Impact Stories
Grantee spotlights, program updates, and insights.
Featured
Grantee spotlights, program updates, and insights.
The Summer 2026 issue of U.P. Lifted is here.
Inside, read about Michigan's Rural Health Transformation Program and SHF's seat at the table, two grantee spotlights on organizations strengthening health across the U.P., a conversation with Board Director Elise Bur, and upcoming Q3 grant deadlines.
Each year, more than 500,000 children enter foster care and the court system through no fault of their own. For children navigating that process in the Upper Peninsula, CASA of Menominee/Marinette trains community volunteers to serve as a steady, trusted adult who speaks up for their interests in court.
The 2024 closure of Aspirus Ontonagon Hospital, the only emergency department within an hour's drive, resulted in increased pressure on emergency services across the western U.P. and widened the workforce gap. Gogebic Community College's (GCC) Emergency Medical Services Program in Ironwood is working to help fill this gap.
Thanks to a Superior Health Foundation grant, Growing Forward Together and their partners brought the Survivor Moms' Companion™ to the U.P., training 14 local tutors across six counties and building a regional network that's here to stay.
In 2025, Superior Health Foundation awarded $1,256,982 in grants to 50 organizations across all 15 U.P. counties -- including 25 first-time grantees. Read the full report to see where the investment went and the communities behind the numbers.
In 2025, with support from Superior Health Foundation, Partridge Creek Farm expanded work to middle school youth across Marquette County through its Farm-to-School Summer Camps. Reaching more than 20 youth from communities across Marquette County, the camps offered daily, hands-on learning in gardening, food preparation, and sustainable agriculture, giving participants a direct relationship with the food they grow and eat.
The Quarter 1 2026 issue of U.P.lifted is here.
Inside, read about $299,292 in Q1 grants awarded across the region, the U.P.-wide expansion of Rx Kids, two grantee spotlights on survivor mom support and Asahi Nordic, a conversation with Board President Fredi de Yampert, and upcoming grant deadlines and funding opportunities.
Across Michigan's Upper Peninsula, organizations are doing remarkable work to improve health and well-being in their communities, ranging from grassroots health initiatives to substance use recovery to healthcare workforce development, and more.
Lois Blau wasn't convinced Asahi was working. That is until she went cross-country skiing for two hours without getting out of breath. "My legs felt very strong and stable," she remarked. "The small but continuous pumping motions in Asahi had built strength in my legs without me even realizing it."
This year, 32 nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations across the U.P. applied for and received an AED through the Superior Health Foundation AED Program. Applications opened in early February 2026 and closed within five days, a reflection of the communities who want to be ready when it matters most.
2025 was an exciting year for Superior Health Foundation. From hosting grantee and funder convenings to celebrating a successful gala, our team advanced key initiatives while improving internal processes to remain accessible and responsive to stakeholders.