In 1981, the Bay Arts Council wrote a grant request to the Kantzler Foundation for $56,000 to establish a community foundation for Bay County, and in conjunction with such a community foundation, to support charitable, cultural, artistic and educational projects for the benefit of the people of Bay County.

That first grant was the beginning of the Bay Area Community Foundation and all the wonderful projects it has fostered since then, including the establishment of many educational scholarship funds for students in Bay County.