Growing positive change in Arenac County
In 2000, a group of committed civic leaders established the Arenac Community Fund within the Bay Area Community Foundation to ensure that there will always be funds available to help Arenac County thrive. The Arenac Community Funds Committee is comprised of dedicated, local community members who volunteer their time and talents to host fundraising events and who are entrusted to review applications and make grant recommendations to enhance the quality of life and future vitality of Arenac County, For good. For ever.
There are currently over 30 funds benefiting Arenac County. These endowed funds grow and support the area’s arts and culture, education, recreation, human services, and community initiative opportunities by providing nonprofit organizations with grants and by awarding students with scholarships to pursue post-secondary education.
Funds Benefitting Arenac County
| Fund Name | Fund Description | Fund Type | Donate Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arenac Community Fund | In 2000, a group of committed civic leaders established this fund to ensure that there will always be a fund available to help Arenac County thrive. The committee is comprised of dedicated, local community members who volunteer their time and talents to host fundraising events and who are entrusted to review applications and make grant recommendations to enhance the quality of life and future vitality of Arenac County. | Field of Interest Fund | Donate Now |
| Arenac County Farm Bureau Scholarship Fund | The Arenac County Farm Bureau cares about the people of Arenac County, the future of its community and giving back. For many years, it has provided scholarships to Arenac County youth. To continue this tradition and to recognize Arenac County students for their hard work, this scholarship was created for students pursuing a post-secondary education in agriculture and related studies. | Scholarship | Donate Now |
| Arenac County Disaster Relief | Support flood relief efforts in Arenac County. | Donate Now | |
| Arenac County Health Improvement Endowment Fund | This fund awards grants to organizations focused on community-wide health in Arenac County through the Community Foundation's semiannual grant program and gives priority to programs or projects for at-risk or low-income residents | Field of Interest Fund | Donate Now |
| Arenac County Healthy Youth/Healthy Seniors Fund | This fund awards grants through the Community Foundation's semiannual grant program to organizations working to benefit the health and wellness of Arenac County residents. Priority is given to programs that benefit the youth and seniors of the community. | Field of Interest Fund | Donate Now |
| Arenac County Historical Society Omer Courthouse Preservation Agency Fund | The Ye Olde Courthouse in Omer, formerly the Arenac County Courthouse, has withstood a cyclone, disastrous fires, floods, and ice storms. The building now serves as an historical museum as well as an event space. This fund was established to endow the proceeds from their fundraising activities to preserve this area's history for future generations. Agency funds are supported by donations from its own organization. | Agency Fund | Not Available |
| Arenac County Historical Society Omer Courthouse Preservation Designated Fund | The Ye Olde Courthouse in Omer, formerly the Arenac County Courthouse, has withstood a cyclone, disastrous fires, floods, and ice storms. The building now serves as an historical museum as well as an event space. This fund was established to endow the proceeds from their fundraising activities to preserve this area's history for future generations. | Designated Fund | Donate Now |
| Arenac County Scholarship Fund | With seed funding from the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, the Au Gres-Sims and Standish-Sterling Community school districts created this scholarship fund to recognize the achievement and potential of Arenac County high school seniors. The Arenac Community Funds Committee matched the initial investment to leverage even greater impact for education in their community. | Scholarship | Donate Now |
| Ashley Smith Memorial Scholarship | Craig Smith established this scholarship in loving memory of his wife, Ashley Smith. A longtime teacher at Standish Elementary, Ashley understood the value and power of education. This scholarship honors her memory by supporting Standish-Sterling High School seniors pursuing post-secondary education. | Scholarship | Donate Now |
| Bay Area Runner's Club Scholarship | Bay Area Runner’s Club (BARC) established this fund in 2010 to raise the awareness of the need for physical activity in everyone’s life. BARC believes in the importance of strong role models in our communities and in encouraging students to achieve their very best. | Scholarship | Donate Now |
| Bay Area USBC Bowling Association "Wallace E. Matthew" Scholarship | Wallace E. Matthew was a member of the board of directors of the Bay City Bowling Association for more than forty years and served as secretary for thirty-five years. In recognition of his contributions and service, the Bay Area USBC Bowling Association established this scholarship in his memory. | Scholarship | Donate Now |
