Berrien Community Foundation

What Berrien Community Foundation does

Berrien Community Foundation (BCF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 1952 and headquartered at 211 Hilltop Road, Suite 117, St. Joseph, Michigan. It functions as the central community foundation for Berrien County and adjacent Southwest Michigan, administering approximately a dozen distinct grant programs and scholarship funds, including For Good Grants (Major up to $15,000 and Minor up to $1,500), the Alamar Nonprofit Sustainability Grant ($75,000 over three years), the Stephen E. Upton Love Your Community Grant ($50,000 annually), the Howard Facilities Program and Howard Youth Endowment Program Grants, Golden Acorn Classroom Mini Grants (up to $500), Heart of Cook Grants ($100-$10,000), the Frederick S. Upton Foundation grants, the William J. Deputy Endowment Fund for Harbor Country municipalities (up to $10,000), and the Low Family Foundation We See You grants ($5,000) and larger annual awards. The foundation also runs an annual Scholarship Celebration that in 2026 awarded $587,500 to 77 Southwest Michigan students, and it operates the Food For Good fund targeting food insecurity (which affects ~16% of Berrien County residents and ~20% of children per regional data).

BCF's product surface is heavily programmatic — a curated portfolio of specialized endowments and grants — layered on top of a donor services platform. Its revenue mechanics are those of a community foundation: charitable contributions from individuals and organizations flow into endowment funds, donor advised funds (DAFs), planned giving vehicles (bequests, charitable remainder/lead trusts, IRA beneficiary designations, life insurance), and corporate/family foundation partnerships. The foundation pools these assets, generates investment returns, and distributes them through competitive grants, scholarships, and program-related investments (PRI). It does not charge fees for grants or scholarships; administrative costs are covered through endowment management. Beneficiaries span local 501(c)(3) nonprofits (e.g., Berrien County Cancer Service, InterCare Community Health Network, Emerge Innovation Hub, Boys & Girls Club of Benton Harbor, Fernwood Botanical Garden), public and private K-12 schools (Brandywine, Buchanan, Niles, Coloma community schools), Harbor Country municipalities, religious organizations, individual students, and the broader Berrien County community via Help4Berrien.org (a searchable social services directory covering food assistance, housing, mental health, and other resources) and the Rx Kids Program supporting child health and wellness.

Distribution operates through self-serve online portals (the Akoya-powered grant application at goapply2.akoyago.com and a DAF portal at gofund.akoyago.com), direct outreach to nonprofits, schools and municipalities, and small-scale marketing via website, email newsletter, Facebook, Instagram, and community events. The staff is lean (1-10 employees) and led by President Lisa Cripps-Downey, with a program director, finance director, program coordinator, communications manager, office administrator, and finance associates. Governance is provided by an independent Board of Directors; the Low Family Foundation operates as a Donor Advised Fund under BCF's umbrella with its own advisory committee.

Name

Berrien Community Foundation

Legal name

Berrien Community Foundation

Website

https://berriencommunity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Berrien Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation based in St. Joseph, Michigan, administering multiple grant programs, donor advised funds, scholarships (including a 2026 cycle of $587,500 to 77 students), and the Help4Berrien.org resource directory for nonprofits, schools, municipalities, and residents across Berrien County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)

Keywords

• Community foundation grants
• Donor advised funds
• Scholarship administration
• Philanthropic giving services
• Charitable endowment management

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Joseph

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donor Contributions and Endowment Management: BCF receives charitable donations from individuals and organizations which are pooled into various endowment funds. These funds generate investment returns that are then distributed as grants and scholarships to the community.
2. Donor Advised Fund (DAF) Administration: BCF manages donor advised funds where donors contribute assets and receive tax benefits while recommending grants to qualified charities over time.
3. Planned Giving Services: BCF facilitates legacy gifts including bequests, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, retirement assetbeneficiary designations, and life insurance policies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Berrien Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation that pools charitable contributions from individuals and organizations into endowment funds, then redistributes the proceeds as grants to nonprofits, schools, religious organizations, and municipalities serving Berrien County, Michigan. It also administers scholarships for students, manages donor advised funds and planned giving vehicles, and operates Help4Berrien.org, a searchable community resource directory.

