Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association
Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association (GLOS) is a public charity based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Formed in 2006, it is a nonprofit IOOS Regional Association that provides end-to-end data services supporting science, policy, management, and industry across the Great Lakes region.
Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association at a glance
In short: Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association gave $2.0M across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $116K), top state Michigan. 10% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,964,318
- +14.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +13.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $115,548
- +1.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $44,111
- Total assets
- $875,307
- +26.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (1 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (43% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association
- Review Cycle
- April 22, 2022 (past cycle).
- Deadline
- April 22, 2022 (past cycle).
- Contact
Mailing address: 4840 S State Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Phone: (734) 741-2294
Website: https://glos.us
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association
Observing Platform Repair/Equipment Funding
Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association
Amount
Up to $8,000
Deadline
Rolling (quarterly review)
Smart Great Lakes Mini-Grant Program
Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association
Amount
$20,000 - $150,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Michigan Tech ($714K across 8 grants). Together the top 10 received $2.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
81 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 38 grants of 81 (47%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
GLOS describes its work as serving the Great Lakes region. Its 2022 Year-Round Observations program specified a binational Great Lakes scope, with priority on the Great Lakes proper and connecting channels. In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan (43%), Maine (24%), Colorado (15%), Wisconsin (10%), and New York (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 10 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $41K; repeat grants $214K. How we count
Medians: $41K first-time, $126K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $733K (2020) to $2.8M (2022). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $2.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| IOOS Association Harpswell, ME | Supports regional associations of the US IOOS program | $468,867 |
| Michigan Tech Houghton, MI | BITWISE Benthic Investigation Technology for Waters in the Great Lakes with Improved Survey Efficiency | $373,670 |
| Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO | National Water Initiative Coastal Model Evaluation | $294,308 |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI | Monitoring programs in Lake Michigan | $165,009 |
| Regents of University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI | Monitoring in Lake Erie and climate data products | $126,415 |
| Michigan Tech Houghton, MI | Building Capacity to Measure and Asses Offshore, Full-frequency Water Level Fluctuations to Support Coastal Hazard Observation and Prediction | $119,672 |
| Michigan Tech Houghton, MI | MTU Observing Systems Operations Maintenance 2024-2025 | $95,499 |
| Upstate Freshwater Institute Syracuse, NY | Year-round Real-time Monitoring of the Lake Ontario Nearshore | $91,480 |
| Michigan Tech Houghton, MI | GLYON Great Lakes Year-Round Observation Network | $44,111 |
| University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Green Bay, WI | Monitoring algal blooms and dissolved oxygen concentrations around commercial fishing operations | $40,952 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $875,307 | $4,877,735 | $4,775,106 | $1,964,318 | 17 | — |
| 2024 | $694,352 | $4,203,096 | $4,065,523 | $1,713,467 | 15 | — |
| 2023 | $411,660 | $3,508,766 | $3,620,468 | $1,049,607 | 11 | — |
| 2022 | $1,172,768 | $4,821,413 | $5,016,033 | $2,849,077 | 23 | $4 |
| 2021 | $1,160,774 | $4,187,688 | $4,051,112 | $1,418,158 | 15 | $12 |
| 2020 | $397,809 | $2,186,071 | $2,174,239 | $732,756 | 10 | $27 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
GLOS’s stated mission is to provide end-to-end data services that support science, policy, management, and industry throughout the Great Lakes region. It coordinates a network of data users and providers to improve the collection, management, and delivery of regional data, and sponsors projects conducted by academic institutions, nonprofits, government agencies, tribes, and private-sector organizations.
Its grants support work such as Great Lakes monitoring, observing-system operations, water-level measurement, coastal modeling, and fish and ecological research. For example, the 2025 award to Upstate Freshwater Institute supported year-round real-time monitoring of the Lake Ontario nearshore. The institute describes itself as a nonprofit research corporation dedicated to improving water quality and advancing freshwater research; that is the grantee’s stated mission, not GLOS’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, GLOS reported 17 grants totaling $1,964,318. Grant amounts ranged from $891 to $468,867, with a median of $44,111.
