Community Foundation for Oceana County

05/27/2026

Our first group of donations is here — and it’s all thanks to you 💙
These items will soon be in the hands of migrant farmworker families who have just arrived in Oceana County for the agricultural season. Your support is already making a real difference.

Let’s keep itgoing. Every donation helps meet essential needs with care and dignity 🌱✨

Wish List link: https://tinyurl.com/Task-Force-2026
Thank you for showing up for our community.

05/26/2026

Congratulations to our 20 Spring Community Grantees! Today we’re highlighting one of the incredible projects made possible through this community investment.
🌷✨

This season of growth brings exciting news. The Oceana Youth Fund, Mrs. Mullen’s Closet Fund, and the Community Investment Fund (donated by a generous anonymous donor) have awarded $10,260 to the Michigan Dyslexia Institute ().

These spring grants will support scholarships for 12 weeks of individualized Orton‑Gillingham instruction at its new Oceana County center at WSCC's Hart building. Nurturing immediate reading growth while also helping prepare qualified local instructors.

A beautiful way to celebrate learning, opportunity, and brighter futures this spring. 🌼
Check out our grant awards on our website: https://oceanafoundation.org/grants/

05/26/2026

We’re excited to share that applications for the 2026–2027 Leadership Learning Lab (LLL) cohort are now open! 🎉

The LLL is a year‑long professional development program designed for nonprofit and community leaders across Northern Michigan. Participants build skills in adaptive leadership, time management, collaboration, and cross‑sector problem‑solving — all through hands‑on learning, reflection, and meaningful connection with peers.💙🌱

This program strengthens leaders, organizations, and entire communities by creating space to learn, grow, and support one another.

💚Learn more here: https://www.rotarycharities.org/learning/leadership-learning-lab.html

05/18/2026

Don’t miss our Spring Oceana Free Dive! 👇 A great chance to connect, think bigger, and dig into what systems change really looks like in our community.

Spring Oceana Free Dive 🌱

How do we move from a goal to real, lasting change in our rural communities?
Join us for a morning of learning, conversation, and action featuring O’Nealya Gronstal (Lakeshore Food Club) and Alyssa Merten (Oceana College Access Network ), alongside the Foundation.

We’ll explore:
🔹What systems change and collective impact mean
🔹How relationships and champions help move work forward
🔹What can we learn from our peers to make lasting change

📅 May 21
🕘 9:00–11:00 AM
📍West MI Research Center (5185 N Oceana Dr, Hart, MI 49420)
🔗 RSVP here: https://forms.office.com/r/wCqWBkau6j

If you're not familiar with Oceana Free Dives, they are nonprofit educational and networking events designed to bring together organizations of all types. We encourage all nonprofits and community partners to attend, learn, engage, and connect.

05/14/2026

An impactful opportunity!

05/14/2026

🌟 We want to give a special spotlight this week to someone who has been a tremendous help to the Foundation during this busy scholarship season.

Annette jumped in to help us stay organized this scholarship season. Annette has spent all month long sorting applications, award letters, and award certificates. Her support helped us tremendously to ensure students receive the scholarships they’ve earned. We appreciate your time and all you do for our community. We truly wouldn’t be able to serve Oceana in the same way without volunteers like you 💙
Thank you for making a difference in Oceana County.💙

05/08/2026

Happy Friday! For this Fund Friday we'd like to spotlight the Friends of the Hart Area Public Library () Fund.
The fund was created to support a vibrant, welcoming library at the heart of our community 📚. The Friends long championed access to books, lifelong learning, and programs that bring people together. Their dedication helps ensure the library remains a place where children discover reading, families find connection, and adults continue to learn and explore. This fund strengthens that mission by providing long-term support for library programs, materials, and community services, helping the library grow and adapt to the needs of all who walk through its doors.
📖💚
If you would like to make a contribution to one of our 200+ funds, check out our fund catalog https://godonate.akoyago.com/oceanafoundation/fundcatalog

05/07/2026

With $85,768 awarded to 20 organizations through this spring’s grant round, we’re excited to feature another project bringing positive impact to our community.💙🎮

West Shore Educational Service District received $4,920 from the Community Investment fund supported by an Anonymous donor to support their Elementary Esports pilot into Hart, Pentwater, Shelby, and Walkerville schools. Grant funding will support durable hardware and long-term sustainability across multiple districts. ✨
See the full list of spring grant arounds at https://oceanafoundation.org/grants/ -grant-awards

05/06/2026

Spring Oceana Free Dive 🌱

How do we move from a goal to real, lasting change in our rural communities?
Join us for a morning of learning, conversation, and action featuring O’Nealya Gronstal (Lakeshore Food Club) and Alyssa Merten (Oceana College Access Network ), alongside the Foundation.

We’ll explore:
🔹What systems change and collective impact mean
🔹How relationships and champions help move work forward
🔹What can we learn from our peers to make lasting change

📅 May 21
🕘 9:00–11:00 AM
📍West MI Research Center (5185 N Oceana Dr, Hart, MI 49420)
🔗 RSVP here: https://forms.office.com/r/wCqWBkau6j

If you're not familiar with Oceana Free Dives, they are nonprofit educational and networking events designed to bring together organizations of all types. We encourage all nonprofits and community partners to attend, learn, engage, and connect.

05/05/2026

As the school year wraps up, our Youth Advisory Council (YAC) dedicated a full day to connection, learning, and planning for the year ahead. Together, they built their teamwork skills, participated in engaging training, and created shared group agreements to guide them into the next school year.

We were excited to welcome a new YAC member joining us for the 2026–27 school year, while also celebrating and saying farewell to our graduating seniors—thank you for your leadership, wisdom, and the perspectives you’ve shared with us along the way 💙

A special thank you to:
-Camp Miniwanca for leading meaningful and fun team-building activities.
-Council of Michigan Foundations for sharing the history and purpose of Youth Advisory Councils
-Lake Michigan Family Campground for generously hosting us—and for giving us the opportunity to give back through a volunteer project
-Our board members who joined us for lunch and conversation

We’re grateful for this incredible group of young leaders and can’t wait to see what they accomplish next!

Visit our website to learn more about the YAC does: https://oceanafoundation.org/community-impact/

05/04/2026

This spring’s community grant round invested $85,768 into 20 local organizations—and today, we’re shining a light on another project helping our community grow.✨

Lakeshore Keepers () received $4,000 from the R.P. & M.J. Henry Family Fund, Marge & Doug Gregg Fund, and the Richard and Ryan Walsworth Memorial Fund to install a new live-feed and a security camera at Little Sable Point Lighthouse.
This upgrade will enhance visitor experience while helping protect this beloved historic landmark. 🌊

See the full list of spring grant arounds at https://oceanafoundation.org/grants/ -grant-awards