Keweenaw Community Foundation Nominated and Awarded National Grant
The Keweenaw Community Foundation is a recipient of the 2025 Trust for Civic Life grant.
The Keweenaw Community Foundation is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a 2025 Civic Hub grant from the Trust for Civic Life, a national grantmaker supporting rural communities. This three-year funding opportunity will support KCF’s work of bringing people and organizations together to build relationships and develop solutions to community-identified needs.
“We are honored to be nominated and selected for this national funding opportunity. With this support, KCF will strengthen its role as a community bridge, bringing people and organizations together to identify, prioritize, and address the needs defined by our community. It also gives us the chance to connect with communities across the country, learning from their experiences while sharing the strength and creativity of our community,” states Robin Meneguzzo, Executive Director of KCF.
Through its Civic Hubs grants program, the Trust for Civic Life invests $8 million annually in locally led groups across rural America that strengthen civic engagement and create opportunities for long-term community collaboration. These grants support a wide range of efforts, including local events, public spaces, new programs, and community-wide initiatives, all designed to bring neighbors together to solve challenges and build stronger connections.
“We are truly honored to be recognized by the Trust for Civic Life. This grant will allow us to directly support local initiatives and residents, helping us continue to strengthen our community and create lasting positive change,” said Kim Salmi, Board President of KCF.
The Trust’s grants program aims to reach and fund groups working on the ground that are difficult for national philanthropy to find and fund. The latest round of funding awarded $8 million in grants, ranging from $150,000 to $500,000 each, with new grantees serving 382 rural counties across the country. Out of 440 nominated organizations, the Keweenaw Community Foundation was 1 of 26 grant recipients.
“When people come together to tackle the issues right in front of them, like building a playground, keeping a library open, or creating new jobs after a factory closes, they see firsthand what’s possible when everyone pitches in,” said Charlie Brown, Trust for Civic Life Executive Director. “Those local experiences make communities better, build trust, and prepare people to face bigger challenges together.”
KCF works diligently to build deep, authentic relationships and networks with diverse groups. These relationships enable KCF to gain a deep understanding of the community's needs and opportunities, as well as how to identify additional resources. KCF’s core mission is to identify needs and help meet those needs with resources. A key to meeting this mission is securing funding and leveraging both internal community resources and external resources. Through this grant opportunity, KCF is excited to continue its meaningful engagement and looks forward to sharing with the community soon how it will expand its support opportunities.
About The Trust for Civic Life
Launched in 2024, the Trust for Civic Life is a new grantmaker bringing together 21 national foundations and philanthropists to strengthen civic culture in rural communities. Through its core Civic Hubs program and small grants funding for experimental projects, the Trust aims to invest $50 million into 500 communities by 2028, supporting local work that fosters trust, belonging, and civic participation. Learn more at trustforciviclife.org
About the Civic Hub Grants
The Trust for Civic Life’s Civic Hub grants are for local organizations in rural areas that are bringing people together across their communities by creating a shared vision, solving problems, and distributing resources. This grants program was created in partnership with over 50 rural community members, and provides flexible funding support that puts spending decisions into the hands of its grantees. The Trust for Civic Life awards a total of $8 million in Civic Hub grants per year to 20-25 organizations.