Foundations that fund environmental groups in Michigan
These 25 foundations made grants to environmental groups in Michigan in the most recent IRS filing I have for each. None of them ticked the box for giving only to preselected organizations, and each filing gives application instructions or a website. That doesn't prove a foundation takes applications, and some on this list may not. The text below is copied from the filings, most of them for tax year 2024, so check a foundation's website or call before you apply.
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The Fred A & Barbara M Erb Family Foundation
- $460,000 to Ecology Center Inc, Ann Arbor: Program support
- $379,250 to Huron River Watershed Council, Ann Arbor: Program support
- $290,000 to Michigan Environmental Council, Lansing: Program support
How to apply: See web site
Deadlines: See web site
Restrictions: See web site
The Brookby Foundation
- $200,000 to Inland Seas Education Association, Suttons Bay: Campaign for the Future
- $70,000 to Leelanau Conservancy, Leeland: Farmland preservation project
- $50,000 to Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, Traverse City: Accelerating Farmland and Water Quality Protection in Northwest Lower Michigan
How to apply: Grant requests are reviewed three (3) times each year. All grant requests shall be initiated with a letter of inquiry (loi) using the online grant portal. A review of the loi will determine if the request aligns with our grantmaking strategies. Loi should be submitted by the...
Deadlines: Spring (before 2/15); summer (before 5/15); winter (before 9/15)
Restrictions: May request funding once per calendar year
Consumers Energy Foundation
- $250,000 to Six Rivers Regional Land Conservancy, Rochester: Monarch meadows preservation and restoration project
- $25,000 to Headwaters Land Conservancy, Gaylord: Coastal nature preserve expansion
- $25,000 to Chippewa Nature Center Inc, Midland: Building a new home for youth to experience nature at chippewa nature center
How to apply: See statements 10-12
Deadlines: See statements 10-12
Restrictions: See statements 10-12
The Kresge Foundation
- $250,000 to Center for Land Reform Inc, Flint: Project support grant for the center for community progress to increase equitable land...
- $150,000 to Midwest Building Decarbonization Coalition, Bloomfield: Project support to aid equitable building decarbonization across the midwest
- $100,000 to Michigan Environmental Council, Lansing: Project support grant for its detroit-based staff as they work to grow and strengthen the...
How to apply: See www.kresge.org or email grantsmanagement@kresge.org
Deadlines: See www.kresge.org or email grantsmanagement@kresge.org
Restrictions: See www.kresge.org or email grantsmanagement@kresge.org
Oleson Foundation
- $85,000 to Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, Traverse City: Acquisition of the ridge property
- $50,000 to New Community Vision, Okemos: Purchase timber shores property for public recreational use
- $20,000 to Little Traverse Conservancy, Harbor Springs: Purchase 18-acres to add to black hole nature preserve
How to apply: Application form posted on foundation's website
Deadlines: April 1st of each calendar year
Restrictions: Preference is given to charitable and exempt organizations which are located in northwestern lower michigan.
Americana Foundation
- $25,000 to Citizens for A Safe and Clean Lake Superior, Marquette: Educating and advocating for wetland protections in marquette county
- $25,000 to Muskegon River Watershed Assembly, Big Rapids: Friends of the muskegon river
- $25,000 to Freshwater Future, Petoskey: Increasing capacity of northern michigan environmental groups to ensure long-term efforts...
How to apply: The grant application form and information is available at http://americanafoundation.org/guidelines.asp
Deadlines: Grant requests are due january 8th, april 1st, july 1st and october 1st.
Restrictions: The foundation makes grants only to nonprofit organizations that have been determined by the irs to be charitable, scientific or educational and are tax exempt under irc section 501(c)(3) and not a private foundation. Nonprofit...
