Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation
The Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation is a private foundation based in Rochester, Michigan. Its 2025 filing reports grants for medical and cancer research, community welfare, and education, including support for organizations in Michigan and several other states.
Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation at a glance
In short: Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation gave $224K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), mostly in Michigan. 28% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $223,500
- -3.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- -14.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,417
- +13.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,000
- Total assets
- $2,353,368
- -5.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 28% first-time grantees (5 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (55% 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 Frank L & Helen Gofrank 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: 5196 Brecon Court, Rochester, MI 48306
Phone: (248) 909-9718
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Michigan ($50K). Together the top 10 received $214K.
Grant Size Distribution
107 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 100 grants of 107 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, reported shares of grant dollars by recipient state were Michigan 55%, Texas 22%, Florida 12%, and California 11%; Illinois was reported as 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation open to new grantees?
28%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 18 grantees (28%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $13K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 72% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 26% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 112% 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 $179K (2021) to $304K (2022). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $224K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI | Medical Research | $50,000 |
| MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, TX | Cancer Research | $49,000 |
| Cleveland Clinic Weston, FL | Medical Research | $25,000 |
| St John's Health Center Fdn Santa Monica, CA | Medical Research | $25,000 |
| Karmanos Cancer Detroit, MI | Medical Research | $25,000 |
| Alternatives for Girls Detroit, MI | Community Welfare | $15,000 |
| Community Fdn Greater Rochester Rochester, MI | Community Welfare | $12,000 |
| Kettering University Flint, MI | Education | $5,000 |
| Leader Dogs for the Blind Rochester Hills, MI | Community Welfare | $5,000 |
| Alumni Associaties U of M Ann Arbor, MI | To Support Education | $3,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Frank L & Helen Gofrank 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 | $2,353,368 | $108,588 | $235,338 | $223,500 | 18 | $223,500 | $92,006 | $199,059 |
| 2024 | $2,480,118 | $191,029 | $241,965 | $230,500 | 21 | $230,500 | $87,310 | $200,266 |
| 2023 | $2,531,054 | $66,523 | $275,455 | $264,500 | 21 | $264,500 | $86,949 | $187,056 |
| 2022 | $2,739,994 | $97,962 | $314,615 | $303,750 | 23 | $303,750 | $92,017 | $194,010 |
| 2021 | $2,956,647 | $162,424 | $192,630 | $179,250 | 24 | $179,250 | $89,639 | $211,292 |
| 2020 | $2,986,853 | $1,047,405 | $207,973 | $198,500 | 23 | — | $81,584 | $175,226 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation reported a distributable amount of $199K 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 for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants list purposes including medical research, cancer research, community welfare, and education. Among its grantees, Alternatives for Girls says it helps homeless and high-risk youth avoid violence, teen pregnancy, and exploitation, while Leader Dogs for the Blind says it empowers people who are blind or visually impaired with skills for safe, independent travel. Albion College describes itself as an undergraduate liberal arts institution committed to academic excellence.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 18 grants totaling $223,500. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $50,000, with a median of $4,000. Its largest grants included $50,000 to the University of Michigan for medical research, $49,000 to MD Anderson Cancer Center for cancer research, and $25,000 each to Cleveland Clinic, St John’s Health Center Foundation, and Karmanos Cancer for medical research. Other grants included $15,000 to Alternatives for Girls and $12,000 to Community Foundation of Greater Rochester, both for community welfare.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Shirley E Gofrank as president, Ronald F Gofrank as vice president/treasurer, and Catherine A Gofrank as vice president.
Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation is led by Shirley E. Gofrank, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Shirley E. Gofrank
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Catherine A. Gofrank
Vice President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Ronald F. Gofrank
Vice President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
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 Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation
How much does Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation give each year?
Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation gave $224K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $231K across 21 grants.
What is Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation's typical grant size?
Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $4,000, and its average grant was $12,417, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation that year got $11K on average.
Where does Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation give grants?
Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 55% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Texas (22%) and Florida (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Detroit, MI (3 grants), Ann Arbor, MI (2 grants), Rochester, MI (2 grants) and Bloomfield Hills, MI (2 grants).
Does Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community Welfare" (5 grants), "Medical Research" (4 grants) and "To Support Education" (4 grants).
Who are Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation's largest grantees?
Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of Michigan ($50,000), MD Anderson Cancer Center ($49,000) and Cleveland Clinic ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation?
Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation reported $2.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $224K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $199K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants list purposes including medical research, cancer research, community welfare, and education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Frank L & Helen Gofrank 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 Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation's EIN?
Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-2828028. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Frank L & Helen Gofrank 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 26, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Frank L & Helen Gofrank Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/frank-l-and-helen-gofrank-foundation-morg_3f283fd08f884088a58cd3ff8d69f23f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_382828028_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Frank L \& Helen Gofrank Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/frank-l-and-helen-gofrank-foundation-morg_3f283fd08f884088a58cd3ff8d69f23f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Frank L & Helen Gofrank 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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