Cherryland Cares Awards $15,000 To Eight Nonprofits

At its fourth-quarter board meeting, the Cherryland Cares board awarded grants to eight local nonprofit organizations: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Michigan, HelpLink, The Baby Pantry at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, Redeemer of Interlochen Baby Pantry, Leelanau Christian Neighbors, North Ed Foundation, Benzie Senior Resources, and Benzie Area Christian Neighbors. In 2025, Cherryland Cares awarded a total of $60,365 in grants to 20 area nonprofits.

The Cherryland Cares board is comprised of five volunteer Cherryland members. The funds distributed by Cherryland Cares result from members electing to round up their monthly bills to the nearest dollar. Members can contribute to the Cherryland Cares fund by calling 231-486-9200, signing up through SmartHub, or emailing us at [email protected].

Serve On Cherryland’s Board

Any qualified Cherryland member can be elected to serve a three-year term on the cooperative’s board of directors. Two directors will be elected at this year’s Annual Meeting, including one at-large director and one Leelanau County director.

To be nominated in 2026, candidates may file a petition with the cooperative’s executive administrative assistant starting the first day of March until 4 p.m. on the last business day of March. To receive a nominating petition, please fill out the board candidate interest form on our website.

Review Article III of the co-op’s bylaws on our website for more information regarding board nominations and the election process.

Cherryland Offers Four Scholarships

Cherryland offers four scholarships—three worth $4,000 for high school seniors and one adult scholarship (post-high school) for $2,000. Applications for both scholarships are available on our website. The deadline for applications is Friday, April 3.