Foren Family Foundation
Foren Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Clarkston, Michigan. Its 2025 filing reports grants for animal welfare, education, religious, medical, civic, and general charitable purposes.
Foren Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Foren Family Foundation gave $400K across 33 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), top state Michigan. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $400,000
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 33
- -2.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,121
- +3.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $6,000
- Total assets
- $3,499,336
- -5.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (4 of 33, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (32% 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 Foren Family 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. Its filing describes an application by letter, with a copy of the organization’s 501(c)(3) exemption letter; it lists John E Grenke as the contact and restricts awards to 501(c)(3) organizations in the stated areas.
- Review Cycle
- The filing lists August 1 each year. The August 1, 2026 cycle is past.
- Deadline
- The filing lists August 1 each year.
- Contact
Application contact: John E Grenke
Mailing address: 838 W Long Lake Rd Ste 100, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
Phone: (248) 642-5770
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Foren Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Marine Mammal Center ($73K). Together the top 10 received $295K.
Grant Size Distribution
189 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 183 grants of 189 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In filing year 2025, grant dollars by recipient state were reported as Michigan 32%, California 20%, Tennessee 18%, Ohio 10%, and Florida 9%. The filing also lists grants to organizations in Alabama.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Foren Family Foundation open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 33 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 20% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 164% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $350K (2020) to $500K (2022). In 2025 it made 33 grants totaling $400K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Mammal Center Salsalito, CA | Animal Welfare | $73,000 |
| Elephant Sanctuary of Tennessee Hohenwald, TN | Animal Welfare | $35,000 |
| The Ohio State University Foundation Columbus, OH | Educational | $32,500 |
| Hope on the Beach Santa Rosa Beach, FL | Religious | $30,000 |
| Wayne State University Detroit, MI | Education | $25,000 |
| University of Michigan Dearborn Dearborn, MI | Education | $25,000 |
| Macomb Macomb County Community College Foundation Warren, MI | Education | $25,000 |
| Honoring the Sacrifice Ooltewah, TN | Gen Charitable | $24,000 |
| St Jude's Childrens Hospital Memphis, TN | Medical | $15,000 |
| Genesee County Education Foundation Flint, MI | Education | $10,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Foren Family 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 | $3,499,336 | $398,968 | $482,254 | $400,000 | 33 | $404,408 | $337,944 | $246,101 |
| 2024 | $3,704,452 | $207,444 | $467,700 | $400,000 | 34 | $404,906 | $326,137 | $245,284 |
| 2023 | $3,923,092 | $218,238 | $470,106 | $400,000 | 39 | $404,170 | $194,084 | $234,181 |
| 2022 | $3,977,444 | $212,669 | $585,897 | $500,000 | 45 | $504,549 | $249,607 | $247,728 |
| 2021 | $4,332,314 | $186,701 | $596,844 | $500,000 | 38 | $508,301 | $512,741 | $292,264 |
| 2020 | $4,320,858 | $159,123 | $426,200 | $350,000 | 35 | — | $180,606 | $265,800 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Foren Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $246K 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
No mission statement is provided. The 2025 filing lists award restrictions for 501(c)(3) organizations and identifies animal welfare, medical, religious, and civic purposes. Its reported grants also include educational and general charitable purposes.
Grantees describe a range of work. PATHWAYS INC says its mission is to empower women and children on their path out of homelessness through hospitality, housing, and hope. ALAQUA ANIMAL REFUGE INC describes its work as advocating for animals and providing shelter, safety, and second chances to animals in need. The Detroit Athletic Club Foundation says it supports Detroit-area improvement and public safety, as well as scholarships and academic and athletic achievement. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 33 grants totaling $400,000. Grant amounts ranged from $2,000 to $73,000, with a median of $6,000.
Among its largest reported grants were $73,000 to Marine Mammal Center for animal welfare, $35,000 to Elephant Sanctuary of Tennessee for animal welfare, and $32,500 to The Ohio State University Foundation for educational purposes. Other reported grants included $30,000 to Hope on the Beach for religious purposes, $25,000 each to Wayne State University, University of Michigan Dearborn, and Macomb County Community College Foundation for education, and $15,000 to St Jude’s Children’s Hospital for medical purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Belinda Foren as president, Donald Foren as vice president, Jessica Trotter as secretary, and John E Grenke as director.
Foren Family Foundation is led by Belinda Foren, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Belinda Foren
President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John E. Grenke
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Donald Foren
Vice President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jessica Trotter
Secretary
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.
Frequently asked questions about Foren Family Foundation
How much does Foren Family Foundation give each year?
Foren Family Foundation gave $400K across 33 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $400K across 34 grants.
What is Foren Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Foren Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $6,000, and its average grant was $12,121, across 33 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Foren Family Foundation that year got $11K on average.
Where does Foren Family Foundation give grants?
Foren Family Foundation's top state is Michigan, with 32% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (21%) and Tennessee (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Detroit, MI (3 grants), Birmingham, AL (3 grants), Dearborn, MI (2 grants) and Cleveland, OH (2 grants).
Does Foren Family Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 6% of Foren Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 33) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Education" (8 grants), "Animal Welfare" (6 grants) and "Educational" (5 grants).
Who are Foren Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Foren Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Marine Mammal Center ($73,000), Elephant Sanctuary of Tennessee ($35,000) and The Ohio State University Foundation ($32,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Foren Family Foundation?
Foren Family Foundation reported $3.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $404K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $246K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Foren Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2025 filing lists award restrictions for 501(c)(3) organizations and identifies animal welfare, medical, religious, and civic purposes. Its reported grants also include educational and general charitable purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Foren Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Foren Family Foundation's EIN?
Foren Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-2766137. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Foren Family 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 13, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 7, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Foren Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Foren Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Foren Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/foren-family-foundation-morg_97218c975b4845878b5e2486726b657a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_202766137_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Foren Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/foren-family-foundation-morg_97218c975b4845878b5e2486726b657a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Foren Family 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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