BUCHANAN, Mich. -- It was announced on Wednesday that the Board of Trustees of the Michigan Gateway Community Foundation has approved $145,148 worth of grants to South Berrien and Cass County non-profit organizations.

The foundation's goal is the funds contribute directly towards the areas of education, healthcare, and culture. 

The following 17 programs received grant funds: 

• $24,479.10 from the Help4Homes Fund to the City of Niles for home repairs for low income and senior owned homes in Niles.
• $7,000 from the Niles Area Fund for the Greater Niles Chamber of Commerce to be used for the creation of digital storefronts for nonprofit organizations located in Niles.
• $835.41 from the Cass Community Fund for Cass Area Artists to support the regional art exhibit at the Cass County Regional Gallery in Cassopolis.
• $2,000 from the Cass Community Fund for the Cass County Historical Society to assist in painting of the interior of the historical Red Brick Schoolhouse.
• $20,000 from the Buchanan Area Fund and Walt Schirmer Jr Fund to The Salvation Army for rental and utility assistance not covered by MEAP throughout south Berrien County.
• $5,000 from the Youth Advisory Council Fund for United Way to support their Cass County Backpack Program.
• $1,075 from the Youth Advisory Council Fund for Buchanan Community Schools to support their Positive Attendance Program.
• $14,471 From the Catherine and Louis Desenberg Fund and the B.R. & Marjorie H. Desenberg Endowment to the Buchanan District Library for the purpose of their construction capital campaign.
• $5,000 from the Unity Fund for the Buchanan Area Senior Center to assist in replacing fitness equipment with new models with body scanning functions.
• $2,350 from the Walter E. Schirmer Jr Fund for One Buchanan to support their Empowering Women Forum.
• $7,000 from the Unity Fund, Corrie Listenberger Bair Fund, Ann S. Cone Fund for Families & Youth and the Youth Advisory Council Fund. These awards will support Rising Kite’s distribution of resource bags and compassionate assistance to families navigating a Down Syndrome diagnosis across Berrien County.
• $5,000 from the Walter E. Schirmer Jr Fund to the City of Buchanan to fund a National Register nomination for Days Avenue and the Mill Race Historic District.
• $10,000 from the Walter E. Schirmer Jr Fund and the Mahlon J. and Thelma C. Smith Endowment for Niles to provide scholarships and support to Fernwood Botanical Garden’s summer outdoor education camps.
• $2,300 from the Youth Advisory Council Fund to the Buchanan District Library to support the Buchanan Backpack Program.
• $15,637 from the Walter E. Schirmer Jr Fund and Youth Advisory Council Fund to support the Lake Michigan Steamworks program with purchases of 3D printers, CAD-capable laptops, and necessary upgrades to their 3D printing room.
• $8,000 from Youth Advisory Council Fund and the Healthy Youth Healthy Seniors Fund for cultural arts programming at the Buchanan District Library and Buchanan Area Senior Center.
• $10,000 from the Buchanan Area Fund and the George W. Romney Fund for signage at the Myron Perlman Nature Preserve, allowing for accessible trails for volunteer led school field trips and self-guided access to the preserve.

The MGCF was founded in 1978 with gifts from many citizens in amounts ranging from a few dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"Only the income generated by the investment of these gifts is used in grant making," the organization said.

"A gift to the community funds, such as those from Niles, Buchanan, and Cass County, serve these communities in perpetuity."

The foundation accepts grant proposals two times each year with submission dates of Aug. 1, and Feb. 1, with decisions usually available within one month.

"Each proposal [is] evaluated by the foundation for its potential value to the community and for the availability of funding resources," the MGCF said.

The foundation is also currently accepting scholarship applications until Saturday, March 15. 

The application process for the scholarships is unique in that students only have to fill out one application to apply for up to 50+ scholarships.

"This is for students within our service area who attend Berrien Springs, Brandywine, Buchanan, Dowagiac, Edwardsburg, Marcellus, Niles or Ross Beatty," the organization said. "We also have three scholarship opportunities designed for adults and seniors who are pursuing an education in the medical field."