Product overview

Berrien Community Foundation operates as a community foundation offering a portfolio of grant programs, scholarship initiatives, and resource directories. The core offerings include For Good Grants (Major and Minor tiers), specialized grant programs (Alamar, Golden Acorn Classroom, Upton, Howard, Heart of Cook, Low Family Foundation), donor-advised funds, and the Help4Berrien.org searchable resource database. The foundation serves as both a grantmaker and community resource hub for Berrien County, Michigan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Help4Berrien.org: A searchable database of local groups and organizations that serve the residents of Berrien County, providing information on food assistance, housing, mental health, and other social services.
• Rx Kids Program
• Food For Good
• Program Related Investments (PRI)

Products and services

• Help4Berrien.org

Quantifiable outcome

• $587,500 awarded in scholarships to 77 students in 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Frederick S. Upton FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCF administers grants for the Frederick S. Upton Foundation which serves Berrien County nonprofits. Deadlines are March 15, June 15, and October 15. The Foundation encourages organizations to work together to improve Berrien County's economics and culture. Also includes a Big Idea Grant program with $50,000 and $25,000 awards.
• Low Family FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Low Family Foundation (established 2023 by Joseph N. and Rosemary E. Low) is a Donor Advisor Fund under BCF's umbrella. BCF collaborates with the Foundation to determine grant recipients. The Foundation focuses on charities in Berrien County including nature centers, animal welfare, and historical institutions. In 2025, approved grants including $50,000 to Fernwood Botanical Garden.
• Heart of Cook FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Indiana Michigan Power Company (AEP), the Heart of Cook grant program supports nonprofits in Southwest Michigan and Northwest Indiana. BCF administers the program which includes mini-grants ($100-$500) and standard grants ($501-$10,000). Special consideration given to projects involving I&M employees.
• Carolyn's Kids (Hanson Family Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarolyn's Kids grant program is a partnership between the Hanson Family Foundation and BCF. Supports programs in Benton Harbor, St. Joseph, and Stevensville areas that improve lives of children and youth, reflecting Carolyn Hanson's belief in strengthening children for the future.
• Howard Family (John E.N. and DeDe Howard)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohn E.N. and DeDe Howard established two grant programs: Howard Facilities Program Endowment Grant supporting programs at Howard-named facilities, and Howard Youth Endowment Program Grant for Saint Joseph or Benton Harbor youth (ZIP codes 49085 and 49022).
• Monday Musical ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished in 1908, Monday Musical Club is a nonprofit dedicated to music education. BCF administers grant opportunities for schools and nonprofits in Berrien County supporting music instruction, programs, and performances. Grants up to $3,000 available.
• Howard Performing Arts CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoward-named facility eligible for Howard Facilities Program grants. Located at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan.
• Harbor Country MunicipalitiesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEligible municipalities for William J. Deputy Endowment grants: Grand Beach, Harbert, Lakeside, Michiana, New Buffalo, New Troy, Sawyer, Three Oaks, and Union Pier. Grants up to $10,000 available for community projects.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Community Foundation of Greater Flint: Community foundation serving Genesee County, Michigan. Comparable mid-Michigan community foundation with similar grant, scholarship, and donor services architecture.
• Michigan Gateway Community Foundation: Community foundation serving southwestern Michigan counties. Comparable smaller-scale community foundation with similar grantmaking and scholarship functions in the same state.
• Battle Creek Community Foundation: Community foundation serving Calhoun County, Michigan. Closely comparable geographic peer in Southwest Michigan offering parallel grantmaking, scholarship, and donor stewardship services.
• Grand Rapids Community Foundation: Community foundation serving Kent County, Michigan. Comparable community foundation structure with grant programs, scholarships, and donor advised funds operating in a similar Michigan regional context.
• Kalamazoo Community Foundation: Community foundation serving Kalamazoo County, Michigan. Highly comparable to BCF as a Southwest Michigan community foundation with a similar grantmaking, scholarship, and donor services model.
• Sturgis Area Community Foundation: Small community foundation serving St. Joseph County, Michigan — adjacent to BCF's Berrien County territory. Closely comparable in scale and operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Schwab Charitable: Major national donor-advised fund sponsor affiliated with Charles Schwab. Comparable as a competitor for DAF assets and a benchmark for DAF administration scale in the U.S. philanthropic market.
• Fidelity Charitable: National donor-advised fund sponsor and the largest U.S. grantmaking organization. Comparable in administering DAFs, but operates at national scale and competes for donor-advised fund assets that might otherwise flow to community foundations like BCF.
• Council on Foundations: National membership association for U.S. foundations and corporate giving programs. Comparable as a peer institution serving the foundation sector, though at national scale rather than as a direct community foundation competitor.
• Council of Michigan Foundations: Statewide membership association for Michigan grantmaking foundations. Comparable in that it serves the same ecosystem of Michigan community foundations, but operates as a membership association rather than a grantmaker.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BerrienCommunityFoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/berriencommunityfoundation
• Xx.com/bcfcensus2020
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berrien-community-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Berrien Community Foundation