A $50,000 matching challenge from Rotary Charities was recently met with support from individual donors, the Oleson Foundation, United Way of NWMI, the Schmuckal Family Foundation, and the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation (GTRCF) to help grow its Urgent Needs Fund to more than $700,000 in committed gifts.

The fund was established in March to make grants to local nonprofit, governmental, and educational organizations that are providing vital services and basic needs in Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau Counties.

More than $520,000 of the fund has now been granted to area nonprofits. One recent Urgent Needs Fund grant award was made to The Groundwork Center -- in partnership with the Northwest Food Coalition and Goodwill’s Food Rescue -- to fund a new Purchasing Coordinator position.
 
“With the support of the Purchasing Coordinator at Groundwork and the help of Food Rescue,” said  Meghan McDermott, Director of Programs at Groundwork, “the Coalition food pantries and meal sites have been able to continue to offer high-quality, nutritionally dense foods while they serve families in need, in spite of significant supply chain issues.”
 
In total, more than 60 grants have been awarded to a variety of grantees, including the Autism Alliance for wearable GPS devices; Before, During, and After Incarceration to help offset costs of supervised release to prevent COVID-19 spread within the incarcerated population; Grand Traverse Pavilions to implement a COVID-19 visitor screening process; and Kalkaska Area Interfaith Resources to help repair damaged vital infrastructure. 
 
Learn more about the Urgent Needs Fund here.