Community | Northern Michigan |
| Literacy Center of West Michigan | Office renovation and relocation to downtown Grand Rapids | $7,000 | Children and Families | West Michigan |
| Marvelous Lifestyles Outreach | Development of the new early childhood education center in Kent County | $15,000 | Children and Families | West Michigan |
| Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital | Leaps and Boundless capital campaign to build the Joan Secchia Children's Rehabilitation Hospital | $300,000 | Children and Families | West Michigan |
| Meaning In Colors | Empowering Future Professionals program for Grand Rapids middle and high school students | $10,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Michigan League for Public Policy | 2024 Champions for Kids luncheon and the Kids Count in Michigan data profile for Grand Rapids | $20,000 | Children and Families | State of Michigan |
| Michigan Women Forward | Microlending investment fund for women and entreprenurs of color and the addition of a West Michigan loan officer (Grant & PRI) | $350,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Mosaic Counseling | Expansion of mental health counseling services and in-school programming to Kent County | $100,000 | Children and Families | West Michigan |
| Muskegon River Watershed Assembly | Organization capacity building to increase impact and sustainability | $10,000 | Environment | West Michigan |
| New City Kids, Inc. | Enhancement and expansion of Teen Life Internship program for high school students in Grand Rapids | $20,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| New City Neighbors | Workforce development program with a focus on food security | $15,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| North Central Michigan College Foundation | Phase two of a childcare initiative pilot in Emmet County | $90,000 | Children and Families | Northern Michigan |
| Northern Homes Community Development Corporation | Creation of six units of workforce housing in downtown Charlevoix (Grant & PRI) | $340,000 | Building Community | Northern Michigan |
| Ottawa County Parks Foundation | Preservation of 127 acres of sand dunes in Rosy Mound Natural Area | $30,000 | Environment | West Michigan |
| Petoskey Montessori Children's House | Conversion of a former elementary classroom to increase capacity of childcare program | $5,000 | Children and Families | Northern Michigan |
| Pine Rest Foundation | Capital campaign to build the Pediatric Center of Behavioral Health, expanding mental health services for youth | $300,000 | Children and Families | West Michigan |
| River Network | River Rally 2024 | $10,000 | Environment | State of Michigan |
| South End Community Outreach Ministries | Early childhood education and support services for Grand Rapids families | $6,500 | Children and Families | West Michigan |
| Storytime in the Park—Garfield Park | Weekly family event with free books and ice cream held at Garfield Park during the summer | $40,000 | Children and Families | West Michigan |
| The Diatribe | Planning for the new event space at The Emory Arts & Culture Hub, and efforts to increase capacity for program delivery | $30,000 | Community Arts | West Michigan |
| The Ferris Foundation | Jim Crow Museum, Archives and Research Center expansion | $150,000 | Community Arts | West Michigan |
| The Grand Rapids Economic Club Charitable Foundation | 35th Annual Dinner | $5,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| The Grand Rapids Economic Club Charitable Foundation | Collaboration of Thrive + Prosper and the Econ Club to increase community access and inclusion at Econ Club Luncheons | $20,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| The Village99 | Feasibility study and project planning for a community resource hub in Grand Rapids | $10,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Treetops Collective | Cross-cultural community center. | $15,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| United Methodist Community House | Multi-generational community center and early childhood center expansion in southeast Grand Rapids | $300,000 | Children and Families | West Michigan |
| Urban League of West Michigan | 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Corporate Breakfast | $1,500 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Urban League of West Michigan | Equitable Development Initiative program launch | $30,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| West Michigan Sports Commission | Capital campaign to expand the Meijer Sports Complex in Northern Kent County | $100,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| WGVU Public Media | Expansion and enhancement of the local public television show, Mutually Inclusive | $12,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |
| Women's Resource Center of Northern Michigan | Empowering Bright Futures campaign to centralize, improve and expand services in Emmet County, including an early childhood education center | $200,000 | Children and Families | Northern Michigan |
| YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids | Development of a childcare center at the Rapid Central Station transit hub in downtown Grand Rapids | $390,000 | Children and Families | West Michigan |
| Young Money Finances | We Matter Now Initiative to empower boys and young men of color | $10,000 | Building Community | West Michigan |