Seven Northern Michigan Initiatives Receive Rotary Charities Grants Totaling $444,000

Miriam • Jun 9, 2026

Contact: Miriam Owsley, Strategic Communications Manager.

Rotary Charities of Traverse City is pleased to announce the recipients of its Spring 2026 Grant Awards. 

A total of $444,000 has been awarded to seven nonprofit organizations and public partners working to strengthen community assets, expand access, and build the capacity needed to move important regional work forward. 

These grant awards highlight the progress communities and organizations are making across Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau counties. Many of the funded projects build on years of planning, partnership, and prior investment by supporting communities and organizations as they move from vision to implementation. 

“Each of these grants reflects a different kind of readiness,” said Sakura Takano, CEO of Rotary Charities. “We are seeing changemakers who have done the planning, built the partnerships, tested ideas, and listened closely to community needs. These investments help them take the next step, turning vision into action to strengthen community assets and build the capacity needed for long-term success.” 

Spring 2026 Grant Awards 

SEEDS Ecology & Education Centers 
Organic Waste Diversion Continuation — $150,000 Systems Change Accelerator Continuation grant 
This grant supports the continued development of the Organic Waste Diversion initiative, a 10-county effort to reduce the amount of food scraps, yard waste, wood, and other organic materials sent to landfills. Funding will support coordination, cross-sector partner engagement, education, and systems-level work to divert organic materials into higher and better uses. Previous phases of this work have been funded by a Rotary Charities Seed grant and Systems Change Accelerator grants and have resulted in over 8,000 tons of organic waste diverted, a significant step towards their 2030 goal of 30,000 tons. This continuation of funding recognizes that systems change work does not end when a grant period closes. As partners learn, adapt, and build momentum, new opportunities emerge to shift practices, strengthen relationships, and unlock the social, environmental, and economic value of resources that are too often treated as waste. 

 

Mashup Rock & Roll Musical 
Staffing Mashup’s the MATCH — $50,000 Assets for Thriving Communities grant 
Funding will support a venue coordinator for the MATCH, Mashup Rock & Roll Musical’s new performance and rental venue at the Cherryland Center. This position will help manage rentals, support partner organizations, maintain the space, and strengthen the MATCH as an accessible home for local artists and cultural programming. 

 

Northwest Michigan Skilled Trades Foundation 
Skilled Trades Pathways & Workforce Access Initiative — $50,000 Assets for Thriving Communities grant 
This grant supports the expansion of skilled trades career pathways for youth and adults across Northwest Lower Michigan. Funding will help launch Skilled Trades Explorers Clubs, grow employer partnerships, and provide targeted support such as tools, safety equipment, and other resources that help remove barriers to entering high-demand trades careers. 

 

Child & Family Services of Northwestern Michigan 
An Asset for All: Goats, Greenhouse, and Gardens Heal Trauma — $44,000 Assets for Thriving Communities grant 
Funding will support improvements to Child & Family Services’ YouthWork Campus, including a greenhouse, gardens, walking trails, goat barn expansion, electrification, native plantings, and related outdoor learning infrastructure. These improvements will expand access to hands-on, trauma-informed programming for youth, children, and families served through YouthWork, foster care, counseling, Safe Haven, and related programs. 

 

Charter Township of Elmwood 
Cherry Bend Regional Trail Connector — $50,000 Assets for Thriving Communities grant 
This grant supports construction of the Cherry Bend Trail, a 10-foot-wide paved multi-use path along Cherry Bend Road. The trail will close a critical gap between the MDOT M-22 trail extension, Cherry Bend Park, and the Leelanau Trail, creating a safer and more accessible route for residents and visitors traveling by foot, bike, or other non-motorized means. 

 

Habitat for Humanity Grand Traverse Region 
Court Street Station — $50,000 Assets for Thriving Communities grant 
Funding will support Court Street Station, an eight-unit affordable homeownership development in downtown Kalkaska. The project will create safe, stable, and attainable townhomes for local families while supporting workforce stability and expanding access to long-term homeownership in Kalkaska County. 

 

Village of Kingsley 
From Planning to Action: Kingsley Community Capacity Project — $50,000 Assets for Thriving Communities grant 
This grant supports the creation of a shared Village-DDA Director and Community Outreach Coordinator position to strengthen Kingsley’s ability to move from planning to implementation. Funding will help coordinate downtown development, zoning support, business engagement, community outreach, and activation of public spaces and community assets. 

 

About Rotary Charities of Traverse City:  

Following the 1976 discovery of oil and natural gas reserves on property owned by the Traverse City Rotary Club, Rotary Charities of Traverse City was established as the steward of the financial resources. Since that time, over $78 million in grants have been awarded to support nonprofits, municipalities, networks, and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, fostering resilient and thriving communities across Antrim, Benzie, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, and Leelanau counties. 

Working in partnership with changemakers, Rotary Charities provides funding, learning, and connections to address our region’s complex problems and create community assets for all.  

Learn more at RotaryCharities.org