MANISTIQUE — The Schoolcraft County Community Foundation welcomes a new fund, Habitat for Humanity – Hiawathaland, to its family of funds this year.

The new fund was established this fall. As with all community foundation funds, it must have a minimum of $5,000 in it before grants can be made from it. The new Habitat fund is listed on our donor forms and website.

At a Nov. 2 virtual meeting with the members voting by e-mail, the community foundation board awarded eight grants, totaling $3,013.

Emerald Elementary was awarded $101.30 to purchase a set of paddle-shaped, handheld whiteboards, dry erasers and markers for students to mark their answers and hold up in class. Money will be from the Kellogg Fund.

St. Francis de Sales was awarded $500 to purchase light, metal snowshoes for exploring outside during the winter. Money comes from the Kellogg Fund.

Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, Inc., was granted $500 to help Girl Scouts pay membership fees. The money would be used to help Schoolcraft County girls. Funds come from the Kellogg Fund.

St. Francis de Sales Lower Elementary Art Class was awarded $350 to purchase reusable art supplies such as brushes, with funds coming from the Kellogg Fund.

The Grind Coffeehouse was granted $317 for a Bunn Pour-over hot water dispenser with funds coming from the Kellogg Fund.

Schoolcraft County Historical Society was awarded $475 to purchase a new laptop computer to replace an old desktop. It’s needed to track inventory and other record keeping. The grant came from the Historical Society Fund.

Upper Peninsula Film Union Inc. was granted $380 to purchase the translucent vinyl signs for refurbishing the Highway 2 Community Drive-in Theater sign. Funds will come from the Arts and Culture Fund.

Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital was awarded $390 to purchase Hospice Family Bereavement Program materials, a six-month supply of two books to give to families to help them as they grieve. Funds come from the Unrestricted Fund.

In addition to 15 designated, or “donor advised,” funds, the community foundation may provide mini-grants from an Unrestricted Fund. The community foundation awards grants twice a year, in May and November. Deadlines for applications are March 31 and September 30 of each year. Applicants are asked to use the SCCF application form, which can be downloaded from our Facebook page or picked up at the Pioneer Tribune office.

Over the past decade, the foundation has given $174,000 to local organizations and individuals in grants and scholarships.

For more information on contributing to the Schoolcraft County Community Foundation or applying for a mini-grant, write to the foundation at P.O. Box 452, Manistique, MI 49854 or e-mail at sccommunityfoundation@gmail.com.