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It is one of our favorite times of the year – scholarship season! This year we are awarding over 50 scholarships to 115 students across Allegan County and in Bloomingdale and Gobles. Each of these scholarships represents someone’s belief and desire to invest in a complete stranger’s future. A donor, willing to take their own hard-earned money – some save for a lifetime (See the story about the Bill Lake Scholarship) - to create a better future for another person. Stop and think about that for a moment – many times these scholarships open doors that would not have been opened. How amazing to give of oneself and equally amazing to be the recipient of this action.
I wrote last year about how many of these scholarships are opened to honor loved ones that have passed away. These scholarships are meant to memorialize a loved one for a long time. This past month we were honored to be part of memorializing Robert C. Green from Plainwell. His wife, Cathy, worked with us the last few months of his life to set up a scholarship to honor his life and his creativity. The Robert C. Green Scholarship will be awarded for the first time in the spring of 2025 to a Plainwell High School graduate pursuing a degree in visual or performing arts.
We are grateful and honored to be part of the scholarship process in Allegan County. In addition to our internal scholarships, we are happy to support both Plainwell Community Schools and Saugatuck Public Schools to administer most of the scholarships available to their students.
If you are interested in opening a scholarship at ACCF or having ACCF service your district’s scholarship program, please contact our office. Scholarships for the 2025 scholarship season must be finalized by October 1st to be included in our system.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2024 – may you find happiness and financial stability in your future.
Stephanie Calhoun
President/CEO
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While the high school scholarship deadline has passed, ACCF still has a variety of scholarship opportunities available! The deadline to apply for these scholarships is May 6th, 2025.
Available to all Allegan County Students
- 2*3*4 Scholarship
- Mimi Gabriel Angel Scholarship
- Allegan County Law Enforcement/Corrections Scholarship
- McIlwaine Family Skilled Trades Scholarship Fund
- Allegan Pride in Freedom Scholarship
- Jack and Susan Thiel Music Fund - Vocal/Music Camp Scholarships
Specific to School District
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CTS Community Trades Scholarship - Gobles and Bloomingdale. This scholarship is NEW and supports graduating high school seniors and graduates of Bloomingdale Public Schools or Gobles Public Schools pursuing a degree or certificate at technical or vocational school.
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The Thiel Family established the Jack and Susan Thiel Fund in honor of Jack and Susan Thiel. In addition to being educators for many years, both incorporated music into their lives through participation in church music programs, community musicals, and countless hours of volunteer work in support of the vocal and musical arts.
This fund provides music and vocal arts opportunities to young people. Scholarships are available to 8th-11th graders in Allegan County to attend music or vocal arts camps.
Scholarship Requirements
- Students must attend an Allegan County public school
- Students must be in 8th grade - 11th grade
- Must be used for a vocal or music camp program
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The West Michigan Lakeshore Association of Realtors (WMLAR) and Allegan County Community Foundation (ACCF) are thrilled to announce a new partnership benefiting hundreds of children and families along the lakeshore!
The “Save A Life – Donate A Life Jacket” program started in 2021. Their objective is to provide life jackets to West Michigan children in coordination with the Sheriff’s Departments in Allegan, Ottawa and Muskegon counties whose officers distribute the life jackets to those most in need. Donated life jackets (or funds to purchase life jackets wholesale from a generous local business) will help keep West Michigan children safe to enjoy activities in and around the water and beautiful beaches. This project runs now through May 23, 2024.
To participate in this life-saving project, you can make a tax-deductible donation to the West Michigan Lakeshore Association of Realtors Fund. You can also bring a newly purchased US Coast Guard approved life jacket(s) to one of many donation sites along the lakeshore. To find your nearest project drop-off location, contact Wendy Ryder at wendy@wesellwestmihomes.com or 616-218-2159.
