Pushing the Mission Forward: Shiawassee YMCA Receives Funding to Tackle Food Access
May 27, 2025 - At Lionbear Ventures, every successful grant isn't just a win for our clients — it’s momentum for stronger, healthier communities. We're thrilled to announce that the Shiawassee Family YMCA has been awarded funding through the 2025 Capacity Building Initiative and Rural Readiness Grant Program — a collaborative effort between the Michigan Health Endowment Fund and the Michigan Labor and Economic Opportunity Office (MiLEO).
This grant, titled "Shiawassee Collaboration to Address Food Access," is a powerful step toward addressing one of Michigan’s most pressing rural challenges: equitable access to nutritious food. Spearheaded by the Lionbear Ventures grant writing team, Shiloh Aderhold Holley, CFRE, and Ashley Connelly. Under their strategic review and guidance, this new program was selected as part of a highly competitive funding round focused on strengthening health focused nonprofit in becoming stronger, more effective institutions within their community.
“The Shiawassee YMCA has been a strong leader in the community and we saw the potential to foster their impact through this grant opportunity and solve real problems for real people,” stated Ashley Connelly, founder of Lionbear Ventures.
Real Community Impact Through Strategic Collaboration
The initiative fits squarely within Lionbear Ventures’ mission of advancing community development through nonprofit support. By guiding growth-seeking nonprofits through complex grant applications and capacity-building strategies, we help bring in the funding that powers real solutions — like expanded meal programs, education on healthy living, and infrastructure improvements to support food distribution.
We know that rural communities face unique barriers. By helping Michigan nonprofits build out their readiness and resilience — from strategic planning to measurable community outcomes — we’re investing in systems that serve Michigan families for generations to come.
"The Shiawassee Family YMCA is very focused on helping address community needs. During the pandemic, we started providing food for those experiencing food insecurity. We have continued doing this with weekend bags available to youth in our community as well as offering a monthly mobile food pantry for anybody in our county and surrounding communities. We love being able to help keep youth, adults and seniors healthy by sharing food with them! When LBV approached me with the Michigan Health Endowment Fund grant opportunity, I saw it as a way to secure funding to go in even deeper and help update and streamline access to food here in the county. We need data to develop efficiencies, and we need a coordinated and collaborative effort to create lasting change in the food access arena. This funding will support these efforts which are so important to our region. The best part? I provided information to LBV, and their team put together the application. We communicated regularly through the process, but I know they were a key reason we were awarded the funding. They are an incredibly valuable partner to have!"
— Laura Archer, Executive Director, YMCA of Shiawassee County
What is the Capacity Building Initiative?
Backed by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund and MiLEO, the 2025 Capacity Building Initiative supports nonprofits across the state with strategic investments in infrastructure, leadership development, and collaboration. This round of funding totals over $6.1 million, aimed at increasing health equity, addressing food insecurity, and supporting maternal and infant health.
Continuing Work In LBV Core Values of Community & Non-profit Work
Lionbear Ventures is proud to be part of this transformational work. Our partnerships, like the one with the Shiawassee YMCA, represent what’s possible when great ideas meet the right support.
We’re not just writing grants — we’re writing the future of community care in Michigan.
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