Heart of Cook

Please note: Heart of Cook Grants will be open for applications on January 14, 2023
Applications will be due February 14, 2023

For a list of previous years recipients, click HERE.

Looking for the Heart of Cook Earth Day Grant? Click HERE.

The Heart of Cook grant application submissions for both mini-grants and the standard grant program are due in February. Mini-grants are for small projects requesting $100-$500. The standard grant program is for grants of $501-$10,000. Organizations can apply for only one grant per year. Organizations that have received grant dollars for three consecutive years are ineligible to apply for one year. Also, high school robotics teams are not eligible for the Heart of Cook Grants. 

Grant Process:

All grant submissions must be completed online. The Heart of Cook grant program is green! All grant applications are submitted electronically. To fill out a grant application:

Create an account and sign into the website.
Please remember your login information as it will allow you to save and modify your grant application over multiple sessions. We cannot retrieve this login information for you.
Navigate back to this page.
Select the mini-grant or standard grant form below.
The grant form will be available to you as a registered user.
To save your work, select "save" at the bottom of each page.
You can submit your final application by selecting "submit" at the end of the application process. You should receive an email notifying you that the grant was submitted to the system. If you do not receive a verification email, please contact BCF at (269) 983-3304.

Grant Criteria & Guidelines

Mini-Grant Application ($100 - 500)

Grant Application - Long Form ($501 - 10,000)

History of the Program:  In 2003, DC Cook Nuclear Plant started "The Heart of Cook." This competitive grant program is a way for one of Berrien County's largest employers to give back to the community while involving their employees in the process. The Heart of Cook also provides scholarships for the next generation of engineers as part of the Berrien Community Foundation's scholarship program.

The Berrien Community Foundation administers the program which targets grants that assist educational, human services, and environmental nonprofit projects in Southwest Michigan and Northwest Indiana (La Porte, St. Joseph, and Elkhart Counties).

Applying organizations will be notified of the decisions by mail in early April. Grants will be distributed to receiving organizations at a May reception. Organizations can apply for either a mini-grant or a larger grant; they may not apply for both in a single year.

You must log in to your account to access the grant applications. Click here if you need to log in.