2024 Give Back Grant Winners!
Treetops Collective is delighted to announce the commitment of two donor-funded grants to local immigrant-led nonprofit organizations ImmiGreatness and Michigan Transportation Center for Immigrant and Refugees! Learn more about these two organizations and our runner up Puertas Abiertas and how you can support each of them below!
These two organizations were selected from a pool of 30 applicants with the help of a committee of volunteers from our monthly giving program. Our committee identified five initial applicants that were asked to provide follow up information, and from those responses three finalists were selected. The finalists were then presented to 127 monthly donors for their consideration and digital voting.
GRANTEE: IMMIGREATNESS
Learn more about ImmiGreatness at their website, which has volunteer and donation opportunities listed under the Get Involved menu! Make sure to follow them on social media as well - sharing their posts and stories is a great way to help promote the work of a young organization and increase their visibility in your networks.
“Being a small organization with big plans, receiving a grant like this is going to have a huge impact on our operations and overall mission at ImmiGreatness. Our biggest focus these past 2 years has been working with first-generation students to provide resources for them when it comes to navigating higher education past high school, careers and professional fields, and any other general support they may need. Students from immigrant backgrounds are often at a disadvantage because they lack the proper support and understanding of a society that their parents are not familiar with, because they did not grow up here. ImmiGreatness has a team of Consultants, who also come from immigrant backgrounds, and they use their lessons, mistakes, and experiences to help the generations after them pave a successful path for themselves. We are currently working with East Kentwood High School to consistently meet with and offer mentoring services and workshops to 50+ students, but with this grant, we will be able to add more Consultants to our team and begin working with more schools to reach first-generation students in other districts. This grant will allow us to expand our reach, offer even more resources, and reward our Consultants who are generously volunteering their time and effort to equip generations of successful immigrants in West Michigan. We are extremely grateful for Treetops and their donors for making this possible for us, and the community for their unwavering support towards our mission.”
GRANTEE: MICHIGAN TRANSPORTATION CENTER FOR IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES
Learn more about MTCIR via the flyer found here. Contact information is provided for those who would like to get involved directly with their work!
Co-Founder and Board Secretary Irene Routté wanted to share this with Treetops supporters regarding the award of this grant:
"As a new non-profit, this grant money is invaluable! We are currently working on putting data, development and marketing systems into place so that we can become more sustainable and grow as an organization. The money received will go towards this work."
FINALIST: PUERTAS ABIERTAS
Learn more about Puertas Abiertas and how to support their work directly via their website. Treetops Collective and Puertas Abiertas have also embarked on a partnership to ensure immigrants and refugees fleeing domestic violence have stronger support systems designed for their specific needs. Stay tuned for additional information from us about how you can join us in meeting this critical need.
