News & Events

In 2026, Fremont Area Community Foundation will celebrate 75 years of generosity and impact in Newaygo County. As part of this milestone anniversary, we are looking for 75 new people who want to support the community they love both today and into the future.

These people are emerging philanthropists–passionate, driven, and committed to making lasting change in our community. As we draw closer to our 75th anniversary, this group will play a vital role in building the future of Newaygo County.

To join Our Next 75, we only ask three simple things:

1. Give today

Establish a named fund or make an annual gift of $250 or more to an endowed fund at the Community Foundation.

2. Give tomorrow

Include the Community Foundation in your estate plan.

3. Share your story

Share with us why you chose to give back to the community.

Dawn Williams: First Member of Our Next 75

At age 15, Dawn Williams was the Hair Station’s first receptionist. Today she’s the Fremont salon’s owner. Along with her daughter Morgan, Dawn had an idea to create a fund that would help cosmetology students at the Newaygo County Career-Tech Center pay for tests and equipment they need to get started in their careers. Using the Build-a-Fund program, the Hair Station Fund is steadily growing with help from staff and clients.

Fremont Area Community Foundation awarded nearly $1.98 million to local agencies and programs in its most recent community grant round.

Grant funding was awarded to a wide variety of organizations and projects addressing critical local needs. In addition to grants impacting the focus areas of community and economic development and poverty to prosperity, more than $978,000 was awarded to the area of education.

Newaygo Public Schools received a $43,025 grant to help launch a new program, Pride Page Prowlers, to provide additional literacy training for teachers and take-home literacy materials for families. The district will host family literacy nights and will introduce the new “Lions Literacy Den” this school year. Parents will be able to check out reading kits put together by teachers that include a book and a corresponding activity for families to do at home.

Hesperia Community Schools and Fremont Public Schools will partner to bring Kagan Cooperative Learning Strategies to their districts. The program provides teachers with strategies designed to promote cooperation and communication in the classroom as well as boost student confidence. A $12,950 grant will help support training of over 100 teachers in both Hesperia and Fremont schools.

While many education-related grants are awarded to schools, partnerships with agencies that provide educational programming are also taking place throughout the county. Arbor Circle has provided substance abuse prevention programs in Newaygo County since 2011 and received a $12,000 grant for new curriculum and staff training for their programming in local schools. They offer interactive programming to help students develop essential life skills as well as programs that provide prevention, intervention, and pretreatment services for young people making high-risk choices.

“We’re proud to support so many outstanding programs and organizations working to strengthen and expand educational opportunities in Newaygo County,” said Carla Roberts, Community Foundation president and CEO. “We’re grateful to partner with these and other organizations and with the donors who make each grant possible.”

The Community Foundation works closely with agencies that are located in or directly serve the people of Newaygo County. Applications for the next community grant round are due by September 1 and notifications take place in December.

To ask questions or learn more about the Community Foundation’s strategic grantmaking, contact a member of the FACF community investment team at 231.924.5350 or visit facommunityfoundation.org/grants.