Mackinac Island Community Foundation trustees and staff are pleased to announce recent grant decisions totaling $231,164.30 supporting projects and programs on Mackinac Island. It was truly a community effort gathering funding this grant cycle. Private donors came together to gift $48,000 towards purchasing a rescue ATV for Island Emergency Services. “This grant cycle was an incredible example of outstanding support coming from private donors and donor advised funds, making this a grant cycle to remember.” We are truly touched with the outpouring of support this grant cycle has inspired.
Below is a brief summary of each award with the funds granted.
Cheboygan Life Support Systems/MI EMS | $111,817.00
Purchasing an all-weather Rescue ATV/Ambulance for year-round island emergency response.
Ambulance Fund
Island Goat Sailing Society Emergency Services Fund
Wendy L. Young Fund for Mackinac
Jon and Lauren Cotton
Becki Barnwell
Mary Kay McIntire
Sam and Lisa Barnwell
Marti McIntire
Cheboygan Life Support Systems/MI EMS | $11,991.54
Acquiring a MEQU Fluid Warmer to warm IVs during cold weather medical transports.
Beaumont Fund
Alice and Harry Myron Fund
Island Community Needs Fund
City of Mackinac Island | $13,866.16
Refurbishing the Turtle Park Soccer Field, providing a new goal posts and flattening the ground.
Joan and Frank Nephew Fund
City of Mackinac Island | $1,734.00
Acquiring children’s ice skates and equipment for the community ice rink.Youth Fund
Charlie Williams Fund
Great Lakes Recovery Center Foundation | $10,000
Supporting the New Women’s Recovery House in the Soo to provide substance abuse care to the Upper Peninsula.
Island Community Needs Fund
Mackinac Arts Council | $18,000
Sharing international culture with employees through celebrations of food and music.
Marlee Brown Musser Community Arts Fund
Richard and Jane Manoogian Fund
Island Community Needs Fund
Mackinac Connect Foundation | $20,000
Fostering employee connections and providing essential resources through summer events.
Island Community Needs Fund
Richard and Jane Manoogian Fund
Mackinac College Legacy Fund
McDonnell Family Fund
Gault Fund for the Community
George and Judith Goodman Fund
Mackinac Horseman’s Association | $11,400
Assisting with winter horse boarding and vet care off island.
Straus Memorial Fund
Preservation of the Horse Tradition on Mackinac Island Fund
Bell Fund for the Community
Mackinac State Historic Parks | $2,750
Creating a community fitness trail to promote healthy exercise outside.
Richard and Jane Manoogian Fund
Mackinac Straits Raptor Watch | $13,336
Monitoring the Hawk migrations and analyzing their environmental impact.
Erin Shufelt Environmental Fund
Wilifred Puttkammer Mackinac Island Conservation Fund
Natural Resources and Preservation Fund
Eileen Erwin Croghan Fund for the Preservation of Natural Spaces
Starling Shakespeare Company | $11,269.60
Hosting a month long festival sharing classic Shakespearian plays for islanders, employees, and guests.
Francis H. Straus II Memorial Fund
Ste. Anne’s Catholic Church | $4,500
Providing meals and companionship for our elderly and disabled residents in the winter.
Healthy Youth & Seniors Fund
Alice and Harry Myron Fund
McDonnell Family Fund
Ste. Anne’s Catholic Church | $500
Allowing teens to be teens for a night.
- Mackenzie Paul, former Laker basketball standout, dies at 25 - January 24, 2026
- One person Deceased After Traffic Crash in Wexford County - January 24, 2026
- Health Dept Warns of Increased Level of Influenza in County - January 17, 2026
