2026 Grant Cycle

For 2026 Grant applications which can be submitted after December 31, 2025 and before March 16, 2026, Tier One grants are available up to $1,500, and Tier Two grants are available for amounts between $1,501 and $10,000.

Applications for the annual grant cycle are submitted once a year.

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South Haven Area Community Foundation 2025

Thanks to the support of our generous contributors, the South Haven Area Community Foundation (“SHACF”) continues to substantially impact our community.

Scholarships

We hold nearly $900,000 in endowed scholarship funds and in 2025, 28 scholarships were awarded for a total of $43,000. Additionally we assisted 20 other local independent organizations grant 29 additional scholarships totaling $29,000 through the use of our Awardspring scholarship application process.

Grants

More than $142,000 was granted to 26 area nonprofits in 2025.

Funds

– Over $250,000 has been contributed to SHACF in the last 12 months.
– Our total assets now exceed $7.1 Million!
– Since 2005, we have given over $1.2 Million to local charities and scholarships.

Because of Your Generosity…

This summer, PRETTY INC. hosted the Summer Breakout, Movie in the Park, Super Soaker Saturday, and the Arts and Crafts Festival, serving over 100 children with safe, fun, and creative activities. Families came together, kids made lasting memories, and the events reinforced the importance of having positive spaces for youth in the ward 1 community and surrounding areas.

Aris Gallas, a parent, told us: “He said this summer park program was the BEST part of his summer!!! And that makes my heart smile!” For this family, the summer programming provided more than just activities — it created joyful memories that became the highlight of a child’s summer.

Our strength is in our endowments and that is how we serve the community. Through your donor dollars, the South Haven Area Community Foundation continues to make grants that enhance the lives of the citizens in the South Haven area.

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The South Haven Area Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to create growth and positive change within our community. To accomplish this, we provide financial support to initiatives that support, cultivate and encourage education, economic growth and arts and culture in our community, enriching the lives of area residents.

Through generous contributions from supporters, General and specific endowments are created and managed to become large enough to sustain the many worthy non-profit initiatives in the greater South Haven area. Prudent investment of donor dollars and extraordinarily low investment fees allow our endowments to provide economic stability for area non-profits and to support the introduction, growth and maturation of new, exciting and much needed programs.

We raise money, invest it and provide grants to help fund programs that support our mission

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The Foundation is providing leadership in the South Haven area by:

· Building endowments which benefit our community
· Inspiring and enabling donors to fulfill their charitable desires
· Facilitating prudent management and care of funds while increasing the capacity of our non-profit organizations to fulfill their individual missions
· Advocating for issues which promote community philanthropy by facilitating grants, awards and scholarships

To date, the South Haven Area Community Foundation

Awarded over $650,000 to local non-profits and helped fund programs like:

The Riverfront Concert Series
Jazz Festival
South Haven Speaker Series
South Haven Theater Productions
Youth Summer Camps
South Haven Performance Series
South Haven Center for the Arts
South Haven Splash Pad
Michigan Maritime Museum
South Haven Project Curb
Beautify Pullman
South Haven Scott Club
Mitten Children’s Museum

Why do non-profits need endowment funds?

Donations made to endowment funds help produce stable annual funds for non-profit organizations. Endowments serve as the financial bedrock, taking the pressure off organizations who previously relied solely on donations. In addition, endowments can provide the funds to promote fundraising efforts leading to increased contributions and benefits to the community they support.