Ecology Center
The Ecology Center is a Michigan-based public charity headquartered in Ann Arbor. Founded in 1970, it develops environmental solutions intended to protect healthy people and a healthy planet, and reports providing community programs and education on local and statewide environmental issues. Its website describes work that includes consumer education, corporate engagement, public policy, and services promoting health and environmental well-being.
Ecology Center at a glance
In short: Ecology Center gave $434K across 25 grants in 2024 (avg $17K), mostly in Michigan. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $433,500
- +28.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 25
- +92.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $17,340
- -33.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $8,000
- Total assets
- $4,508,888
- -4.9% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Michigan (73% 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 Ecology Center
- Contact
Mailing address: 339 E Liberty St 300, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Phone: (734) 761-3186
Website: https://ecocenter.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ecology Center funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition ($60K). Together the top 10 received $304K.
Grant Size Distribution
68 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 63 grants of 68 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant list was concentrated in Michigan: 73% of grant dollars went to recipients in that state. Reported shares also included Virginia (8%), Pennsylvania (8%), Ohio (4%), and New York (2%). The listed Michigan grants include support for organizations in Detroit, Lansing, and Ann Arbor.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
Cities
How Ecology Center 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 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $105K (2019) to $434K (2024). In 2024 it made 25 grants totaling $434K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition Detroit, MI | Support Clean Air Council | $60,000 |
| Sierra Club Michigan Lansing, MI | Support Zero Waste Initiatives | $50,000 |
| Michigan League of Conservation Voters Ed Fund Ann Arbor, MI | Support Great Lakes Pfas Action Network | $45,000 |
| National Wildlife Federation Reston, VA | Support Great Lakes Pfas Action Network | $35,000 |
| Learning Disabilities Association of America Allison Park, PA | Reduce Lead Poisoning in the Great Lakes Region | $25,000 |
| Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision Detroit, MI | Community-Based Air Monitoring Project | $21,000 |
| Transportation Riders United Detroit, MI | Support Transition to Clean Fuels | $20,000 |
| Southwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition Detroit, MI | Support Clean Air Council | $17,500 |
| Engage Michigan Lansing, MI | Collaborative Clean Air Project | $15,000 |
| Great Lakes Environmental Law Center Detroit, MI | Collaborative Clean Air Project | $15,000 |
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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 | $4,508,888 | $2,933,152 | $2,962,295 | $433,500 | 25 | $67,437 |
| 2023 | $4,739,720 | $4,763,873 | $2,624,086 | $337,500 | 13 | $22,522 |
| 2022 | $1,961,271 | $1,963,615 | $2,355,569 | $221,020 | 11 | $19,297 |
| 2021 | $2,635,770 | $1,909,276 | $2,252,730 | $291,378 | 12 | $32,873 |
| 2020 | $2,823,148 | $2,978,375 | $1,851,810 | $180,000 | 7 | $18,066 |
| 2019 | $1,452,643 | $1,245,050 | $1,759,831 | $105,000 | 5 | $32,117 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to develop innovative solutions for healthy people and a healthy planet. Its website says it frames its work around the connection between environmental conditions and human health, and uses strategies including market transformation, policy and legislative action, and environmental education.
Its 2024 grants supported organizations working on environmental justice, clean air, zero waste, PFAS, lead exposure, clean fuels, and community-based environmental work. For example, the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition describes its mission as ending environmental injustice by empowering communities at the grassroots level. Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision says it works with residents and community institutions to improve quality of life and reduce pollution-related health impacts. Transportation Riders United says it advocates for better public transit and affordable mobility options in metro Detroit.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Ecology Center reported 25 grants totaling $433,500. Grants ranged from $7,500 to $60,000, with a median of $8,000.
The largest reported grants included $60,000 to the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition for Clean Air Council support; $50,000 to Sierra Club Michigan for zero-waste initiatives; $45,000 to the Michigan League of Conservation Voters ED Fund and $35,000 to the National Wildlife Federation for the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network; and $25,000 to the Learning Disabilities Association of America to reduce lead poisoning in the Great Lakes region. Other grants included $21,000 to Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision for community-based air monitoring and $20,000 to Transportation Riders United for a transition to clean fuels.
The filing also lists grants for collaborative clean-air work, including $17,500 to the Southwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition and $15,000 each to Engage Michigan, the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center, and Progress Michigan.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jennifer Cornell Queen as president and Michael Garfield as executive director. Listed directors included Craig Hupp, Rhonda Conner Warren, Komal Doshi, Marcus Jones, and Madeline Walker Miller. Sabrina Gross, Riyaz Kanji, and Frank Parkinson are listed as directors through September 19, 2024.
Ecology Center is led by Michael Garfield, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 2 of 18 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Michael Garfield
Executive Director
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$81K (2019) → $117K (2024)
Jennifer Cornell Queen
President
Vice President → Vice President & President, 2022
Vice President & President → President, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charles Griffith
Climate & Energy Director
Climate Energy Director → Climate & Energy Director, 2023
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$101K (2022) → $102K (2024)
Craig Hupp
Director
Director & Treasurer → Treasurer, 2021
Treasurer → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Stead
Director
President & Director → Director, 2020
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Doug Selby
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Frank Parkinson
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marcus Jones
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Riyaz Kanji
Director
President → President & Immediate Past President, 2022
President & Immediate Past President → Director, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sabrina Gross
Director
Director → Director & Secretary, 2022
Director & Secretary → Director, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Courtney Carignan
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Komal Doshi
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Madeline Walker Miller
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Deatrick
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Monique Taylor-McCants
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rhonda Conner Warren
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jackie Victor
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jason Coleman
Treasurer
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (10)
- Former: Joyce Stein (2019–2023) — Vice President
- Former: Rhonda Conner-Warren (2023) — Director
- Former: Carlene Colvin-Garcia (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Melissa Garcia (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Tony Reames (2019–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Beverly Ghesquiere (2019–2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Margaret Kephart (2019–2020) — Secretary
- Former: Al Beeton (2019) — Director
- Former: Jennifer Cornell (2019) — Director
- Former: Stuart Batterman (2019) — Director
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 $117K, to Michael Garfield (Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Ecology Center
How much does Ecology Center give each year?
Ecology Center gave $434K across 25 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $338K across 13 grants.
What is Ecology Center's typical grant size?
Ecology Center's median grant in 2024 was $8,000, and its average grant was $17,340, across 25 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Ecology Center give grants?
Ecology Center gives mostly in Michigan: 73% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were Virginia (8%) and Pennsylvania (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Detroit, MI (10 grants), Lansing, MI (3 grants) and Grand Rapids, MI (2 grants).
Does Ecology Center give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 25 grants with a stated purpose on Ecology Center's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Reduce Lead Poisoning in the Great Lakes Region" (12 grants) and "Collaborative Clean Air Project" (5 grants).
Who are Ecology Center's largest grantees?
Ecology Center's largest 2024 grantees include Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition ($60,000), Sierra Club Michigan ($50,000) and Michigan League of Conservation Voters Ed Fund ($45,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Ecology Center?
Ecology Center reported $4.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.9M.
What does Ecology Center fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to develop innovative solutions for healthy people and a healthy planet. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ecology Center?
Ecology Center has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check ecocenter.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Ecology Center's EIN?
Ecology Center's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-1912803. 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 May 1, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Ecology Center funds
Environment & Animals Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Ecology Center's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ecology Center funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ecology-center-morg_e01d6d63dca246c9b630c8681a8316b6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_381912803_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ecology Center funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ecology-center-morg_e01d6d63dca246c9b630c8681a8316b6},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Ecology Center'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.
Ecology Center down — hundreds of funders to go?