For Nonprofits

Grants and Endowments

To us, southeast Michigan is more than a geographic region — it’s the place we call home and that’s what drives both our grantmaking and agency endowment programs.

Grantmaking

Over the years, the Community Foundation has helped to create and fund numerous projects that improve the lives of those who live here.

Our interest areas span from arts and culture, to the environment, to health and human services.

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We seek to make strategic investments in the community, and look to partner with nonprofit organizations to help create enduring solutions to complex problems. Effecting change requires both passion and measured thought, and we work hard to find proposals that encompass both.

As we do our grantmaking, the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan is also committed to honoring the intentions of our many donors and creating solutions that make everlasting positive impacts.

And above all else, we are keenly interested in what inspires you. We look forward to hearing your ideas for transforming our vision for a healthy and prosperous region into reality

How To Apply

Based on feedback from a recent survey of grantees that the Center for Effective Philanthropy conducted for us, we’re excited to share that the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan is taking time to streamline our grantmaking process.

As a result, we will not be awarding grants until our September board meeting, which corresponds with our May 15 application deadline. Grants from our initiatives will continue to be awarded on their existing cycle.

Deadlines: We ask that you submit your proposal by 5 p.m. on:

May 15 for a September decision
August 15 for a December decision

If this date falls on a weekend, we ask that you submit the application by 5 p.m. on the following Monday.

Step One: Read the Grantmaking Guidelines and Application Checklist

Review the guidelines carefully to see if you are eligible to apply.

Read the Grantmaking Guidelines

Step Two: Register for Access to our Online Grants Portal

If you are eligible to apply for a grant and you do not yet have access to our Fluxx Portal, you should register right away. Registration grants an individual access to our portal and links them to an organization’s existing account. If your organization does not have an existing account, an organization account will be created. Once your registration has been submitted, please allow up to 5 business days for it to be approved. If you have any questions on registering, feel free to contact our Grants Manager.

Please note CFSEM no longer supports shared accounts for an organization. Each individual who accesses our Fluxx portal should be doing so with their own individual profile and their own personal email address. We do not suggest using a shared email address for Fluxx profiles, especially in cases for signatories on grants. This allows us to ensure the security of our portal as well as allows us to communicate effectively during our grants management processes.

Step Three: Start your application.

If you have any questions about a potential application, please share an overview of your organization and proposed request via email. Your inquiry will be routed to the appropriate Program Officer.

Start an Application

GRANTMAKING GUIDELINES

SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES

APPLICATION PORTAL

GRANTEE RESOURCES

Nonprofit Agency Endowments

The Community Foundation advocates endowment-building because this source of permanent capital helps organizations plan for a stable and secure future. Endowments are also a great way to generate general operating support funds for your organization.

More than 200 nonprofit organizations are already building endowments with us to benefit their organizations.

Their endowment funds provide these organizations with a reliable, ongoing source of financial support. We enhance their efforts by leveraging our expertise, systems and excellent financial management and oversight.

FOR NONPROFITS