The Ralph C Wilson Jr Foundation
- $1,000,000 to Friends of the Rouge, Plymouth: Connecting the Rouge: Rouge Gateway Trail Connectors
- $1,000,000 to Friends of the Detroit River, Taylor: Downriver linked greenways system improvements
- $1,000,000 to Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative, Chelsea: Iron Belle Trail Expansion in Washtenaw and Wayne Counties
How to apply: See website www.ralphcwilsonjrfoundation.org or email info@rcwjrf.org
Restrictions: See website www.ralphcwilsonjrfoundation.org or email info@rcwjrf.org
Arie and Ida Crown Memorial
- $150,000 to Michigan Environmental Council, Lansing: General operating
- $150,000 to Michigan League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, Ann Arbor: General operating
- $100,000 to Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, Detroit: General operating
How to apply: Visit https://www.crownfamilyphilanthropies.org to apply online
Deadlines: Visit https://www.crownfamilyphilanthropies.org for more information
Restrictions: Visit https://www.crownfamilyphilanthropies.org for more information
Elizabeth Allan & Warren Shelden Fund
- $25,000 to Upper Black River Council, Hillman: Unrestricted
- $25,000 to Grosse Pointe Farms Foundation, Grosse Pointe: Unrestricted
- $10,500 to Michigan Environmental Council, Lansing: Unrestricted
How to apply: No formal application procedure
Deadlines: None, but prefer november submission prior to board of trustees meeting.
Restrictions: No awards to individuals.
The Joyce Foundation
- $300,000 to Michigan League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, Ann Arbor: Environment
- $260,000 to Michigan Environmental Council, Lansing: Environment
- $100,000 to Freshwater Future, Petoskey: Environment
How to apply: See attachment
Restrictions: See attachment
The Carls Foundation
- $325,000 to Keweenaw Land Trust, Hancock: Purchase of jacob's creek parcel for a preserve
- $250,000 to New Community Vision, Northport: Support for purchase and preservation of timber shores property
- $120,000 to Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy, Marquette: Support for accelerating conservation campaign
How to apply: No formal application or request form is required
Deadlines: There are no deadlines for submission of requests
Restrictions: The foundation has a broadly defined charitable purpose but the organization's primary focus is children's health & welfare (primarily in mi), preservation of natural areas and open spaces, and historical buildings. The foundation does not...
The Cynthia & George Mitchell Foundation
- $160,000 to The Last Kilometer Corp, Ann Arbor: For the National Sustainability Society to continue The Pathway Towards Accreditation for...
- $23,000 to Conservative Energy Network, Lansing: To support the Texas Land & Liberty Coalition's expansion and increased deployment of...
- $5,000 to Conservative Energy Network, Lansing: To sponsor the National Conservative Energy Summit 2024
How to apply: Grant inquiries and grant funding requests are made through the Foundation's website, www.cgmf.org.
Restrictions: The Foundation accepts grant requests that focus on the following initiatives: water, clean energy, sustainability science, shale sustainability, and land conservation.
Worthington Family Foundation
- $25,000 to Inland Seas Education Association, Suttons Bay: Hands on school programs
- $18,395 to Ecology Center, Ann Arbor: Enviornmental education programs
- $9,000 to Seeds, Traverse City: Share ecologic knowledge in schools
How to apply: Requests for grants are processed on an annual basis. The submissions are carefully reviewed by the board of directors during may through early june, with the awards given by july 1. The requests should be made on the organization website at worthington-family-foundation.org.
Deadlines: Between february 1 and may 15
Restrictions: Distributions can be used for the continuance and development of programs, extend assistance in the coordination of the work of the institution; and to aid in the planning and development of a general social welfare program which shall...
The Art and Mary Schmuckal Family Foundation
- $25,000 to Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, Traverse City: To assist with the protection of land on old mission peninsula
- $3,000 to Inland Seas Education Association, Suttons Bay: Scholarship for 2026 programs
- $2,500 to Freedom Summit Adventures, Grand Rapids: Human trafficking survivors weekend retreat
How to apply: Application form available on the foundation's web site.
Deadlines: Twice yearly prior to semi-annual grant cycles. Deadlines are posted on the foundation's web site.
Restrictions: Preference is given to charitable and exempt organizations which enhance the well being of children, strengthen the economic ability of citizens and/or contribute to moral and spiritual life of the community.
