The man who started LMCU was a teacher. We haven’t forgotten.
Schoolteacher Lloyd F. Hutt founded LMCU in 1933. The Roots in Education grant is our annual thank-you to the educators still doing that work.
About LMCU's Roots in Education Grant
LMCU didn't start as a credit union for everyone. It started as one for teachers.
In 1933, a schoolteacher named Lloyd F. Hutt founded what was then the Grand Rapids Teachers Credit Union — a financial institution built by educators, for educators. That origin isn't a footnote in our history. It's the foundation of everything we've built since.
The Roots in Education grant is our way of honoring that legacy every year. We look for the teachers doing something extraordinary in their classrooms and communities — and we ask the people who've seen it firsthand to tell us about it.
This year, we're celebrating educators with superpowers. Humor. Empathy. Pure inspiration. Whatever it is that makes a teacher unforgettable — we want to hear about it.
25 teachers. $1,000 each. Nominated by students, parents, fellow educators, and community members who want to make sure someone remarkable gets recognized.
Who is eligible?
Any Pre-K through 12th grade classroom teacher currently teaching in Michigan or Florida may be nominated. Nominated teachers must plan to continue teaching in a current or similar capacity for a minimum of 50% full-time during the 2025–2026 school year.
A few things to know before you nominate:
- Self-nominations are not accepted.
- Past recipients of this grant are not eligible.
- Teachers may be nominated by students, parents, other teachers, community members, or administrators.
- Staff whose assignments are primarily administrative or supervisory — or whose assignments don't meet the 50% full-time threshold — are not eligible.
- Nominations from or of LMCU employees, directors, officers, or their immediate families are not eligible. This also applies to employees or immediate family of LMCU's affiliated companies, licensees, advertising, or promotional agencies. Immediate family includes: spouse, child, father, mother, brother, sister, grandparent, step parents, step children, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles, grandchildren, and grandparents-in-law.
Grant Information
The Roots in Education grant awards 25 teachers each a $1,000 grant. Recipients can use the funds toward anything that benefits the educational process — classroom supplies, learning tools, student resources, whatever they need most.
LMCU administers the program and maintains all records. A written report detailing all awards is provided to the Board of Directors each year.
Tax note: If a tax liability arises from receiving this grant, it will be the sole responsibility of the recipient. LMCU is required to issue 1099 forms for all grant recipients.
How are winners selected?
An internal review committee at LMCU evaluates all nominations. All submissions are reviewed without identifying information — the nominator's name is not visible to the committee.
Grant recipients are selected without regard to race, religion, or gender identity.
The committee's primary deciding factor is the quality of the nomination itself. A strong nomination clearly describes how the educator embodies the selected trait — and shows their real impact on students and the school community.
Judges look for three things:
- The nomination clearly describes how the educator embodies the selected trait.
- The nomination demonstrates the educator's impact on students and the school community.
- The nomination is passionate and distinctive.
If you run into any issues while submitting, email us at CommunityRelations@LMCU.org.
School Resources
A school resource guide with downloadable graphics is available for schools, PTAs, and community groups to help promote the Roots in Education program and encourage nominations.
Download scholarship resources here, or email CommunityRelations@LMCU.org for more information.
Program Terms
Modification or elimination of program
Lake Michigan Credit Union reserves the right to modify or eliminate the Roots in Education Grant program at any time without notice. Not withstanding the foregoing, any award due and payable under the program prior to such modification or elimination shall continue to be payable according to the program's terms in effect at the time Lake Michigan Credit Union made the grant. All entries shall become the property of Lake Michigan Credit Union. The $1,000 grants may be subject to tax. LMCU is required to issue 1099 forms for all recipients of the LMCU Roots in Education Grants.
