Ann Arbor Spark
Ann Arbor Spark is a public charity based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, formed in 1984. It supports business acceleration, attraction, expansion, and retention, working with companies from start-ups to large organizations and partnering with business, academic, government, and community investors to position the region for innovation.
Ann Arbor Spark at a glance
In short: Ann Arbor Spark gave $678K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $52K), mostly in Michigan. 100% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $678,026
- +182.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- Average grant
- $52,156
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $19,044,143
- +40.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 100% first-time grantees (13 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Ann Arbor Spark
- Contact
Mailing address: 330 East Liberty St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Phone: (734) 761-9317
Website: https://annarborusa.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ann Arbor Spark funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Howell Area Chamber of Commerce ($173K). Together the top 10 received $659K.
Grant Size Distribution
977 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 971 grants of 977 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2024 went to recipients in Michigan. SPARK describes its business development work as serving the region and its capital programs as supporting early-stage high-tech companies throughout Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Ann Arbor Spark open to new grantees?
100%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 13 of 13 grantees (100%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $52K. How we count
- Giving fell 81% from 2021 to 2024. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $127K (2022) to $5.9M (2020). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $678K.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Howell Area Chamber of Commerce Howell, MI | COVID Recovery Funds | $172,777 |
| Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI | COVID Recovery Funds | $130,568 |
| Jewish Family Services Ann Arbor, MI | COVID Recovery Funds | $106,700 |
| Monroe County Business Alliance Monroe, MI | COVID Recovery Funds | $96,535 |
| Mi-HQ Ann Arbor, MI | Assitance to Small Businesses | $75,000 |
| Washtenaw Community College Ann Arbor, MI | COVID Recovery Funds | $42,324 |
| Tortillas Tita LLC Wayne, MI | Assitance to Small Businesses | $10,000 |
| University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI | Research & Development | $10,000 |
| BCHIRA Monroe, MI | Assitance to Small Businesses | $7,923 |
| B-Cubed Bakery Ypsilanti, MI | Assitance to Small Businesses | $7,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $19,044,143 | $12,807,921 | $11,301,566 | $678,026 | 13 | $567,481 |
| 2023 | $13,599,567 | $8,451,260 | $9,490,354 | $240,000 | Total only | $-164,860 |
| 2022 | $16,558,054 | $9,443,903 | $10,507,768 | $127,496 | 8 | $-18,866 |
| 2021 | $15,665,812 | $11,784,140 | $13,583,079 | $3,494,677 | 376 | $-1,139,945 |
| 2020 | $16,521,548 | $20,798,132 | $18,797,874 | $5,870,935 | 580 | $2,390,348 |
| 2019 | $13,747,838 | $7,136,038 | $7,987,774 | — | — | $-904,090 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
SPARK’s stated mission is to advance the region by encouraging and supporting business acceleration, attraction, expansion, and retention. It aims to meet the needs of companies at every stage and to position the region as a destination for innovation.
Its business incubator and accelerator services include direct and consultant support, affordable space for early-stage companies, and educational and networking events. Its business development work includes communicating with local businesses, making introductions, assisting with site selection, collaborating with municipalities, and connecting companies with academic partners. SPARK also promotes the region as a place to start a business and work for a start-up. Its capital programs support high-tech companies at early stages; SPARK manages the Michigan Angel Fund, which reported investing $521,000 in six companies.
The 2024 grants included support for business organizations, educational institutions, and small businesses. The Howell Area Chamber of Commerce describes its mission as catalyzing a vital business environment and exceptional community. Monroe County Business Alliance says its mission is to grow the county’s economy by creating new and diversified job opportunities. Washtenaw Community College describes its mission as supporting students through scholarships and other philanthropic support to help create a better-educated workforce and stronger community. Jewish Family Services says it transforms lives and strengthens community through care, counseling, and adoption services. Grant purposes in the filing included COVID Recovery Funds, assistance to small businesses, and research and development.
Grantmaking
In 2024, SPARK reported 13 grants totaling $678,026. Grant amounts ranged from $5,199 to $172,777, with a median of $10,000. The largest grants listed were $172,777 to Howell Area Chamber of Commerce, $130,568 to Grand Valley State University, $106,700 to Jewish Family Services, and $96,535 to Monroe County Business Alliance; each was for COVID Recovery Funds. Other listed grants included $75,000 to MI-HQ for assistance to small businesses, $42,324 to Washtenaw Community College for COVID Recovery Funds, and $10,000 to the University of Michigan for research and development.
For the grant process described in the filing, a community-partner review committee scores companies using committee-set criteria and verifies company address, website, contact information, and registration with LARA. Companies are asked to verify their submission data and provide a signed grant agreement, bank information, and W-9 through DocuSign. Funds are distributed by ACH after approval by the Chief of Staff.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Kelly Sexton as Chair, Simon Whitelocke as Vice Chair, David Snodgrass as Treasurer, Tiffany Ford as Secretary, and David Ruud as Past Chair. Listed board members are Dr Rose Bellanca, Gregory Dill, Milton Dohoney, Patti Glaza, and Leigh Greden.