Tuktawa Foundation
- $12,500 to Leelanau Conservancy, Leland: Social welfare
- $12,000 to Inland Seas Education Association, Suttons Bay: Social welfare
- $5,000 to Fox Island Lighthouse Association, Traverse City: Social welfare
How to apply: No required form
Deadlines: No deadline
Frey Foundation
- $10,000 to Muskegon River Watershed Assembly, Big Rapids: Organizational capacity building
- $5,000 to Little Traverse Conservancy, Harbor Springs: Save the Trees/Annual Support
- $2,000 to Land Conservancy of West Michigan, Grand Rapids: General Support
How to apply: Standard application form available upon request from address above or at the foundation's website: www.freyfdn.org
Deadlines: Due twelve weeks prior to scheduled date of board funding meetings, held in feb, may, aug, and nov.
Restrictions: For community-based or regional projects, the foundation focuses on proposals from organizations and agencies serving kent, emmet or charlevoix counties. The foundation also accepts proposals from charitable organizations with a...
Wk Kellogg Foundation
- $9,000 to Leila Arboretum Society Inc, Battle Creek: Matching Grant
- $2,898 to Clean Water for the World, Kalamazoo: Matching Grant
- $1,000 to New Community Vision, Northport: Matching Grant
How to apply: See "how to apply" at www.wkkf.org/grantseekers/#how-to-apply
Deadlines: Proposals for grants may be submitted at any time through the website, www.wkkf.org
Restrictions: See "our priorities" (what we fund) on our website, www.wkkf.org/what-we-fund/
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- $450,000 to Center for Land Reform Inc, Flint: 79807 supporting the national land bank network in advancing racially equitable outcomes...
- $112,500 to Center for Land Reform Inc, Flint: 80239 building a more robust land-banking sector in new jersey to address vacant,...
How to apply: Most of rwjf's grants are made through targeted grant programs and funding partnerships. Rwjf's funding priorities and calls for proposals are described on www.rwjf.org.
Deadlines: No deadlines, except when foundation issues a call for proposal (cfp) or request for proposal (rfp).
Restrictions: Rwjf is dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right. We are a national philanthropy that advances transformative systems...
The Mcknight Foundation
- $250,000 to Michigan Saves Inc, Lansing: to support the launch of an Indiana Green Bank to access federal, state, and private...
- $100,000 to Conservative Energy Network, Lansing: for general operating support
How to apply: Please see the end of the return for the additional attachments containing the information for Lines 2b - 2d.
Steven C Leuthold Family Foundation
- $262,000 to Keweenaw Land Trust, Hancock: Operations
- $82,000 to Keweenaw Community Forest Company, Mohawk: Operations
How to apply: Letter stating purpose for which funds are requested and relevant information on activities of organization.
Hudson-Webber Foundation
- $100,000 to Chandler Park Conservancy, Detroit: Operating support
- $2,200 to The Green Door Initiative, Detroit: General support
How to apply: Please see https://hudson-webber.org/how-to-apply/.
Deadlines: Please see https://hudson-webber.org/how-to-apply/.
Restrictions: The hudson-webber foundation concentrates its giving for activities based in detroit, or otherwise have a significant benefit to the detroit community. The foundation concentrates its efforts and resources in support of projects within...
Marvin and Rosalie Okun Foundation
- $25,000 to Zero Day Inc, Battle Creek: Charitable
- $17,500 to Kalamazoo Nature Center, Kalamazoo: Charitable
How to apply: No designated application necessary
Deadlines: Requests are reviewed and considered on a bi-annual basis. The spring submission deadline is march 1
Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc
- $15,000 to Inland Seas Education Association, Suttons Bay: Charitable activities
- $10,000 to Seeds, Traverse City: Charitable activities
How to apply: Complete the grant application and include a summary of project or purpose with total cost and other sources of funding. Other information required include a line item budget, copy of organizations current operating budget, a copy of recent financial statement, prior year form...
Deadlines: Submissions must be filed 60 days prior to quarterly meetings.
Restrictions: Generally, applications will be considered only from the nothern michigan area and must be for education, civic improvements, fine arts, health and human services, and recreation or youth services.
Farmer Family Foundation
- $20,000 to Little Traverse Conservancy Inc, Harbor Springs: Exempt purpose of organization
- $1,000 to Little Traverse Conservancy Inc, Harbor Springs: Exempt purpose of organization
How to apply: Letter stating purpose and amount of grant/general information on organization
Morley Foundation
- $7,500 to Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy, Bay City: Education
- $3,000 to Higgins Lake Foundation, Roscommon: Civic Improvement
How to apply: One page letter
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