Create a Beginning Foundation
Create a Beginning Foundation is a private foundation based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in several states, including Michigan and Illinois.
Create a Beginning Foundation at a glance
In short: Create a Beginning Foundation gave $24K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Michigan. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $23,750
- -39.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- -9.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,375
- -33.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $406,725
- +8.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (2 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (59% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Create a Beginning Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 448 S Williamsbury Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301
Phone: (248) 736-5846
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Create a Beginning Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Racquetup ($5K). Together the top 10 received $24K.
Grant Size Distribution
53 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 53 grants of 53 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan (59%), Illinois (21%), California (8%), South Carolina (8%), and Minnesota (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Create a Beginning Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 10 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 80% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 79% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 108% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2018–2025). 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 2018 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $6K (2018) to $39K (2024). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $24K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Racquetup Detroit, MI | To Support the Mission of This Org | $5,000 |
| Ukranian Catholic University Found Chicago, IL | To Support the Mission of This Org | $5,000 |
| Cranbrook Educational Community Bloomfield Hills, MI | To Support the Mission of This Org | $3,000 |
| VFW Home for Children Eaton Rapids, MI | To Support the Mission of This Org | $2,500 |
| Team Rubicon Los Angeles, CA | To Support the Mission of This Org | $2,000 |
| Kids on Point Charleston, SC | To Support the Mission of This Org | $2,000 |
| Friends in Deed Ypsilanti, MI | To Support the Mission of This Org | $2,000 |
| Wdet 1019 FM (Detroit Public Radio Detroit, MI | To Support the Mission of This Org. | $750 |
| Michigan Radio Development Ann Arbor, MI | To Support the Mission of This Org | $750 |
| Minnesota Public Radio St. Paul, MN | To Support the Mission of This Org | $750 |
Ready to take the next step with Create a Beginning Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $406,725 | $239,269 | $30,274 | $23,750 | 10 | $26,650 | $9,169 | $24,678 |
| 2024 | $375,121 | $67,198 | $47,555 | $39,466 | 11 | $44,979 | $40,601 | $22,656 |
| 2023 | $357,103 | $39,009 | $27,919 | $22,704 | 17 | $22,704 | $6,423 | $18,901 |
| 2022 | $346,013 | $75,335 | $15,203 | $13,299 | 10 | $13,299 | $59,782 | $18,335 |
| 2021 | $194,258 | $271,564 | $9,685 | $6,526 | 5 | $6,526 | $8,316 | $14,614 |
| 2020 | $113,278 | $5,721 | $8,700 | $7,500 | 7 | — | $2,587 | $7,685 |
| 2018 | $115,493 | $9,600 | $6,549 | $5,510 | 5 | — | $2,310 | $5,350 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Create a Beginning Foundation reported a distributable amount of $25K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2025 grantees include organizations working in education, youth enrichment, disaster response, community assistance, and public media. For example, Cranbrook Educational Community describes its mission as providing education and encouraging creativity and innovation; Kids on Point says it offers academic, athletic, and enrichment programs for young people in underserved neighborhoods. Team Rubicon describes itself as a veteran-led humanitarian organization serving communities during disasters and crises. Friends In Deed says it provides assistance and referrals to low-income residents of Washtenaw County, while Minnesota Public Radio describes its mission as amplifying voices to inform, include, and inspire.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave 10 grants totaling $23,750. Grants ranged from $750 to $5,000, with a median grant of $2,000. The largest awards included $5,000 each to RacquetUp in Detroit and Ukrainian Catholic University Foundation in Chicago, and $3,000 to Cranbrook Educational Community in Bloomfield Hills. Other notable grants included $2,500 to VFW Home for Children; $2,000 each to Team Rubicon, Kids on Point, and Friends In Deed; and $750 each to WDET 1019 FM, Michigan Radio Development, and Minnesota Public Radio.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Michael Palo as president, Christina Ohar-Palo as secretary-treasurer, and Brian Izzo as trustee.
Create a Beginning Foundation is led by Michael Palo, President on every filing since 2018; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michael Palo
President
On filings since 2018
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brian Izzo
Trustee
On filings since 2018
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christina Ohar-Palo
Secretary-Tr
Secretary & Treasurer → Secretary-Tr, 2025
On filings since 2018
0.6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2018–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Create a Beginning Foundation
How much does Create a Beginning Foundation give each year?
Create a Beginning Foundation gave $24K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $39K across 11 grants.
What is Create a Beginning Foundation's typical grant size?
Create a Beginning Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $2,375, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Create a Beginning Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Create a Beginning Foundation give grants?
Create a Beginning Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 59% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Illinois (21%) and California (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Detroit, MI (2 grants).
Does Create a Beginning Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Create a Beginning Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Support the Mission of This Org." (10 grants).
Who are Create a Beginning Foundation's largest grantees?
Create a Beginning Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Racquetup ($5,000), Ukranian Catholic University Found ($5,000) and Cranbrook Educational Community ($3,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Create a Beginning Foundation?
Create a Beginning Foundation reported $407K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $27K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $25K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Create a Beginning Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2025 grantees include organizations working in education, youth enrichment, disaster response, community assistance, and public media. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Create a Beginning Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Create a Beginning Foundation's EIN?
Create a Beginning Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-5411850. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2018–2025.
Does Create a Beginning Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2018 (received by the IRS November 15, 2019)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 18, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Create a Beginning Foundation'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.
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