Ann Arbor Spark is led by Paul Krutko, President & CEO since 2024 (on filings since 2019); 7 of 36 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Paul Krutko
President & CEO
President → President & CEO, 2024
On filings since 2019
39 hrs/week
$534K (2019) → $395K (2024)
Kelly Sexton
Chair
Board Member → Vice Chair, 2021
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Olmstead
Business Development Director
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$106K (2024)
Laura Berarduci
Communications Director
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$107K (2024)
William Mayer
Entrepreneurial Srvs V.p.
Vice President of Entrep → Entrepreneurial Srvs V.p., 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$113K (2019) → $162K (2024)
Phil Santer
Business Development V.p.
Vice President of Bus. D → Business Development V.p., 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$165K (2020) → $194K (2024)
Michael Flanagan
Capital Programs V.p.
Vice President of Capita → Capital Programs V.p., 2024
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$141K (2021) → $157K (2024)
Jenn Hayman
Marketing V.p.
Vice President of Market → Marketing V.p., 2024
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$128K (2023) → $136K (2024)
David Parsigian
Board Member
Chair → Past Chair, 2021
Past Chair → Board Member, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Ruud
Past Chair
Vice Chair → Chair, 2021
Chair → Past Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Snodgrass
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rose Bellanca
Board Member
Secretary → Board Member, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brenda Stumbo
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gregory Dill
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Hauptman
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John McLaughlin
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leigh Greden
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lon Lowen
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark LePage
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul Roney
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Young
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tiffany Ford
Secretary
Board Member → Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Timothy G. Marshall
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tom Crawford
CFO
Board Member → CFO, 2022
On filings since 2020
39.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chris Kolb
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Milton Dohoney
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Simon Whitelocke
Vice Chair
Board Member → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris Sing
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Justin Hodge
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marcy Marshall
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patti Glaza
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brandon Hofmeister
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris Kowitz
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter Mertens
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rick Sheridan
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Trish Reilly
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (35)
- Former: Christina York (2020–2023) — Board Member · Filing note: Ended
- Former: Mandy Grewal PhD (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Mara M. Farmer (2020–2023) — Board Member · Filing note: Ended
- Former: Tim Petersen (2020–2023) — Board Member · Filing note: Ended
- Former: Venkat Dv Rao (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: David Wilhoit (2021–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Margarita Hernandez (2022–2023) — Director of Entre
- Former: Nathan Burd (2022–2023) — Board Member · Filing note: Ended
- Former: David Womack (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Marcia Gebarowski (2023) — Director of Bus
- Former: Elizabeth Perpich (2019–2021) — Director of
- Former: Joseph Simms (2019–2021) — Senior Vice President
- Former: Christine Sing (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Mickey Swortzel (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Mike Archinal (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Sue Shink (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Jennifer Cornell Queen (2021) — Senior Vice President of Marke
- Former: Komal Doshi (2021) — Business Development
- Former: Cynthia Wilbanks (2019–2020) — Past Chair
- Former: Mike Flanagan (2019–2020) — Vice President of Capita
- Former: Angela Flood (2020) — Business Development
- Former: Jenn Cornell Queen (2020) — Senior Vice President of Marke
- Former: Joanne Rau (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Matthew Vanbesien (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Bhushan Kulkarni (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Chris Taylor (2019) — Board Member
- Former: James M. Smith PhD (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Jenn Cornell (2019) — Vice President of Market
- Former: Jonathan S. Newpol (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Mark Schlissel (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Ric Devore (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Richard B. Sheridan (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Rob Casalou (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Scott Griffith (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Trevor Lauer (2019) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $395K, to Paul Krutko (President & CEO). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Ann Arbor Spark
How much does Ann Arbor Spark give each year?
Ann Arbor Spark gave $678K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it reported $240K in grants paid.
What is Ann Arbor Spark's typical grant size?
Ann Arbor Spark's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $52,156, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ann Arbor Spark that year got $52K on average.
Where does Ann Arbor Spark give grants?
Ann Arbor Spark gives mostly in Michigan: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Ann Arbor, MI (4 grants), Ypsilanti, MI (4 grants) and Monroe, MI (2 grants).
Does Ann Arbor Spark give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Ann Arbor Spark's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Assitance to Small Businesses" (7 grants) and "COVID Recovery Funds" (5 grants).
Who are Ann Arbor Spark's largest grantees?
Ann Arbor Spark's largest 2024 grantees include Howell Area Chamber of Commerce ($172,777), Grand Valley State University ($130,568) and Jewish Family Services ($106,700), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Ann Arbor Spark?
Ann Arbor Spark reported $19.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $12.8M.
What does Ann Arbor Spark fund?
SPARK’s stated mission is to advance the region by encouraging and supporting business acceleration, attraction, expansion, and retention. It aims to meet the needs of companies at every stage and to position the region as a destination for innovation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ann Arbor Spark?
Ann Arbor Spark has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check annarborusa.com for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Ann Arbor Spark's EIN?
Ann Arbor Spark's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-2436899. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 26, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 8, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 11, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ann Arbor Spark funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ann-arbor-spark-morg_c947a519f6074c5cbbab140d04924d6f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_382436899_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ann Arbor Spark funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ann-arbor-spark-morg_c947a519f6074c5cbbab140d04924d6f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Ann Arbor Spark's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Ann Arbor Spark down — hundreds of funders to go?