Birtwistle Family Foundation
The Birtwistle Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Ludington, Michigan. Its 2025 grants supported organizations and individual scholarship recipients, with most grant dollars going to Michigan recipients.
Key facts about Birtwistle Family Foundation
In short: Birtwistle Family Foundation gave $142K across 26 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Michigan. 5% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 38-2787567
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $142,250
- Grants made (2025)
- 26
- Average grant
- $5,471
- Median grant
- $1,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 5% first-time grantees (1 of 22, 2025; small sample)
- Total assets
- $2,058,868
- Primary geography
- Michigan (97% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The filing lists Joclyn Birtwistle as the contact and requests written applications with personal, academic, and professional data. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- April 1 of the applicant’s senior year of high school.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.1M
-8.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$142K
+19.0% YoY
Grant Count
26
-7.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$5K
+28.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Birtwistle Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $117K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Birtwistle Family Foundation open to new grantees?
5%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 22 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $20K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 91% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 24% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 122% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for historical preservation, community organizations, parks, scholarships, youth services, education, and other causes. For example, the Mason County Historical Society says its mission is to foster understanding and appreciation of Mason County history and to collect, preserve, and present historically important materials and buildings. Friends of Ludington State Park says it promotes the wise use and conservation of the park. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 26 grants totaling $142,250. Awards ranged from $250 to $30,000, with a median grant of $1,500.
The largest grants included $30,000 to the Mason County Historical Society for historical preservation and $30,000 to the Mason County Community Foundation for general support. Friends of Ludington State Park received $20,000 for general support. Four individual recipients each received $7,500 for college scholarships. Other grants included $6,000 to the Ludington Police Department for Shop with a Cop and $5,000 to the Ludington Area School District for its Youth Resource Center.
Review Cycle
April 1 of the applicant’s senior year of high school. This stated deadline is past for the current date.
How to Apply
The filing lists Joclyn Birtwistle as the contact and requests written applications with personal, academic, and professional data. The stated restriction is that applicants must be graduates of the Ludington, Michigan area school district.
Ready to take the next step with Birtwistle Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan. The remaining shares were Virginia (1%), New York (1%), Maryland (0%), and Florida (0%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $107K (2021) to $142K (2025). In 2025 it made 26 grants totaling $142K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Mason County Historical Society ($30K). Together the top 10 received $101K.
Organizations only. It also paid 4 individual scholarships ($30,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
123 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 123 grants of 123 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mason County Historical Society Ludington, MI | Historical Preservation | $30,000 |
| Mason County Community Foundation Ludington, MI | General Support | $30,000 |
| Friends of Ludington State Park Ludington, MI | General Support | $20,000 |
| 4 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $30,000 |
| Ludington Police Department Ludington, MI | Shop with a Cop | $6,000 |
| Ludington Area School District Ludington, MI | Youth Resource Center | $5,000 |
| United Way of Mason County Ludington, MI | General Support | $2,500 |
| Ludington Youth Sailing School Inc Ludington, MI | General Support | $2,000 |
| Habitat for Humanity - Mason County Scottville, MI | General Support | $2,000 |
| Salvation Army Ludington, MI | Community Programs | $1,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,058,868 | −$18,722 | $162,701 | $142,250 |
| 2024 | $2,241,348 | $207,093 | $137,435 | $119,550 |
| 2023 | $2,170,717 | $100,543 | $130,487 | $114,300 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,058,868 | $2,241,348 | $2,170,717 |
| Revenue | $-18,722 | $207,093 | $100,543 |
| Expenses | $162,701 | $137,435 | $130,487 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $142,250 | $119,550 | $114,300 |
| Net Investment Income | $21,159 | $189,208 | $69,542 |
| Distributable Amount | $116,921 | $111,842 | $107,296 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joclyn Birtwistle as president, Sarah Pelfresne as vice president, Sheryl Rice as treasurer, and Jeff Slaggert as secretary.
Birtwistle Family Foundation is led by Joclyn Birtwistle, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joclyn Birtwistle
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Slaggert
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Pelfresne
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sheryl Rice
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Application contact: Joclyn Birtwistle
Mailing address: 300 South Rath Avenue Apt 25, Ludington, MI 49341
Phone: (616) 843-2501
Frequently asked questions about Birtwistle Family Foundation
How much does Birtwistle Family Foundation give each year?
Birtwistle Family Foundation gave $142K across 26 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $120K across 28 grants.
What is Birtwistle Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Birtwistle Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $5,471, across 26 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Birtwistle Family Foundation that year got $20K on average.
Where does Birtwistle Family Foundation give grants?
Birtwistle Family Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Ludington, MI (14 grants) and Arlington, VA (2 grants).
Does Birtwistle Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 54% of Birtwistle Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 26) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "College Scholarship" (4 grants).
Who are Birtwistle Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Birtwistle Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Mason County Historical Society ($30,000), Mason County Community Foundation ($30,000) and Friends of Ludington State Park ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 4 individual scholarships ($30,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Birtwistle Family Foundation?
Birtwistle Family Foundation reported $2.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $142K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $117K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Birtwistle Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for historical preservation, community organizations, parks, scholarships, youth services, education, and other causes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Birtwistle Family Foundation?
The filing lists Joclyn Birtwistle as the contact and requests written applications with personal, academic, and professional data. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Birtwistle Family Foundation's EIN?
Birtwistle Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-2787567. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Here's the math on researching Birtwistle Family Foundation by hand.
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