Apply for grants ranging from $500 - $5,000 in Mental Health, Life Skills, Career Guidance and Financial Literacy. These small grants are for groups and organizations located in Brightmoor and serving Brightmoor residents.

Grant submissions are due June 5, 2025. More detailed information included in below attachment including Grant Description, Guidelines and Application.

Grants available through a partnership with the Fisher Foundation and Wellspring's Teen Council.

For further information contact Peter at Wellspring. Telephone # 313-255-9085 or email p.lisiecki@wellspringdetroit.org

 

Health, Wealth, Life Investments" Mini-Grants

We are the Wellspring Teen Council, a group of teens devoted to teen leadership and service. While seeking to learn and develop new leadership skills, we are working at stepping up to serve those in need. Through this process, our desire is to uplift our community. Our Mission Statement is "To increase hope, opportunity and love in the community we live in".

As part of a Teen Philanthropy grant our parent organization Wellspring received from the Fisher Foundation, members of the council have been learning about philanthropy and further developing their leadership skills. We have learned about re-granting monies to meet community needs. This will be the fifth re-granting we are offering to the Brightmoor Community.

The Teen Council chose the theme "Health, Wealth, Life Investments" for 2025. We feel that this theme is consistent with our mission listed above. We believe that investing in our youth can lead to increased hope, opportunity and love in the community. Investing in our youth today, increases the possibility of their success in the future. Below are four areas identified as needing investment.

Mental Health

Many Brightmoor residents, whether young or old are stretched are in need of support as they are stretched in their ability to cope. Trauma, fear, grief, anxiety, depression, stress, isolation, addictions etc. are everyday companions for them.

Non-mental health centered groups are encouraged to provide awareness and supportive mental health education in areas as: healthy/unhealthy mental health, drug/alcohol abuse, coping/resiliency skills, stress management etc. This grant allows for the provision of individual/group support, tips & strategies and activities that foster positive mental health including, but not limited to proper nutrition, yoga, music, etc.

Activities should be in-person and directed at members of the Brightmoor community ages 12 and up. Group support to teens, adults, parents and seniors should involve at least 4 individuals. This category only allows for education and support and NOT for counseling services.

 

Life Skills

While providing a general education, overall, society invests very little time in preparing youth with the skills and experiences to establish themselves as independent. As our society becomes more technological and complex, certain basic life skills are still needed by young people to navigate adulthood.

Life skills can include: relationship social skills, communication, working in groups, cultural awareness, goal setting, problem soliving, conflict resolution etc. It can also include practicial skills as budgeting, time management, cooking, personal health care, grooming, job readiness, public speaking and emergency skills. Target audience youth ages: 12-18

 

Career Guidance

As young adults (ages 16-30 years of age) look to the future, there are those that may need additional guidance and support as they search for job, career and/or vocation. Areas of assistance can include helping them in identifying their interests, strengths, talents and skills.

Career guidance can help young people explore different educational and career paths where they can ask the question, is university, community college, military, trades or job the best career choice for me? What are the positive and negative sides of each of these choices? Some of the practical skills to be learned in this category could include: resume writing, interviewing, job or college search as well as networking.

 

Financial Literacy

Many Brightmoor residents face financial challenges. Inflationary trends over the past 2 years have greatly increased these challenges. We believe that Financial Literacy can help equip individuals with the skills needed to manage money more effectively. Financial literacy can include but is not limited to learning about savings/checking accounts, mortgages, managing credit / debit cards, debts, loans, payday lenders, understanding credit scores, investing, paying taxes etc. It can also include vital skills as budgeting, money management, cutting costs, and recognizing financial scams. 

Grants can be used for: one-on-one financial literacy with families or the conducting of in-person programs with groups of teens and/or adults (minimum 4 persons in attendance).

*Free financial literacy curriculums are available online and utilization is encouraged.

*** Wellspring is a community-based youth development organization of 30+ years located at the north end of Brightmoor. The Teen Philanthropy Grant Wellspring received was made possible through a partnership between Wellspring and the Fisher Foundation.

Grant Calendar

Wednesday	May 21, 2025	Grant Launch
Thursday	May 29, 2025	Zoom Informational Meeting
Thursday	June 5, 2025	Grant Proposals Due
Monday	June 16, 2025	Grant Decisions Announced
Friday	June 20, 2025	Grant Period Begins
Saturday	September 20, 2025	Grant Period Ends
Thursday	October 20, 2025	Final Reports Due

 

"Health, Wealth, Life Investments" Eligibility and Funding Requirements

1. Brightmoor non-profit and grass roots community-based organizations are eligible to apply. Ex. Faith based, youth development and human service organizations, neighborhood block clubs, social or civic clubs. Youth groups are encouraged to apply. Adults supporting/overseeing youth group projects should be at least 25 years of age. Day care centers, if applying, may be for-profit but please call Wellspring to inquire.

2. Organizations do not need to have federal tax-exempt status - 501c3, incorporation papers, audited financial reports or any particular income level.

3.Organizations that do not have a bank account or some other account for depositing and paying bills, must have a pre-approved fiduciary (a non-profit willing to handle awarded funds in the group's name).  Grant checks will not be made out to individuals.

4. The responsible party for funds and all activities is the applicant of this grant.

5. Activities and resources must be designed / distributed to Brightmoor residents and take place in Brightmoor.

6. This grant will not support technology such as, internet services, tablets, computers, cellular phones etc.

7. In both Financial Literacy and Mental Health, grant funds are to be utilized for education and support and NOT for the provision of counseling.

8. The grant range is between $500 and $5,000. Groups may only apply once to this grant program.

9. Grant monies can only be used during the period of the grant between 6/20/25 and 9/20/25.

10. Site visits by Teen Council members may be conducted during the active grant period.

11. Grant awardees must submit a Final Report of the funded project along with copies of receipts of all expenditures. Flyers as well as picture documentation is required as well.

12. In any materials promoting the "Health, Wealth, Life Investments" grant please mention that grant funding was made available through a partnership between the Fisher Foundation and Wellspring's Teen Council.

Application and Grant Award Process

A.) Feel free to download a copy of the application or pickup a hard copy at Wellspring.

B.) A Zoom Question and Answer Session is scheduled for those interested. (Thursday May 29 at 7 pm). Call or email us if you would like a link to this session.

C.) Submit a digital or a hard application at Wellspring by June 5, 2025. Application should be printed in the format attached.

D.) If you have any questions, wish technical assistance or would like a zoom link please e-mail Peter at p.lisiecki@wellspringdetroit.org. While he will be out of town between 5/21 and 5/27 feel free to email him. From 5/28 onward you can also call him at 313-255-9085 (Monday- Thursday, 11am to 6pm)

**Wellspring's Teen Council members will review all proposals and evaluate requests. We wish to honor as many requests as possible. We do receive more requests then we are able to fund. The Teen Council reserves the discretion to revise requested amounts of funded projects.

"Health, Wealth and Life Investments"

Submit answers to all of the questions in the boxes listed below. If you would like a paper copy to submit please reach out to Peter at p.lisiecki@wellspringdetroit.org

Person Responsible for Project: 

Other Adults in Leadership Roles: 

Other Adults in Leadership Roles: 

Youth (If any involved in leadership within the project):

Project should not begin before June 20, 2025 or end after September 20, 2025

Budget