Michigan 2024 budget gives $100K to Roseville Optimist Club

State taxpayers will give the Roseville Optimist Club $100,000 in the 2024 Michigan budget.

“Senator Veronica Klinefelt secured $100,000 for the Roseville Optimist Club to assist with a community project to benefit the youth of Roseville and Fraser,” the club posted Aug. 1 on its Facebook page.

The club’s Facebook page mentions several activities, such as a campaign to give backpacks to schoolchildren and an event called Respect for Law.

The club, which has a sparse website, appears to be a chapter of Optimist International, which says on its own website that it works to promote respect for law, patriotism, youth development and interest in good government.

Charity Navigator says the Roseville club has a 501(c)4 status, a designation commonly attributed to social welfare organizations. The charity watchdog gives the Optimist International Foundation, based in St. Louis, Missouri, an 89% rating for its financial efficiency and trustworthiness.