News & Events

Fremont Area Community Foundation is currently monitoring the impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) in both the state and our local region. We have taken steps to protect the health of our staff, trustees, and others by closing our office to the public, postponing events, and encouraging staff to work remotely. We also know that many of our nonprofit partners are now experiencing an increased need for services, especially as they work to support the most vulnerable members of our communities. We have worked hard to determine the best ways for our community and philanthropy to respond.

On March 19, we established the Community Response Fund to rapidly deploy resources to nonprofit organizations in Newaygo County as well as the three counties served by our affiliate foundations: Lake, Mecosta, and Osceola. The fund will provide quick help to organizations serving vulnerable populations impacted by COVID-19 and will give generous community members an easy way to support them.

Donate now

Give now to support the organizations, programs, and staff on the front lines of response in your community. You can designate your gift to a specific county.
Give now

Apply for a grant

Is your organization supporting children, older adults, and other vulnerable populations impacted by COVID-19? Apply for a grant from our Community Response Fund. Grants will be considered that address issues such as childcare, food insecurity, healthcare, transportation, financial assistance, general operating support, and other identified needs. For more information, contact Mark Petz, director of community investment, by email or at 231.519.1464.

To view a list of grants made from the fund so far, visit the grants awarded page of our website and sort by “Community Response Fund.”

Other resources

If you are looking for food, housing, transportation, or financial assistance, please call 211. You can also access a list of resources from their website.

For more information on COVID-19 and local response actions, visit the following websites:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
• Newaygo County Emergency Services

Updated Monday, March 16

In order to proactively guard the health of our staff and their families, as well as our many stakeholders, Fremont Area Community Foundation will be closing our office starting tomorrow, March 17. Normal functions will continue as much as possible, with many of our staff members working adaptive schedules from home. You can reach our team via email or by calling the main line.

Original post: Friday, March 13

A message from Carla Roberts, president and CEO, regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) preparation and support

To our community,

Fremont Area Community Foundation is currently monitoring the local impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) in both the state and our local region. While the situation is constantly evolving, our highest priority is to preserve the health of our employees, trustees, grantees, donors, and larger community. As such, we wanted to provide an update on the active steps currently underway (as of 3/13/2020).

Our office
We are taking every precaution to protect the health and well-being of our employees. Our internal response plan follows the guidelines laid out by the Centers for Disease Control (such as hand washing, regular sanitation of surfaces, and requiring sick employees to stay home) and our essential services team will regularly monitor and comply with public health requests and recommendations. It may ultimately be necessary to close our office to ensure the safety of our staff and larger community. If such a step is taken, we will let stakeholders know and make every effort to continue to offer vital services such as accepting and deploying emergency funds.

Upcoming events
All Community Foundation events being held in the next few months are being reviewed for possible cancellation, postponement, or alternate accommodation (i.e. virtual meeting). Once decisions are made, registrants and stakeholders will be informed in a timely manner through email, phone call, social media, or on our website.

Nonprofit resources
There will likely be a need for increased services for the nonprofits in our community and philanthropy may have a role to play. Please be assured we are in discussions and exploring options to support our community and we will share more information as it becomes available. We remain informed about emerging vital needs through Newaygo County Emergency Services and other channels.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. In challenging times like these, we find ourselves exceedingly grateful for the caring and collaborative nature of the people in this community. As we learn more about local needs, we will share our responses and welcome hearing from you in the meantime.

Best regards,

Carla A. Roberts
President and CEO