Post Consumer Brands’ manufacturing site in Battle Creek, Michigan is distributing a total of $130,940 to local area non-profits to help fund projects or assist in furthering their missions through their annual grant program.
This spring, 20 local non-profits presented formal donation requests to the Battle Creek Grant Committee at their annual meeting. Ultimately, 18 of the organizations were selected to receive grants.
Each year, the committee reviews the grant application to make sure it is consistent and reflective of the purpose and values held by Post. Applications are then sent to non-profits who have presented in the past, employees can also nominate other organizations within the community that may not have participated in the past. Organizations can also reach out directly for consideration.
If the application is deemed acceptable, the organization is put on the schedule to make a formal presentation to the committee.
“For the first 10 minutes of their allotted 20-minute presentation, organizations are advised to provide an overview of the funding needs,” said Heather. “The remaining 10 minutes are reserved for Q&A by the grant committee.”
Once the committee listens to all presentations, they deliberate to determine the amount of funds to be allocated to each organization based on the information included within the application and the presentation. “The employees take these decisions very seriously, as they all have a need and are terrific partners in Battle Creek in serving our community,” said Heather.
Below are the 18 organizations who received funds, and brief descriptions of what the funds will be used for:
- Battle Creek Pride: Supporting the local pride event being held in July.
- BCCF Ty Larson Fuller Scholarship Fund: Helps young people with a background in foster care, adoption, or relative care continuing their education through a hands-on learning program to learn a trade at a regional technology or trade school.
- BCCF Post Foundation: Provides backpacks filled with schools supplies and books for local Elementary Schools to be given to students.
- Charitable Union: Provides clothing to children in low to moderate income households in Calhoun County, especially during winter and back to school time.
- Family Enrichment Center: Daycare services for children in foster care.
- Gracious Homes: The program provides transitional housing for single and non-custodial women that are homeless or have dysfunctional behaviors for up to 120 days.
- Gull Lake Area Robotics: Providing inspiration and recognition of Science and Technology robotics for students in K-12.
- Gordon Elementary School PCO: New playground equipment and books for vending machines previously funded by the grant program.
- The Haven of Rest: Funds being used to purchase meals for the homeless.
- Lakeview School District Robotics: Providing inspiration and recognition of Science and Technology robotics for students in K-12.
- Leila Arboretum: Outreach program for 7,000 area children, focusing on the relationship of nature and food to a healthy life.
- Libertas Foundation: Supports annual Christmas Holiday dinner for homeless veterans.
- Cereal Development Corporation: Post Band 100th Anniversary Concert.
- S.A.F.E. Place: supports children’s programming which includes shelter, counseling, advocacy, tutoring, groups and activities, and support/education for the non-abusive parent.
- Salvation Army: Meals for Sally’s Kitchen a feeding program that operates Mon-Sat. for those in food insecure households.
- South Michigan Food Bank: Purchasing new cold food storage container.
- Phillips Robotics: Helping students work together to build a programmed robot which will compete against other schools’ clubs. The students walk away from their experiences in Robotics with hands-on engineering and design skills, along with strengthened leadership and decision-making skills.
- The Arc: Educational Advocacy Program provides information and personalized assistance to families and students with disabilities.
A special thank you to our Battle Creek employees who volunteered their time to be on the selection committee.
View previous non-profit grants distributed by the Battle Creek Grant Committee.