People Fund Grants
Give Locally and Win $100: The People Fund has raised more than $5 million for non-profit projects since 1999. Round your bill up to the nearest dollar (an average of 50 cents per month) to help your local community and get rewarded.
About the Program
Great Lakes Energy members help to enhance the quality of life for people in our communities through the People Fund. Bills of participating members are “rounded up” to the next dollar amount and grants are awarded to non-profit organizations for charitable activities throughout our service area. Grants are awarded by three independent Boards of Directors representing three geographical regions – south, central and north. There are no overhead costs – 100 percent of the money collected is returned to our communities.
Win $100
All contributors are entered into two annual random drawings where we give away six $100 bill credits. This is our small way of saying “thanks” to every GLE member who supports the People Fund.
How are Grants Invested?
In order to have the greatest impact on people within the GLE service area, the People Fund will generally invest funds in project or activities that:
- Are one-time in nature rather than ongoing or continuous.
- Benefit a large number of people.
- Leverage funds from other sources.
- Distribute funds to individuals or families in crisis.
- Help programs increase their capacity to deliver services.
For more information please download the PEOPLE FUND 2025 ANNUAL REPORT.
See 2026 Grant Recipients
For the first grant cycle of 2026, the People Fund’s north region board awarded 26 grants totaling $93,542. The grants awarded include:
- Boyne Area Gymnastics Inc., Boyne City: $2,500 for equipment upgrades.
- Boyne Arts Collective, Boyne City: $5,000 for office and classroom equipment.
- Boyne City Community Greenhouse, Boyne City: $4,000 for a freeze dryer replacement, contingent on raising the rest of the funding.
- Challenge Mountain, Boyne City: $5,000 for kitchen updates in the Adaptive Recreation Center.
- Charlevoix Historical Society, Charlevoix: $4,000 for a historic train depot exhibit and air conditioner replacement.
- Crooked Tree Arts Council, Petoskey: $3,000 to renovate an underused room into secure storage and a community gathering space.
- Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Crawford County, Grayling: $5,000 for books for youth.
- Elk Rapids District Library, Elk Rapids: $5,000 for AV equipment, contingent on raising the rest of the funding.
- Forbush Corner Nordic, Gaylord: $2,500 to replace two doors and install floor installation.
- Friends of Fife Lake Public Library, Fife Lake: $5,000 for furnishings for the library.
- Gaylord Firefighters’ Association, Gaylord: $4,500 for three shipping containers for scenario-based training.
- Giving Tree Food Pantry, Johannesburg: $1,962 for tables and tents.
- Grass River Natural Area, Inc., Bellaire: $1,500 for publishing costs for a children’s book, contingent on raising the rest of the funding.
- Kalkaska Area Interfaith Resources (KAIR), Kalkaska: $5,000 for building repairs.
- Kalkaska Commission on Aging, Kalkaska: $3,500 for 25 disaster preparedness kits.
- Kalkaska County Library, Kalkaska: $3,610 for a portable scanner for mobile library collection management.
- Lake Charlevoix Mariners, Inc., Charlevoix: $1,500 for safety rescue equipment.
- Little Traverse Conservancy, Harbor Springs: $4,740 for signage, trees, shrubs, and tubing.
- Mancelona Food Pantry & Resale, Mancelona: $5,000 for a building expansion and updates.
- Paddle Antrim, Elk Rapids: $2,490 for trailer counters.
- Patron of the Arts in Rural Communities, Beaver Island: $4,500 for lighting and electrical work.
- Raven Hill Discovery Center, East Jordan: $5,000 for a new furnace and a lean-to roof.
- State Young Men’s Christian Association of Michigan, Central Lake: $3,900 for a waterfront storage shed.
- Top of Michigan Mountain Bike Association, Boyne City: $2,500 for construction and maintenance equipment.
- Training Wheels Childcare Center, East Jordan: $540 for activity and sensory tables.
- Wagbo Peace Center, East Jordan: $2,300 for building and furnace updates.
The north region includes the counties of Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Missaukee, Montmorency, Otsego, and Oscoda.
For the first grant cycle of 2026, the People Fund’s central region board awarded eight grants totaling $29,676.80. The grants awarded include:
- Angels of Action, Big Rapids: $2,500 for new tote bags for Operation Delivery, a weekly food program for children in need.
- Luther Area Public Library, Luther: $5,000 to replace five doors and remodel the front entrance to be ADA compliant, contingent on raising the rest of the funding.
- Luther Fire District No. 1, Luther: $3,690 to replace three SCBA cylinders.
