Apply For A Grant

The St. Johns Area Community Fund helps seed and support new initiatives, programs and projects to advance our Fund’s mission to improve the quality of life in the St. Johns area. We are always looking for creative new projects to fund so please tell us your ideas! Requests are reviewed by the Board and considerations will be given (but not limited) to: how St. Johns area citizens will benefit from the project, how it will enhance the community, will it help us stay current with the times, does it make our community a more desirable place to live or visit, will it enhance our community in a creative way, etc.

Funding for qualifying projects is generally not available for current operating expenses or to aid individual community members. Proposals are accepted at any time.

To apply for a grant, send a proposal letter using the following guidelines to: SJACF, PO Box 33, St. Johns, MI 48879, or email to info@sjacf.org. Proposals will be reviewed within 60 days of receipt.

The granting and local fund decision-making is done by our Board of Directors.

Grant Proposal Guidelines

Please submit a grant proposal letter that includes the following information:

* Group or individual requesting grant funds and appropriate contact information

* Purpose of the grant (one sentence only)

* Amount requested

* Total project cost

* Project beginning and ending dates

* Project Proposal -- Summarize the project: Describe who will benefit, the project’s goals, how the project will meet the goals, why you believe this is a good approach, and how you think the project fits the St. Johns Area Community Fund’s mission.

* Outcomes and Sustainability: How do you define success for your project? How will the project continue after start-up?

How we helped

Past SJACF grant-funded projects:

2011

$500 Clinton Co Arts Council Railroad Restoration Project
$500 Mint City BMX Bike Park
2012
$700 Mint City Singers - Portable Keyboard and Stand
$300Cub Scout Pack 572 & 520 - Lifejackets and Reusable Equipment

2013

$5,000 Jackson National Community Fund Grant prepared for Splash Park
$250 Clinton County Senior Center - Health Fair for Seniors
$500 Paine-Gillam-Scott Historical Museum - Historic Picture Preservation

2014

$1,000 Tri-County Electric People Fund Grant prepared for Splash Park
$15,000 Consumers Energy Foundation Grant prepared for Splash Park

2015

$5,000 Matching Grant for Crowd Funding Splash Park effort
$2,500 Friends of Fred Meijer CIS Trail (Rails to Trails)

2016

$1,000 Wilson Center Auditorium Project
$1,000 CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) - Volunteer Training
$2,200 St. Johns Principal Shopping District - Festival of Lights - Lighted Train
$500 Paine-Gillam-Scott Museum - Lighting Improvement Project
$500 Clinton Conservation District - E.coli testing in Maple River Watershed
$1,200 SJ Youth Soccer Club - Field Improvement

2017

$1,000 Clinton Co Arts Council - Mural on Gilroy's Hardware
$100 Clinton Co Senior Center - Speaker Program
$5,000 CAC (Child Advocacy Center) – Match for Center Establishment
$1,000 Compassion in Action – Weekend Food Backpacks for SJ School Kids in need
$1,000 St. Johns Principal Shopping District - Festival of Lights – Lighted Rock Band
2018
$500 Substance Abuse Council of Clinton Co – Clinton Poverty Simulation
$500 St. Johns Police - Incentive Grant for Artistic Police Badge Signage
$2,000 Clinton Co Arts Council - Legendary Artists Passage at US-27 Underpass
$500 Clinton Co Economic Alliance - Supporting Area Economic Development

2019

$1,350 St. Johns Principal Shopping District - Soap Box Derby History Tent
$500 Eat Health Eat Local Foundation - May Event Sponsorship
$1,000 Friends of East Olive - Community Center Furnishings
$3,000 Wilson Center Auditorium - Lighting Project
$1,000 St. Johns Public Schools - Elementary Book Fair Funds for Kids

2020

$3,000 IQ Hub at Agro-Liquid
$2,500 The Pantry at St. Johns High School
$2,500 St. Johns Middle School Pantry
$1,000 St. Vincent De Paul Society
$2,500 Compassion in Action
$3,355 Covid Relief Funds - Compassion in Action, St. Vincent de Paul, Basic Needs Center, The Pantry at St. Johns High School, Beacon of Hope
$1,500 Peter's Sunny Day Foundation - Drums in the Park
$1,500 CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) - Client Financial Assistance
$500 Clinton County Economic Alliance - Support Area Economic Development

2021

$1,000 Diamond Cutters Baseball - Improve Bishop Field/Youth Clinics
$1,000 Peter's Sunny Day Foundation - Musical Instruments in the Park
$4,000 Clinton County Arts Council - Brown Bag Lunch Concert Series Downtown
$7,500 City of St. Johns Soap Box Derby Event - Equipment
$3,000 The Pantry at St. Johns High School

2022

$900 CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for training
$5,000 City of St. Johns First Responders Mural
$4,000 Mint City Off Road Park
$4080 Brown Bag Concert Series
$3,000 Giving Paws (Support Dog Iniative Program)
$5000 St. Johns Fire Department (Jaws of Life)
$3000 St. Johns High School Youth Action Committee - Student Needs

2023

$2000 Good News Kitchen Food Pantry - Freezer
$5,00 Equine Assisted Wellness - Mental Health
$1500 St. Johns Public Schools - South Sudan Health symposium
$2500 Clinton Co Arts Council - Gilroys's Mural (2nd Half)
$2000 Mint City OffRoad Foundation (Jeep Park)
$5000 Briggs District Library (Renovation)
$2500 Clinton County Historical Museum (Carriage House Repair)
$10000 St. Johns Youth Baseball Associaton(Inclusive Restroom Project)