Among the largest 2025 awards were $468,867 to IOOS Association to support regional associations of the US IOOS program; $373,670 to Michigan Tech for benthic investigation technology in the Great Lakes; $294,308 to Colorado School of Mines for coastal model evaluation; and $165,009 to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for Lake Michigan monitoring programs. Other awards included $126,415 to the Regents of the University of Michigan for Lake Erie monitoring and climate data products, and $91,480 to Upstate Freshwater Institute for year-round real-time Lake Ontario nearshore monitoring.
GLOS’s 2022 Year-Round Observations Request for Proposals was a past cycle. It sought projects developing or deploying technologies for year-round Great Lakes monitoring and ecological health, with generated data or tools to be made publicly available through GLOS’s Seagull platform. The program described binational eligibility for US and Canadian organizations, a Great Lakes regional scope with priority on the Great Lakes proper and connecting channels, awards of $0–$150,000, and project durations of up to two years, subject to funding availability. It anticipated funding about three to five projects.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Tim Kearns as Chief Information Officer; Jennifer Boehme as Chief Executive Officer; Josephine Grimaudo-Cacciatore as Financial Manager; Pete Giencke as Vice Chair; Thomas Rayburn as Chair; and Annie Atkinson as Treasurer. Directors listed were Aaron Fisk, Leon Carl, Stephanie Gandulla, and Mary-Claire Buell.
Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association is led by Jennifer Boehme, Chief Executive Officer since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 3 of 11 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jennifer Boehme
Chief Executive Officer
Chair → Chief Executive Officer, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$68K (2024) → $163K (2025)
Thomas Rayburn
Chair
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Aaron Fisk
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie Gandulla
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leon Carl
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary-Claire Buell
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Heather Stirratt
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tim Kearns
Chief Information Officer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$112K (2020) → $181K (2025)
Josephine Grimaudo-Cacciatore
Financial Manager
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$112K (2024) → $117K (2025)
Pete Giencke
Vice Chair
Director → Chair, 2024
Chair → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Annie Atkinson
Treasurer
Treasurer-Secretary → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (13)
- Former: Bob Lambe (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Tom Rayburn (2020–2024) — Vice Chair
- Former: Rhonda Wille (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Ana Sirviente (2022–2024) — Chief Technology Officer
- Former: Lynne Chaimowitz (2022–2024) — Treasurer-Secretary
- Former: Becky Pearson (2023–2024) — Chief Operations Officer & Interim CEO
- Former: Heather Strirrat (2024) — Director
- Former: Kelli Paige (2020–2023) — CEO
- Former: Margaret Noodin (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Jolena Presti (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Lynne Chaimowtiz (2020–2021) — Treasurer-Secretary
- Former: Nancy Frank (2020–2021) — Vice Chair
- Former: Carl Leon (2021) — Director
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 $181K, to Tim Kearns (Chief Information Officer). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association
How much does Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association give each year?
Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association gave $2.0M across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.7M across 15 grants.
What is Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association's typical grant size?
Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association's median grant in 2025 was $44,111, and its average grant was $115,548, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association that year got $41K on average.
Where does Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association give grants?
Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association's top state is Michigan, with 43% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Maine (24%) and Colorado (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Houghton, MI (8 grants).
Does Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association's largest grantees?
Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association's largest 2025 grantees include Michigan Tech ($713,555 across 8 grants), IOOS Association ($468,867) and Colorado School of Mines ($294,308), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 75% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association?
Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association reported $875K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $4.9M.
What does Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association fund?
GLOS’s stated mission is to provide end-to-end data services that support science, policy, management, and industry throughout the Great Lakes region. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association?
Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check glos.us for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association's EIN?
Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-0711287. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
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 December 15, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 24, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association funds
Science & Technology Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/great-lakes-observing-system-regional-association-morg_c377455853dd400aaa7d39e2cb7049e8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_260711287_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/great-lakes-observing-system-regional-association-morg_c377455853dd400aaa7d39e2cb7049e8},
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 Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association'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 Observing System Regional Association down — hundreds of funders to go?