| Carol C. Noeske Arenac County Disability Fund | Ms. Carol C. Noeske wished to support the Arenac County Blair Society for Crippled Children and Adults. The Society's original purpose was to support activities in the furtherance of and directed toward serving all needs of physically and mentally disabled persons, their families, and associates in Arenac County. Unfortunately the Society ceased operations around 1994. The Bay Area Community Foundation is honoring Ms. Noeske's wishes by building an endowment fund that will provide long term support for community projects, areas of need, programs, and organizations that serve these goals. | Field of Interest Fund | Donate Now |
| Catherine and John Maser Au Gres Library Fund | This Field of Interest Fund targets your donations to support the Au Gres public and high school libraries. | Field of Interest Fund | Donate Now |
| Catherine and John Maser Historic Preservation Fund | This Field of Interest Fund targets your donations to support the maintenance or repairs of historically significant buildings in Arenac County. | Field of Interest Fund | Donate Now |
| Catherine and John Maser Scholarship Fund | Longtime residents of Au Gres, Catherine and John Maser owned and operated the Au Gres Telephone Company, providing service in Au Gres and Omer. Catherine was in charge of the switchboard and bookkeeping, and John was the “telephone man.” They were entrepreneurs who built their business to over 1,000 customers before selling it in 1978. Both were active in their community and their church. | Scholarship | Donate Now |
| Danielle DeWyse Special Scholarship | Mr. & Mrs. DeWyse established this fund in 2009 in memory of their daughter, Danielle Rose, who had special needs. They were blessed to have many caring and dedicated people who helped meet both her medical and educational needs. They established this scholarship and are passionate about supporting others in hopes that the candidate will pay it forward and eventually help others in return. | Scholarship | Donate Now |
| Dow communityGives | The communityGives component of DowGives creates an opportunity for Elementary, Middle, and High School age groups, sports teams, and service clubs in the Great Lakes Bay Region to earn funding for priority projects through volunteerism. This is accomplished through the giving of grants to K-12 aged groups that complete a preapproved community volunteer activity and meet grant requirements. | Field of Interest Fund | Not Available |
| Dow Corning Employees Educational Scholarship | This scholarship was established to honor the hard work of past Dow Corning employees and to benefit youth seeking post-secondary education from Arenac, Bay, or Tuscola counties. | Scholarship | Donate Now |
| Friends of the Arenac Heritage Route Authority | The Friends of the Arenac Heritage Route Authority operate and maintain the Standish Historical Depot, a visitor and information center for Arenac County and Northeast Michigan. The Depot is on the National Registry of Historic Places and was restored in 2007. This fund supports the Depot's event programming and maintenance needs. | Designated Fund | Donate Now |
| George Brookins Viele Scholarship Fund | George B. Viele, born in Flint, Michigan and raised in Cedar Valley in Arenac County, started his academics in a one-room schoolhouse as a child. He graduated from Arenac Eastern High School and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Arts, and a Master of Science. Education played a huge role in his life. His career was vast, ranging from teacher to director of the Greensboro, North Carolina Public Library to president and CEO of a licensed public waste and sewer company before his retirement. This scholarship was established in his honor to assist high school graduates from Arenac County. | Scholarship | Donate Now |
| George Brookins Viele Ye Olde Courthouse Masonic Hall Designated Fund | Having grown up in Arenac County and been passionate about preserving the County's history, George Brookins Viele established this fund to benefit the Ye Olde Courthouse in Omer which serves as a historical museum as well as an event space. This fund supports maintenance and special project needs to preserve the area's history for future generations. | Designated Fund | Donate Now |
| GM Powertrain - Bay City Educational Fund | This fund was established in memory of past GM Powertrain Bay City employees to honor their contributions to family and the community. It supports students who are employees of, or are family members of, past and present employees of GM Powertrain Bay City. | Scholarship | Donate Now |
| Great Lakes Safety Training Center Scholarship | The mission of the Great Lakes Safety Training Center (GLSTC) is to prepare people to live safely every day. With the help of many local contractors, GLSTC established this scholarship to benefit individuals pursuing a career in skilled trades or construction. By doing so, they wish to support those who want to help others to live safely. | Scholarship | Donate Now |
| Healthy Living Fund | The Healthy Living Fund supports recreation and healthy experiences that allow residents and visitors of all ages to come together and enjoy a sense of community. It awards grants to projects that construct, maintain, or repair community assets that promote a healthy lifestyle. | Project Fund | Not Available |
