HANCOCK – The Keweenaw Community Foundation is looking for community members who are interested in joining a number of advisory committees, Jim Vivian, executive director of the KCF said.

hese committees include Environmental, Houghton County Historical Preservation, and the Portage Lake Youth Endowment Advisory Committees.

Field of interest endowments provide annual support in the form of grants targeted toward specific areas of community needs and interests to meet changing conditions and/or enhance the quality of life in the Keweenaw.

“We’ll send out RFPs (Request for Proposal); we’ll get those proposals,” Vivian said. “We’ll go through them and ensure that they are eligible for these grants.”

Vivian said RFPs must come from non-profit corporations, governmental agencies, educational institutions, as a few examples. The KCF does not grant funding to individuals. The respective advisory committees will then review the proposals to determine eligibility and approval or denial.

“We’re looking for people to volunteer to sit on these advisory committees that want to help vet these proposals,” Vivian explained. “We’re looking for people to go through these proposals and know which are needy, which ones have the biggest impact in our community.”

The primary purpose of the Youth Endowment fund is to support recreational programs and support activities that are designated to serve the youth of the Portage Lake Area, Vivian said. The central purpose of the Houghton County Historical Preservation fund is to support historical preservation and education projects or activities related to the Houghton County of Michigan.

The Environmental endowment is more comprehensive than the other two, Vivian said.

“The primary purpose of the Environmental funds is to promote and sustain programs, projects, and activities related to a broad range of environmental concerns and include, but are not limited to: health, community development/ civic planning, economic development, education, public policy and planning; wildlife and recreation, “Vivian said, “so, that one is pretty broad.”

Anyone interested in applying for committee membership can visit the KCF website or call 906-482-9673.