Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc
Together we will define the future of residential liberal arts education by developing and supporting faculty and staff as institutional citizens and by offering opportunities that successfully launch students into rewarding careers.
Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc at a glance
In short: Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc gave $346K across 6 grants in 2025 (avg $58K), mostly in Michigan. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $346,379
- +57.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 6
- -14.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $57,730
- +83.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $36,376
- Total assets
- $20,797,680
- +7.2% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Michigan (51% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc
Who Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 6 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Earlham College ($170K). Together the top 6 received $346K.
Grant Size Distribution
37 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 24 grants of 37 (65%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 6 itemized grants.
Cities
How Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc gives
- Giving grew 188% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $120K (2022) to $574K (2023). In 2025 it made 6 grants totaling $346K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Earlham College Richmond, IN | Grant to Assist in Running Japan Study Program | $169,788 |
| Oberlin College Oberlin, MI | Multiple grants to create programs and research for internationalization of campus | $81,081 |
| Ohio Wesleyan University Delaware, MI | Grant to assist in creating program for internationalization of campus | $60,025 |
| Wabash College Crawfordsville, MI | Grants to Assist Faculty Member in Research | $12,727 |
| Depauw University Greencastle, MI | Grant to assist in creating language program for internationalization of campus | $12,330 |
| Albion College Albion, MI | Grant to assist in creating program for internationalization of campus | $10,428 |
Ready to take the next step with Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $20,797,680 | $1,359,016 | $1,985,545 | $346,379 | 6 | $323,727 |
| 2024 | $19,403,941 | $4,238,706 | $1,979,888 | $220,427 | 7 | $2,890,711 |
| 2023 | $18,321,840 | $1,797,698 | $2,110,555 | $573,967 | 12 | $766,290 |
| 2022 | $17,883,488 | $2,082,213 | $1,687,350 | $120,126 | 3 | $1,140,700 |
| 2021 | $22,324,186 | $2,158,041 | $1,543,116 | $225,578 | 9 | $1,161,898 |
| 2020 | $18,046,287 | $1,817,173 | $2,356,758 | $493,792 | 13 | $685,662 |
About Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc
Based on IRS filings
Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc is a public charity focused on Education, based in Ann Arbor, MI. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $20.8M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 6 grants totaling $346K. Net investment income was $324K.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc is led by Michael McDonald, President on every filing since 2020; 3 of 17 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michael McDonald
President
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$243K (2020) → $269K (2025)
Jorge Gonzalez
Chair
Secretary & Treasurer → Vice Chair, 2023
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Derek Vaughan
Vice President
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$156K (2020) → $172K (2025)
Simon Gray
Senior Program Officer
Program Officer → Senior Program Officer, 2022
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$114K (2020) → $126K (2025)
Adam Weinberg
Past Chair
Vice Chair → Chair, 2022
Chair → Past Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anne Houtman
Vice Chair
Board Member → Secretary & Treasurer, 2023
Secretary & Treasurer → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carmen Ambar
Secretary & Treasurer
Board Member → Secretary & Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Scogin
Executive Member-At-Large
Board Member → Executive Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lori White
Vice Chair
Board Member → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Scott Feller
Executive Member-At-Large
Board Member → Executive Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jane Fernandes
Board Member
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ron Cole
Board Member
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Wayne Webster
Board Member
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anne McCall
Board Member
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julie Kornfield
Board Member
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Vandenberg
Board Member
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paul Sniegowski
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (13)
- Former: Rock Jones (2021–2023) — Past Chair
- Former: Joe Calvaruso (2022–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Jeff Bowman (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Gregory Wegner (2020–2022) — Director of Program Development
- Former: Hilary Link (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Sarah Bolton (2020–2022) — Vice Chair
- Former: Sean Decatur (2020–2022) — Past Chair
- Former: Thomas Manley (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Mathew Johnson (2021) — Board Member
- Former: Gregory Hess (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Mark McCoy (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Mauri Ditzler (2020) — Vice Chair
- Former: Rockwell Jones (2020) — Past Chair
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $269K, to Michael McDonald (President). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc
How much does Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc give each year?
Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc gave $346K across 6 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $220K across 7 grants.
What is Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc's typical grant size?
Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc's median grant in 2025 was $36,376, and its average grant was $57,730, across 6 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc give grants?
Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc gives mostly in Michigan: 51% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Indiana (49%).
Does Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 6 grants with a stated purpose on Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc's largest grantees?
Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Earlham College ($169,788), Oberlin College ($81,081) and Ohio Wesleyan University ($60,025), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 90% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc?
Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc reported $20.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.4M.
What is Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc?
Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc is a public charity focused on Education, based in Ann Arbor, MI. It holds $20.8M in total assets as of 2025.
What is Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc's EIN?
Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-1678376. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 10, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
IBM International Foundation
Armonk, NY
The IBM International Foundation funds education and workforce programs that build 21st-century and technology job skills, including initiatives for underserved students and job seekers. Its 2024 grants ranged from $10,000 to $8.48 million, with a median of $100,000, and went to organizations across several U.S. states, especially Delaware and Massachusetts. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$357.7M
Grants
16
Total Given
$11.7M
Aetna Foundation Inc
Hartford, CT
Aetna Foundation supported health and wellness, access to health care, and related community needs; its 2021 grants ranged from $5,000 to $1 million, with a median of $40,000, and went to organizations across multiple states, especially in D.C. and Connecticut. Its 2021 filing was marked final, so it appears to have ended or be winding down grantmaking; that filing said there were no restrictions on who could apply and pointed applicants to its website for application materials.
Assets
—
Grants
65
Total Given
$7.2M
Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Inc
Princeton, NJ
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation supports health access and stronger health systems, with a focus on adult and pediatric cancers, blood disorders, brain health, and clinical-trial participation in the United States, Brazil, India, and ten Sub-Saharan African countries. In 2024, its median grant was about $134,000, though awards varied widely; it does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests, and advises prospective applicants to contact the Foundation about its process.
Assets
$83.3M
Grants
144
Total Given
$67.7M
The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges
Westerville, OH
The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges primarily funds scholarships, financial aid, and campus programs at independent colleges and universities, including diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Its 2025 grants ranged from $5,083 to $185,371, with a median of $10,798, and most funding went to Ohio recipients. It offers an application route for campus grants; the profile does not say whether it accepts unsolicited requests for other funding.
Assets
$8.8M
Grants
90
Total Given
$2.8M
Ernest Wentcher Educational Fund
Chicago, IL
The Ernest Wentcher Educational Fund supports college scholarships and related academic, social, and emotional support, primarily for talented Chicago Public Schools graduates with financial need; scholars may attend eligible colleges in the U.S. Its 2025 grants had a median of $10,000, and its scholarship offers up to $10,000 per year for up to four years. It provides a scholarship application process, but does not state whether it accepts unsolicited grant requests.
Assets
$69.3M
Grants
96
Total Given
$3.0M
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
Austin, TX
The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation funds education, health, jobs and livelihoods, and family economic stability, with its deepest U.S. focus in Texas and additional work across the U.S. and internationally. In 2024 it awarded 835 grants totaling about $164.6 million; grants ranged from $75 to $50 million, with a median of $19,324. It accepts unsolicited requests through its online application process.
Assets
$7.8B
Grants
835
Total Given
$164.6M
More similar funders
More Funders in Michigan
The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc'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.
Great Lakes Colleges Association Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?