Everyone has a wish or two around the holidays, whether it’s dreams for a visit from Santa Claus or hopes for a rejuvenating season spent with loved ones. Northern Michigan’s many nonprofits have wish lists, too. We asked eight of them to think about their needs in small (less than $100), bigger (less than $500), […]
Everyone has a wish or two around the holidays, whether it’s dreams for a visit from Santa Claus or hopes for a rejuvenating season spent with loved ones. Northern Michigan’s many nonprofits have wish lists, too. We asked eight of them to think about their needs in small (less than $100), bigger (less than $500), and biggest (sky’s the limit) categories, with the caveat that they can’t just wish for cash.
The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park
Less than $100: “Get to know us!” the Botanic Garden urges. “Surveys suggest that many locals only have vague knowledge that we exist. Visit the Garden at 1490 Red Dr.; become a member; sign up for the Botanic Garden newsletter at www.thebotanicgarden.org; or join the organization’s volunteer family.”
Less than $500: “Garden is Open” feather flags for the entrance; safety supplies, such as industrial first aid kits; gift cards from Menards, Home Depot and Lowes to purchase materials as needed.
Sky’s the limit: Glass block windows – fourteen of them, approximately 30 inches by 30 inches, to weather-proof the historical cellar under the pavilion. Per organizational leaders, weather-proofing of the cellar “will protect our visitor center inventory and allow the room to be used for training and events.” Other bigger-picture asks include a six-seat golf cart for offering accessible tours of the garden, sponsorships for future Botanic Garden interns, and a website overhaul.
Less than $100: Cold-weather gear for Father Fred’s clothing and household department, including donations of coats, boots, heavy socks, hats, and gloves. Father Fred also urges supporters to volunteer, whether it’s for an hour, a day, or a year. “We welcome extra help at any time to keep our costs down and to serve as many people as possible,” says Executive Director Candice Hamel.
Less than $500: A new smart TV for Father Fred’s guest lobby to share information about services, upcoming events, and resources with visitors.
Sky’s the limit: A complete software systems upgrade, to streamline real-time data entry of guest services and reduce paper and post-services data entry.
Less than $100: “Subscribe, like, follow, and click Grow Benzie posts on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for one month,” Executive Director Josh Stoltz said. “In addition, subscribe to our monthly newsletter on our website, or visit GrowBenzie.org and click around our updated pages, infographics, and photos to gain clarity about the organization.”
Less than $500: New, comfortable, and ergonomic office chairs; a gift certificate to purchase annuals (flowers) in the spring for campus beautification; a light for the Grow Benzie roadside marquee; metal signage for wayfinding and plant identification throughout the nonprofit’s four-acre campus; excavator work to help alleviate runoff damage in the parking lot.
Sky’s the limit: “Someone paying off the remaining $83,000 balance of our mortgage would allow us to immediately redirect those payments toward increased staffing, which in turn would enable us to expand services and rental revenue,” Stoltz says.
Inland Seas Education Association (ISEA)
Less than $100: Replacement motors, fittings, and batteries to support ISEA’s popular underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) challenge.
Less than $500: A dock box for storing underwater ROV materials at Discovery Pier; larger dissection trays with foam pads for pinning sea lampreys as part of ISEA’s lamprey dissection program; a replacement Manta Trawl filter for conducting microplastics research; replacement equipment for the Benthos station, which teaches learners about the bottom-of-the-lake ecosystem.
Sky’s the limit: Fifteen new mattresses to support overnight programs on the schooner Inland Seas – an approximately $7,000 value, according to ISEA Executive Director Fred Sitkins; new electrical and replacement decking for the schooner dock in Suttons Bay.
Leelanau Investing for Teens (LIFT)
Less than $100: Snacks; gas cards; board games or card games; puzzles; yard games; art supplies; sports equipment.
Less than $500: Desk chairs; coolers; new printers; a Nintendo Switch; noise-canceling headphones; smart TVs.
Sky’s the limit: A trailer and a fleet of mountain bikes with helmets, all for LIFT’s summertime biking adventures.
Northwest Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness
Less than $100: Basic needs items for people experiencing homelessness – which, in the winter, includes cold-weather gear like coats, snowpants, winter boots, hand warmers, hats, and gloves, along with always-needed items like backpacks, toothbrushes and toothpaste, or deodorant.
Less than $500: Supplies for “welcome home” baskets, which the Coalition provides to individuals and families who are moving from homelessness into new homes. Each basket contains roughly $160 worth of items, including toilet paper and paper towels, cleaning products, shower curtains, and more.
“When you’re starting with nothing, a basket full of essential items can make a new place feel like home and support long-term housing stability,” says Executive Director Ashley Halladay-Schmandt.
Sky’s the limit: Rental assistance for people experiencing homelessness. According to Halladay-Schmandt, it costs around $13,500 per year to pay rent and provide supportive services to maintain someone in their housing.
“Conversely, it costs around $35,000 per person, per year to maintain a person in homelessness,” she says.
Less than $100: Cattery cleaning supplies, including 13-gallon trash bags, dish soap, and disinfectant wipes; dry kitten food (Purina One Healthy Kitten), wet kitten food (Purina One or Fancy Feast), dry cat food (Purina One Indoor Advantage), and adult wet food (Purina One, Fancy Feast, or Friskies); unscented Tidy Cats litter; litter boxes and scoops; cat toys; cat beds; scratch pads; gift cards to Amazon.com or Chewy.
Less than $500: Annual subscriptions for Constant Contact (TC Paw’s email newsletter platform) or Square Plus (its payment processing account); a Square Terminal all-in-one credit card reader; cat towers; microchip scanners; a digital photo frame to display all cats and kittens available for adoption; True Catch cat traps and Wi-Fi enabled outdoor motion sensor cameras for locating missing cats or trap-neuter-return operations.
Sky’s the limit: A shelter location and building with vet care facilities for vaccinations, spay/neuter and surgical services; a Cat Cafe where TC Paw could showcase its cats and have a way to bring in more funds; permit costs for food/alcohol at annual spring fundraising event.
Less than $100: Welcome packages for survivors coming to stay in the WRC shelter, including shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, socks, deodorant, and other basic needs items; cleaning supplies and laundry soap; diapers of all sizes; hygiene products; snacks that are simple for school lunches; small new toys for kids that can be given as gifts when they leave; businesses in the community hanging WRC posters, so the organization can reach more people.
Less than $500: A new quality vacuum for the WRC transitional house; new comfortable chairs and coffee table for the organization’s waiting room, or uplifting artwork for the lobby.
Sky’s the limit: An update to the WRC playroom, which Director of Donor Engagement Jamie Bell says “is used frequently when parents are in appointments.” Per Bell, everything in there is a “little worn” and in need of replacement.
“An upgrade of toys, changing table, and storage would be appreciated,” she says. “We would love to add a TV where we can show cartoons, and a privacy screen for nursing moms.”
NOTE: A longer version of this story appears in this month’s issue of the Traverse City Business News.