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The 2023-2024 TAG team had their last meeting at the end of April. The team spent their last meeting celebrating all they accomplished with fun at Allegan Event! This year was a great year for our TAG team, welcoming new faces, learning more about non-profits in the county, making decisions to help youth, and getting to know each peer. We said goodbye to seniors whom we will miss - but we are excited to continue to build with our current TAG members and hopefully NEW MEMBERS!
If you are interested in representing your peers and making a difference in your community fill out the membership request below. Interested members should fill out the form by August. Want to learn more about TAG? Visit the website!
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We are thrilled to share that support from two community partners is positively impacting the lives of children in our community. Thanks to generous contributions from the Parker Foundation and Perrigo Foundation, we are able to continue our mission of nurturing a love for reading among local children through Allegan Imagination Library!
The Parker Foundation's grant of $2,000 and Perrigo Foundation's generous grant of $10,000 have made it possible for us to continue providing free books to children, igniting their imaginations and fostering a lifelong passion for learning.
Thank you, Parker Foundation and Perrigo Foundation, for your partnership and commitment to building a brighter future for Allegan County!
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Dawson Elementary students supported a March is Reading Month coin drive to donate to the Allegan County Imagination Library. Student Council members presented a check for $236.35 to Allegan County Community Foundation to benefit Allegan County Imagination Library. THANK YOU!
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In honor of National Reading Month in March, ACCF and Allegan Area ESA partnered up to raise awareness and funds for the Allegan County Imagination Library. This important early literacy program sends free age-appropriate books to over 3,300 Allegan County children ages 0-5 every single month.
This campaign was launched throughout all school districts in Allegan County. Through the generous support of employees from the districts of Glenn, Plainwell, Hopkins, Otsego, Martin and the Allegan Area ESA, enough funds were donated to purchase 470 books for our youngest county residents. Thank you to all those that participated – our kids are grateful!
If you are a resident of Allegan County and have a child(s) age 0-5, sign up your child for free at the link below.
If you would like to support Imagination Library, click on the button below!
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The 2024 Cereal Drive stared on Wednesday, May 1st! All month long the Allegan County Food Pantry Collaborative (ACFPC), a program of the Allegan County Community Foundation (ACCF), will be collecting cereal for the Cereal Drive. Local pantries, businesses, schools, and churches will collect cereal throughout our communities. During the month, ACCF is accepting monetary donations to use for the purchase of cereal. Thanks to one of our local partners, ACCF is able to BULK PURCHASE cereal, leveraging donor dollars to support as many families and children in need as possible.
How to get involved? Donate online or mail a check to ACCF - 112 Locust Street, Allegan MI, 49010. Grocery shopping and pick up a few extra boxes? Bring them to a drop site around the county!
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Leave A Legacy Events
Did you know that May is LEAVE A LEGACY month? At the Allegan County Community Foundation (ACCF), we are dedicated to assisting you in creating a lasting impact on our community by supporting the causes that matter most to you.
During May, we are partnering with 3 local libraries to host free sessions on legacy planning. Come and learn the basics of legacy planning from both a financial planning perspective and a legal perspective.
Events will be held at the Saugatuck-Douglas District Library, the Ransom District Library in Plainwell, and the Henika District Library in Wayland. You can RSVP by clicking on the images below. We hope to see you there!
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The Community Legacy Grant Cycle is approaching!
Community Legacy grants provide support to non-profits that help communities across Allegan County to become stronger, healthier, and more vibrant. The ACCF Distribution Committee apply grant dollars directly where they are needed – even as needs and opportunities change. Did you know that every donation into the Community Legacy Fund goes back out in the community as a grant? Make a gift to the Community Legacy Fund to support the work of our local non-profits.
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Non-profit partners: Mark your calendar with the important dates below including the application start, deadline, and dates of grant trainings.
The Legacy Grant Application will open on May 20, 2024. The deadline to apply is June 17th, 2024.
Free Grant Application Training Opportunities are listed below. Sign up for one of the sessions by clicking the button below and selecting the session you're interested in.
- May 7, 2024, at 1 PM
- May 15, 2024, at 9 AM
- May 16, 2024, at 6 PM
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