By the Grand Rapids Press  

Published: Tuesday, December 13, 2011, 1:41 PM

GRAND RAPIDS -- The Board of Trustees of Grand Rapids Community Foundation recently awarded $1.1 million in grants to support a variety of projects in the community.

The Foundation also awarded $100,000 in grants to 32 schools for new programs.

Community grants include:

Arbor Circle — A grant of $100,000 for providing home and school based intervention services for families with risk factors for child abuse and neglect.

Bethany Christian Services — An award of $80,000 for the startup of a program that will help connect refugees relocating to Grand Rapids with health services.

Johnson Center for Philanthropy/Community Research Institute — A grant totaling $350,000 will support community-based research and data gathering for nonprofit and philanthropic organizations in the greater Grand Rapids area.

Friends of Grand Rapids Parks — A grant of $253,825 to increase public engagement and support for the City’s urban forest through citizen inventory, website and events to engage citizens.

Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids — A $100,000 grant to assist former prisoners to transition into the community with workplace training, a paid work experience and job placement and follow up.

Nonprofit Technical Assistance Fund — A grant for $50,000 to a pooled fund that helps nonprofits with consulting services to build capacity.

Grand Valley State University — An award of $50,000 to create a mini grant program to local church and faith congregations to participate in the 2012 Year of Interfaith Understanding.

West Michigan Sports Commission — A grant of $150,000 will help construct a 12-field youth baseball and softball complex that be home to hundreds of youth and amateur sports competitions in the coming years.