Top Things to Know About the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation

Ann Arbor, Michigan has been consistently rated one of the best cities to live in America and is known for being a vibrant university town and a growing tech hub with a walkable downtown. However, there are still significant needs in this part of Michigan, and few organizations know them better than the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF).

This community grantmaker focuses on improving the quality of life in Washtenaw County and is a well-established funder that has been operating since 1963. Since then, donors have established over 600 charitable funds at AAACF to support over 1,700 nonprofits and distribute more than $90 million in grants and scholarships.

Here are some top things to know about the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation if you need a grant in Michigan.

AAACF grant programs

The foundation awards grants through a variety of competitive grant programs annually. Many programs open up at the start of the year or in the spring and summer. Each program has its own unique guidelines and deadlines. Here’s a sampling of available opportunities:

AAPS Education Fund – public school classroom projects
Catchafire – capacity-building support for racial equity and social justice work
James A. and Faith Knight Foundation – grant decisions made independently from AAACF
Youth Council
Glacier Hills Legacy Fund Golden Opportunities
Ypsilanti Area Community Fund Grant Program
EmpowerMENt Fund
Senior Citizens Housing of Ann Arbor
Arts and Culture Program
Donor-advised grants
Community grantmaking

Nonprofit loan fund

Something else to know about AAACF is that it launched the first nonprofit loan fund in the region to offer flexible, low-cost capital in the form of repayment loans. The foundation started the fund with $500,000 to enhance the impact and value of its grant dollars and offer new partnership opportunities. AAACF considers loans for projects valued at least $100,000 that are used for transformative and catalytic purposes to help organizations achieve their missions and aid operations. The funder gives loan preference to nonprofits that have set up endowments at AAACF.

Giving is on the rise

The opportunities to get involved with AAACF are bigger and better than ever before. The foundation is one of the top 20 fastest-growing community foundations in the U.S., with assets that have more than doubled since 2015. Annual giving is up more than 30%, which should be an encouraging fact for Ann Arbor nonprofits.

Overall, AAACF is an accessible and transparent funder, and it provides a grant directory with past grantees and amounts on its website. It is active on social media, sends out newsletters to subscribers and hosts in-person events. Individual staff members are available by phone and email, and financial information is posted on the funder’s website.

For more information about the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, check out IP’s full AAACF profile, which is part of our Michigan grantmaking guide.

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