- Marion Community Fire Department, Marion: $4,000 for a smoke machine for the fire fighter training center.
- Mason County Rural Fire Authority, Custer: $5,842.80 to replace three outdated AED’s for area fire departments.
- McClure-Rabb Idlewild Foundation, Idelwild: $2,750 for the Education in The Wild youth event.
- Osceola County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Reed City: $2,000 for 20 barricades for public safety and traffic control.
- Pathfinder Community Library, Baldwin: $3,894 to replace non-fiction bookshelves.
The central region includes the counties of Clare, Lake, Manistee, Mason, Missaukee, Osceola, and Wexford.
For the first grant cycle of 2026, the People Fund’s south region board awarded 13 grants totaling $38,284.35. The grants awarded include:
- Congregational Kitchen, Allegan: $5,000 for a generator and computer equipment, contingent on raising the rest of the funding.
- Disability Network West Michigan, Muskegon: $1,000 for the Veterans Connect program.
- Grant Area District Library, Grant: $2,000 for an AED for the library.
- Lakeshore Children’s Advocacy Center, Manistee: $2,625 for forensic interviews and advocacy services.
- Lakeshore Food Club, Ludington: $5,000 for signage and equipment for the Hart Food Club.
- Missionaries Around Ravenna in Service, Ravenna: $909.35 for building insulation.
- Newaygo County Environmental Coalition, Newaygo: $2,000 for an ADA accessible Food Forest & Native Plant Pollinator Demo Garden.
- Oceana County 4-H, Michigan 4-H Foundation, Hart: $2,000 for 4-H equipment for youth development.
- Oceana County Council on Aging, Hart: $1,000 for a projector for dementia-friendly arts programs.
- Pentwater Historical Society, Pentwater: $2,000 for The Declaration of Independence exhibit in Pentwater, Hart, and Walkerville.
- Rothbury Community Church, Rothbury: $1,000 for local produce for the Helping Hands Food Pantry.
- Trinity Community Food Pantry, New Era: $2,500 for a pallet jack.
- Woodland Park Center Inc., Bitely: $11,250 for a septic system, contingent on raising the rest of
the funding.
The south region includes the counties of Allegan, Barry, Kent, Muskegon, Mecosta, Montcalm, Newaygo, Oceana, and Ottawa.
Enroll in the People Fund
By allowing us to “round up” your monthly electric bill to the next dollar, you put your small change to work right in your own community. All of the money collected goes back to grant recipients. All contributors are entered into two annual drawings where we give away six $100 Great Lakes Energy bill credits. This contest is our small way of saying “thanks” to every Great Lakes Energy member who supports the People Fund. The People Fund has awarded more than $5 million to local charitable groups since 1999.
For an average round up contribution of 50 cents per month, your small change will make a BIG difference. Plus you could win $100! No billing round up contributions are used to fund this contest.
Apply for a Grant
Grants are awarded to non-profit, charitable organizations that provide humanitarian, educational or community development services within our 26-county area. A portion of the funds may be awarded to organizations that help individuals or families in crisis or to tax exempt organizations.
Letters of interest are due April 1 and Oct. 1.
Grant applications and associated paperwork are due by April 15 and Oct. 15.
Grants are awarded by three independent boards of volunteer directors who evaluate every application in their region—north, central or south. They evaluate each application based on the specific project and unique needs of the region, looking for programs that enhance the quality of life in our communities by:
- Promoting good citizenship.
- Increasing the capacity of rural organizations to promote self reliance and independence.
- Supplementing local initiatives.
- Are one-time in nature, rather than on-going.
- Benefit a large number of people.
- Leverage funds from other sources.
- Distribute funds to organizations that help individuals or families in crisis.
- Help programs to increase their capacity to deliver services.
- Are for a tax-exempt, non-profit or 501(c)3 organization.
- Enhance cooperation and collaboration among organizations.
- Avoid duplication of services.
- Help deliver services of an organization more effectively.
Grants are generally not awarded for:
- Daily school operations.
- Normal operating expenses including: stipends, salaries, travel, room & board, rent or lease, and/or planning expenses.
- Fundraising or political campaigns.
- Loans or deficit spending.
- Endowment funds.
- Retroactive projects.
- Individuals.
- Faith-based organizations, unless the project provided services to all community members, regardless of the community member’s religious affiliation or participation, i.e. a food pantry, community dinner, etc.
- Organizations promoting any particular religious doctrine.
- Scholarships or endowments.