Garber Automotive Foundation
Garber Automotive Foundation is a private foundation based in Saginaw, Michigan. It made 11 grants totaling $893,909 in 2024, all to recipients in Michigan, supporting charitable organizations including parks, community centers, healthcare, youth programs, and cultural organizations.
Garber Automotive Foundation at a glance
In short: Garber Automotive Foundation gave $894K across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $81K), mostly in Michigan. 27% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $893,909
- +34.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 11
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $81,264
- +34.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $15,030,370
- +4.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (3 of 11, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Garber Automotive 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: 999 S Washington Avenue, Saginaw, MI 48601
Phone: (989) 790-9090
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Garber Automotive Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Friends of Hoyt Park ($285K). Together the top 10 received $884K.
Grant Size Distribution
33 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 16 grants of 33 (48%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2024 went to recipients in Michigan. The listed recipients were in Saginaw and Midland, Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Garber Automotive Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 11 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $42K; repeat grants $96K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 73% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 123% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2022–2024). 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 2022 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $563K (2022) to $894K (2024). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $894K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Friends of Hoyt Park Saginaw, MI | Charitable | $285,242 |
| Greater Midland Community Center Midland, MI | Charitable | $250,000 |
| YMCA of Saginaw Saginaw, MI | Charitable | $67,000 |
| Covenant Healthcare Foundation Saginaw, MI | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Saginaw Children's Zoo Saginaw, MI | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan Saginaw, MI | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Saginaw Urban Youth Hockey Program Saginaw, MI | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Saginaw Community Foundation Saginaw, MI | Charitable | $41,667 |
| Japanese Cultural Center & Tea House Saginaw, MI | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Saginaw-Shiawassee Habitat for Humanity Saginaw, MI | Charitable | $15,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $15,030,370 | $938,612 | $1,027,618 | $893,909 | 11 | $893,909 | $801,403 | $727,960 |
| 2023 | $14,335,521 | $85,561 | $801,861 | $663,500 | 11 | $663,500 | $127,305 | $662,827 |
| 2022 | $12,734,466 | $-2,135,575 | $677,408 | $562,912 | 11 | $562,912 | $166,539 | $666,269 |
| 2021 | $15,150,570 | $15,182,405 | $8,279 | — | — | — | $17,633 | $196,969 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Garber Automotive Foundation reported a distributable amount of $728K for 2024 — 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 2024 grants included support for organizations whose stated missions address preserving and programming Hoyt Park (Friends of Hoyt Park), supporting a healthcare system (Covenant Healthcare Foundation), enabling community initiatives (Saginaw Community Foundation), and promoting appreciation of Japanese culture (Japanese Cultural Center Tea House &). Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan describes its mission as reaching out to people experiencing hardship and homelessness in the Great Lakes Bay Region through shelter, care, and Christian ministry. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 11 grants totaling $893,909. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $285,242, with a median grant of $50,000. Its largest awards were $285,242 to Friends of Hoyt Park and $250,000 to Greater Midland Community Center. Other notable awards included $67,000 to YMCA of Saginaw; $50,000 each to Covenant Healthcare Foundation, Saginaw Children’s Zoo, Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan, and Saginaw Urban Youth Hockey Program; and $41,667 to Saginaw Community Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Richard J Garber Jr as president, Patrick Hengesbach as secretary/treasurer, and Ty Mier as director.
Garber Automotive Foundation is led by Richard J. Garber Jr., President on every filing since 2021; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Richard J. Garber Jr.
President
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Ty Mier
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Patrick Hengesbach
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2024. "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 Garber Automotive Foundation
How much does Garber Automotive Foundation give each year?
Garber Automotive Foundation gave $894K across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $664K across 11 grants.
What is Garber Automotive Foundation's typical grant size?
Garber Automotive Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $81,264, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Garber Automotive Foundation that year got $42K on average.
Where does Garber Automotive Foundation give grants?
Garber Automotive Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Saginaw, MI (10 grants).
Does Garber Automotive Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on Garber Automotive Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (11 grants).
Who are Garber Automotive Foundation's largest grantees?
Garber Automotive Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Friends of Hoyt Park ($285,242), Greater Midland Community Center ($250,000) and YMCA of Saginaw ($67,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 67% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Garber Automotive Foundation?
Garber Automotive Foundation reported $15.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $894K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $728K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Garber Automotive Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Garber Automotive 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 Garber Automotive Foundation's EIN?
Garber Automotive Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-1321085. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.
Does Garber Automotive 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Garber Automotive Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/garber-automotive-foundation-morg_5eb65e32476945d6bee728de1ccabbe2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_871321085_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Garber Automotive Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/garber-automotive-foundation-morg_5eb65e32476945d6bee728de1ccabbe2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Garber Automotive 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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