SUPERIOR HEALTH FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES OVER $487,000 IN GRANTS
Marquette, MI – The Superior Health Foundation concluded its Fall Proactive Grant cycle on September 3rd, announcing over $430,000 in funding distributed across eight grants to agencies located in or serving the Upper Peninsula. The projects cover a wide variety of health concerns, including developing the oral health workforce, healthcare worker training, community paramedicine pilots, and adopting new technology to increase access to healthcare. The Foundation received over $1.4 million in requests, far exceeding available funds and indicating an increasing need for support for nonprofits across the UP.
“We are seeing clear themes emerge from the grant proposals we’ve received this year, reflecting the major health needs in our region. Healthcare workforce development and training, as well as programs that make accessing health care services and resources easier for U.P. residents, rose to the top in this latest grant cycle,” said Superior Health Foundation CEO Megan Murphy. In this cycle, My Community Dental Centers (MCDC) received $75,000 to pilot programs to address the dental workforce shortage, strengthen recruitment, and improve retention among existing staff. MCDC will also work with other providers and stakeholders to develop a U.P. oral health workforce consortium.
Moxie Moms, an organization that supports moms who have experienced the loss of a baby, also received a $73,517 planning grant. This funding will guide the design of a hub that integrates medical, behavioral, and social supports in a trauma-informed, evidence-based, community-rooted model to support pregnant and postpartum moms in the U.P. A complete list of Fall Proactive Grant recipients is available below.
In addition to the Fall Proactive Grant cycle, SHF has provided over $23,672 in Equipment Grants and $33,970 to support Community Health Pilot projects since May. This brings Superior Health Foundation's total grantmaking and assistance to over $1.3 million in 2025, including individual support provided through its Breast Health and Organ Donation Funds, as well as its Care Access Grant program.
The mission of the Superior Health Foundation is to proactively support organizations and initiatives across the Upper Peninsula to improve health and well-being. For more information, please visit www.superiorhealthfoundation.org or contact shf@shfmi.org.
2025 FALL GRANT RECIPIENTS
Aurora Medical Center Bay Area | Community Paramedicine Program | $75,000.00
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Upper Peninsula Education Corporation | UP Campus Student Scholarship | $25,000.00
Michigan Technological University | Addressing Key Community Health Gaps in Youth through Dynamic Application Support and AI | $74,505.00
Moxie Moms | Creating Our COOperative and Nurturing Health and Wellness - COCOON Health and Wellness | $73,517.76
My Community Dental Centers | Building a U.P.-Rooted Dental Workforce: A Pilot for Rural Access and Retention | $75,000.00
Room at the Inn | Community Health and First-Aid Training for Emergency Shelter Staff | $28,300.00
Taproot Community Farm | Taproot Community Farms Launch | $20,000.00
Upper Peninsula Health Care Solutions, Inc. | UPHCS Implicit Bias ECHO Series | $59,989.90
JUNE – SEPTEMBER 2025 EQUIPMENT GRANT RECIPIENTS
Marquette District of St. Vincent de Paul | St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry Cooler | $2,530.00
Schoolcraft Medical Care Facility | Vital Signs Diagnostic Spot Check | $6,142.50
Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital | LUCAS Chest Compression System for Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital Emergency Department | $7,500.00
West End Townships Emergency Services Authority | WETESA equipment upgrades and additions | $7,500.00
JUNE – SEPTEMBER 2025 COMMUNITY HEALTH PILOT GRANTS RECIPIENTS
Bay Mills Indian Community | Community Paramedic Pilot Program | $7,204.00
Pathways Community Mental Health | Play-based Therapy Room for Pathways' Delta County Children's Clinic | $6,766.44
U.P. Hospice Foundation | Grief Support in Theory and Practice: Training with Focus on Children & Youth | $10,000.00
YesRx | Increasing Knowledge about Cancer Medication Access and Waste Prevention in the Upper Peninsula | $10,000.00