| Jennings Family Arenac County Animal Control Fund | The Jennings Family established this fund to grant funds annually to Arenac County to support the operations of its animal shelter. This designated fund supports the County's stray cats and dogs by providing veterinary care, food, and other services and by finding them permanent homes in order to prevent extermination. | Designated Fund | Donate Now |
| Jennings Family Arenac County Historical Society Fund | The endowment will grant funds annually to the Arenac County Historical Society with the express purpose of providing funding for the operations of the Arenac County Historical Museum located in Au Gres. | Designated Fund | Donate Now |
| Jennings Family Au Gres United Methodist Church Fund | The Jennings Family established this fund to benefit their church, the Au Gres United Methodist Church in Arenac County. The United Methodist Church practices "open minds and open doors," hoping individuals discover something through the church to encourage them in their spiritual journeys. | Designated Fund | Donate Now |
| Jennings Scholarship Fund | This scholarship was created by Mary Jennings to honor her late husband of fifty years, Fred Jennings, and her beloved son, Dr. Ted Jennings, both longtime educators born and raised in Au Gres, Michigan. Mary passed away in April 2018 at the age of ninety-four. | Scholarship Fund | Donate Now |
| John & Clinton Maser Au Gres Fire Department Fund | Scholarships will be available to high school graduates of the Au Gres Sims School District accepted to attend an accredited college or university. | Field of Interest Fund | Donate Now |
| Mary Kate Carney Scholarship | Mary Kate Carney was a devoted wife, mother, and Speech Therapist who worked in the field of Special Education for twelve years before losing her long and valiant fight against brain cancer. Her innovation and passion to improve the communication needs for all students was immeasurable. She touched the lives of the students and their families, as well as the staff that she worked with. Kate truly loved her job and the special children and adults that she serviced. She is deeply missed by all those who knew and loved her. This scholarship fund was established by Kate's friends and family to honor her memory and to encourage and support those people pursuing degrees in Speech/Language Pathology or Special Education. | Scholarship | Donate Now |
| Michigan Trucking Association Equipment & Maintenance Council Tri-City Chapter Scholarship | The Equipment and Maintenance Council (E&M) was organized by the Michigan Trucking Association in 1946 to provide reliable maintenance information and a forum for the free exchange of ideas for equipment maintenance personnel, suppliers to the transportation industry, and others interested in the safe, cost-efficient maintenance of truck fleets. The Tri-City Chapter hosts fundraisers to provide scholarships to deserving individuals pursuing careers in the diesel equipment technology field. | Scholarship | Donate Now |
| Northern Bay-Arenac Retired School Personnel Scholarship (NBARSP) | This scholarship is in honor of all those who have dedicated their lives to the education of youth. The Northern Bay-Arenac Retired School Personnel (NBARSP) is passionate about helping area students. Members have fundraised tirelessly to make this scholarship possible. They hope the award will encourage young people to advance themselves and their communities through education. | Scholarship | Donate Now |
| Karen and Rick Rockwell Donor Advised Fund | Established by Karen and Rick Rockwell to support community projects. | Donor Advised | Donate Now |
| Rotary Club of Pinconning & Standish Scholarship Fund | The Rotary Club of Pinconning and Standish seeks to provide services to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders. To help strengthen the local community, they established this fund to support both Pinconning and Standish-Sterling graduates. | Scholarship | Donate Now |
| Saginaw Bay Watershed Restoration Fund | The Saginaw Bay Watershed is an important natural resource for our community. This fund supports environmental education projects, water quality improvement projects, watershed plan development, and capacity-building throughout the Saginaw Bay Watershed. | Field of Interest Fund | Donate Now |
| William A. Forsyth Scholarship Fund | This scholarship fund was established by colleagues, friends, and family to honor Standish-Sterling High School graduate, William A. Forsyth, for his lifetime of public service as the Kent County Prosecuting Attorney. This scholarship honors a Standish-Sterling graduate interested in a career in public service, criminal justice, or law. | Scholarship | Donate Now |
| Wolthuis Family Teaching Scholarship | The Wolthuis family wishes to express their gratitude for the influence of public schools in the lives of our family. Especially Au Gres-Sims and Standish-Sterling schools where Norah and David were teachers and their sons were educated through 12th grade. | Scholarship | Donate Now |
| Arenac County Animal Welfare Fund | Supports projects and programs that benefit the welfare of animals in Arenac County. | Field of Interest | Donate Now |
| Mary Eileen Wyatt Scholarship Fund | Scholarships will be awarded to Arenac County high school seniors who have demonstrated scholastic achievement and financial need. | Scholarship | Donate Now |
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