Drive for Life
Drive for Life is a public charity based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, formed in 2017. Its stated purpose is to raise funds for charitable organizations, primarily in the Southwest Michigan region. The organization’s website describes the annual Drive for Life Gala as a major fundraising event benefiting the American Cancer Society and other regional charities.
Drive for Life at a glance
In short: Drive for Life gave $909K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $70K), mostly in Michigan. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $908,500
- +11.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- -13.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $69,885
- +28.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $30,000
- Total assets
- $846,150
- -6.9% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Michigan (92% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Drive for Life
- Contact
Mailing address: 4201 Stadium Dr, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
Website: https://driveforlifefoundation.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Drive for Life funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Spartan Fund ($463K). Together the top 10 received $886K.
Grant Size Distribution
52 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 34 grants of 52 (65%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization states that it primarily supports charitable organizations in Southwest Michigan. In 2024, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan; the filing also reports grants to recipients in Wisconsin, Florida, and Indiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
How Drive for Life gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (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 $40K (2020) to $1.5M (2022). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $909K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Spartan Fund East Lansing, MI | Athletics | $463,000 |
| Southwest Michigan First - Legacy Council Kalamazoo, MI | Operations | $103,500 |
| Bronco Athletic Fund Kalamazoo, MI | Operations | $100,000 |
| American Cancer Society Detroit, MI | Operations | $55,000 |
| JOURNEY21 Oconomowoc, WI | Operations | $50,000 |
| The Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson's Farmington Hills, MI | Operations | $35,000 |
| Zeigler Kalamazoo Marathon Kalamazoo, MI | Marathon | $30,000 |
| Kalamazoo Community Foundation Kalamazoo, MI | Tornado Relief | $20,000 |
| Ocean Reef Community Foundation Key Largo, FL | Operations | $15,000 |
| Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center Augusta, MI | Operations | $14,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The grant totals correspond to 13 grants in 2024, 14 in 2023, and 13 in 2022.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $846,150 | $1,064,085 | $1,101,856 | $908,500 | 13 | $29,897 |
| 2023 | $908,502 | $1,000,901 | $998,050 | $814,600 | 15 | $31,538 |
| 2022 | $827,605 | $1,948,350 | $1,663,029 | $1,502,340 | 13 | — |
| 2021 | $527,712 | $783,611 | $350,826 | $329,000 | 9 | — |
| 2020 | $130,116 | $247,446 | $176,285 | $40,000 | 2 | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization states that it is organized to receive contributions and raise funds to support charitable organizations in the Southwest Michigan region. Its filing describes its program as support for various charitable organizations, primarily in that region.
The 2024 grants illustrate a range of recipients and purposes, including athletics, operations, a marathon, tornado relief, and a hockey program. Among the grantees, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation describes its mission as advancing racial, social, and economic justice by mobilizing people, resources, and expertise. Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center says it seeks to improve lives through the therapeutic use of horses, while Great Lakes Center for the Arts describes its mission as serving Northern Michigan through performing arts experiences and educational opportunities.
Grantmaking
In 2024, Drive for Life awarded 13 grants totaling $908,500. Grants ranged from $6,000 to $463,000, with a median grant of $30,000.
Notable 2024 grants included $463,000 to the Spartan Fund for athletics; $103,500 to an individual recipient – Legacy Council for operations; $100,000 to Bronco Athletic Fund for operations; and $55,000 to the American Cancer Society for operations. Other grants included $50,000 to Journey21 for operations, $30,000 to Zeigler Kalamazoo Marathon, and $20,000 to Kalamazoo Community Foundation for tornado relief.
The organization’s website describes the Gala as supporting the American Cancer Society and other local or regional charities. It also lists organizations supported in the past, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center, First Day Shoe Fund, an individual recipient, and WMU Athletics.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Aaron J. Zeigler as president and director, Harold J. Zeigler as treasurer and director, and Bonnie A. Zeigler as secretary and director. The filing states that management services are provided by Zeigler Auto Group employees; it identifies Aaron Zeigler as the group’s president and Harold Zeigler as its chairman of the board.
Drive for Life is led by Aaron J. Zeigler, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Aaron J. Zeigler
President & Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bonnie A. Zeigler
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Harold J. Zeigler
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Drive for Life
How much does Drive for Life give each year?
Drive for Life gave $909K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $815K across 15 grants.
What is Drive for Life's typical grant size?
Drive for Life's median grant in 2024 was $30,000, and its average grant was $69,885, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Drive for Life give grants?
Drive for Life gives mostly in Michigan: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Wisconsin (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Kalamazoo, MI (5 grants).
Does Drive for Life give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Drive for Life's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Operations" (9 grants).
Who are Drive for Life's largest grantees?
Drive for Life's largest 2024 grantees include Spartan Fund ($463,000), Southwest Michigan First - Legacy Council ($103,500) and Bronco Athletic Fund ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 73% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Drive for Life?
Drive for Life reported $846K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.1M.
What does Drive for Life fund?
The organization states that it is organized to receive contributions and raise funds to support charitable organizations in the Southwest Michigan region. Its filing describes its program as support for various charitable organizations, primarily in that region. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Drive for Life?
Drive for Life has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check driveforlifefoundation.com for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Drive for Life's EIN?
Drive for Life's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-3209896. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 16, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Drive for Life's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Drive for Life funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/drive-for-life-morg_468441adfe84473cb55684aefead790e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_823209896_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Drive for Life funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/drive-for-life-morg_468441adfe84473cb55684aefead790e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Drive for Life'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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