Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation

06/05/2026

Calling all nonprofit, government, and education leaders! Apply by June 15 to join the next cohort of Leadership Learning Lab. This program is designed to help you become a more self-aware, confident, and adaptive leader. Learn more and apply here: https://www.rotarycharities.org/learning/leadership-learning-lab.html

This program is supported by , , the Frey Foundation, and Rotary Charities of Traverse City.

06/02/2026

It has been another impactful year for the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC)! This year, the committee recommended $147,828 in grant funding to programs and organizations serving youth across Emmet County.

Swipe to see some notable moments from the 2025-2026 YAC, including: orientation day at Camp Daggett in partnership with Charlevoix County Community Foundation, interviewing grant applicants and making funding recommendations, volunteering at The Manna Food Project to provide food for people in need, planting trees with Little Traverse Conservancy, and bowling at the end of the year celebration!

Join us in congratulating our YAC graduating seniors: Lucia Andrews, Callie Keiser, Sam Nemec, Sophia Nicholls, Charlie Olson, Lizzie Bassett, and Nora Riley! 👏

See additional photos and read more on our news page: https://www.phsacf.org/resources/news/yac-end-year-celebration

05/28/2026

Here’s a message from our Executive Director, DJ Jones, about the power of legacy gifts and planned giving. May is Leave a Legacy Month, which is a great reminder to all of us about how we can make a lasting impact on the causes and communities we care about most. Find out more about how to leave a legacy gift in your will or estate to support causes that matter to you at phsacf.org.

Join DJ and the Western Michigan Planned Giving Group for a Planned Giving panel discussion at Hotel Perry in Petoskey on June 3. Register at wmpgg.org.
Western Michigan Planned Giving Group

05/27/2026

Recently, three members of our team attended the Northern Lakes Economic Alliance symposium to learn more about the economic trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping our region. While there, we were pleased and surprised to receive a Guts & Grit award connected to our work on Lofts at Lumber Square! Staying informed about the issues facing Emmet County is part of our responsibility as community leaders.

Strong communities are built through collaboration, shared understanding, and people willing to work across sectors to see the bigger picture.

We’re grateful to work alongside organizations and leaders across our region who are committed to building a stronger future for everyone who calls this community home.

Northern Homes Community Development

05/22/2026

Earlier this month, students in Pellston and Alanson schools received water safety lessons supported by a grant from the Community Foundation.

Dave Benjamin, co-founder of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, taught students a survival strategy to prevent drowning: Flip, Float, and Follow:

Flip: Flip over onto your back. This puts your face out of the water, allowing you to breathe normally and keep your airway clear.

Float: Float to conserve energy and calm yourself down. Panicking and fighting a current causes exhaustion, which is a leading factor in drowning.

Follow: Follow the safest path to safety. Do not swim directly against the current. If caught in a rip current, swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the pull, then head to the beach. If you are too tired to swim, continue to float and signal for help.

Many kids know what to do in case of a fire or other emergencies, and the goal of the project is to give students simple safety instructions to help them in the case of a water emergency. As part of this grant, the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project also provided additional water safety training to local first responders.

This grant was supported by the Community Foundation’s Discretionary Fund, which allows for flexible responses to changing community needs. Our Discretionary Fund will invest in the quality of life of the community in much the same way our responsive cycles do, but on a smaller scale with a quicker turnaround.

Learn more at: https://www.phsacf.org/grants/what-we-fund/discretionary-grants

05/19/2026

A grant award expands access to the arts across Northern Michigan through free music lessons.

Dr. David Reimer, director of the Dorothy Ge**er Strings Program, shares the value of expanding access to arts for youth across Northern Michigan. “They can see that practicing now will pay off in 6 months – it challenges them to plan for the future.”

The program provides free lessons in schools across Emmet, Charlevoix, and Antrim counties, as well as offering private lessons and additional programs. The Community Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant in the fall of 2025 to support the twice-weekly classes in five Emmet County Schools.


This grant was supported by our Fund for Youth and the Ledyard Family Charitable Fund.

Great Lakes Center for the Arts

05/15/2026

We're grateful to have such an incredible orchestra in our community!

Your Orchestra Goes to Carnegie—Then Brings Carnegie Home!

📅 IN JUST ONE MONTH — on June 8, your Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra will represent the spirit of our northern Michigan community on one of the most prestigious stages in the world: CARNEGIE HALL in New York City!

🎉 Over 50 MEMBERS of our community will TRAVEL to New York City to witness this proud historic milestone and support their regional orchestra and musicians.

But MANY CANNOT join us.

🥳 SO WE ARE BRINGING THIS HISTORIC MOMENT HOME!

🙏 To the COMMUNITY that made it possible.
To our loyal audience members, supporters, donors, and friends who believed in us, stood by us, and helped us grow over the past 25 YEARS!

This moment belongs to ALL OF US!

Join us for our Carnegie Homecoming Concert
📍 John M. Hall Auditorium, Bay View
📅 June 12 | 7 PM

THANK YOU Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation, the Buzzelli Family Charitable Fund, and the Charlevoix County Community Foundation for helping us bring this moment home!

🙏🎶 And deepest gratitude goes to Matt Davis, Kathleen Davis, the Rosenthal family, the Pattengale family, and 150+ friends who put our northern Michigan community on the map by supporting our Carnegie Hall debut!

We can't wait to celebrate this milestone together. 🎻

05/15/2026

Apply now to join the next Leadership Learning Lab cohort! The Leadership Learning Lab is a 10-month program for changemakers from nonprofits, local governments, and other mission-driven organizations. Through monthly sessions, participants explore a wide range of relevant topics, including conflict resolution, mission-driven storytelling, fund development, and more.

Interested in applying? Join the virtual information session on May 27 from 9:00-10:00 am to learn more.

Important dates:
May 27th - Virtual information session
June 15th - Applications due
July 14th - Applicants notified
September 9th - Cohort Starts!

This program is supported by the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation, the Charlevoix County Community Foundation, the Frey Foundation, and Rotary Charities of Traverse City.

Learn more and apply here:
https://www.rotarycharities.org/learning/leadership-learning-lab.html

05/12/2026

Happy 1-year Workiversary to Bobby, our database expert! Bobby manages the details that keep our office running, and he does it all with a smile. It’s been a year of him connecting with our community members and sharing his passion for travel, the outdoors, and fine art with all. If you ever wanted to know what it’s like to go for a polar plunge, just ask Bobby! We’re glad he’s on our team!