Greater Lansing Destination Development
Greater Lansing Destination Development is a private foundation based in Lansing, Michigan. Its 2024 grants supported organizations and activities including local events, arts and culture, recreation, and a science center.
Greater Lansing Destination Development at a glance
In short: Greater Lansing Destination Development gave $118K across 27 grants in 2024 (avg $4K), mostly in Michigan. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $117,700
- +93.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 27
- +28.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $4,359
- +50.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $265,719
- -22.8% vs 2023
- 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.
How to apply to Greater Lansing Destination Development
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 500 E Michigan Ave 180, Lansing, MI 48912
Phone: (517) 487-0077
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Greater Lansing Destination Development funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Capital City Family BMX ($21K). Together the top 10 received $107K.
Grant Size Distribution
78 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 78 grants of 78 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars in 2024 went to recipients in Michigan. The listed 2024 grants include organizations in Lansing and East Lansing.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Greater Lansing Destination Development gives
- 48% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 460% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 836% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $18K (2020) to $118K (2024). In 2024 it made 27 grants totaling $118K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Capital City Family BMX Lansing, MI | Grant to Build BMX Track and Ramp | $21,000 |
| Impression 5 Science Center Lansing, MI | Sponsor Travel Exhibit | $15,000 |
| Friends of the River Lansing, MI | Grant for Rock Music Lansing Event | $15,000 |
| Lansing Entertainment & Public Facilities Authority Lansing, MI | Sponsor Silver Bells in the Community | $15,000 |
| Wharton Center East Lansing, MI | Grant for Hairspary Marketing | $10,000 |
| Potter Park Zoological Society Lansing, MI | Grant for a New Entrance Sign | $10,000 |
| Mid Michigan Tennis Association East Lansing, MI | Grant for Capital City Tennis Classic | $10,000 |
| City of East Lansing East Lansing, MI | East Lansing Art Festival and Jazz Festival | $5,250 |
| Lansing Art Gallery Lansing, MI | River Trail Public Art Project | $4,000 |
| Arts Council of Greater Lansing Lansing, MI | Arts Night Out Sponsor | $2,000 |
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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 | $265,719 | $58,116 | $136,404 | $117,700 | 27 | $117,700 | $1,706 | $14,074 |
| 2023 | $344,022 | $144,945 | $82,496 | $61,000 | 21 | $61,000 | $1,665 | $14,139 |
| 2022 | $281,242 | $116,769 | $89,052 | $72,500 | 13 | $72,500 | $705 | $12,389 |
| 2021 | $266,618 | $42,917 | $36,258 | $21,000 | 5 | $21,000 | $636 | $12,491 |
| 2020 | $246,866 | $4,592 | $44,305 | $18,187 | 12 | — | $997 | $12,753 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Greater Lansing Destination Development reported a distributable amount of $14K 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 went to organizations with varied purposes. For example, Impression 5 Science Center says its mission is to spark curiosity and encourage scientific exploration through hands-on exhibits and programming. Potter Park Zoological Society says it supports Potter Park Zoo and inspires people to conserve animals and the natural world. The Arts Council of Greater Lansing says it promotes the public interest in the arts and supports other art organizations.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 27 grants totaling $117,700. Awards ranged from $250 to $21,000, with a median of $1,000. Notable grants included $21,000 to Capital City Family BMX for a BMX track and ramp; $15,000 each to Impression 5 Science Center for a travel exhibit, Friends of the River for the Rock Music Lansing event, and Lansing Entertainment & Public Facilities Authority for Silver Bells in the Community; and $10,000 each to Wharton Center for Hairspray marketing, Potter Park Zoological Society for a new entrance sign, and Mid Michigan Tennis Association for the Capital City Tennis Classic.
Other 2024 grants included $5,250 to the City of East Lansing for the East Lansing Art Festival and Jazz Festival; $4,000 to Lansing Art Gallery for a river trail public art project; $2,000 to Arts Council of Greater Lansing for Arts Night Out sponsorship; $1,400 to Downtown Lansing Inc for event sponsorships; and $1,000 to The Capitol Collective for Lansing 5:01 sponsorship. Capital City Film Festival and All of the Above Hip Hop Academy each received $500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Julie Pingston as President/CEO, Tom Collins as Chairman, Paula Cunningham as Director, Bonnie Knutson as Secretary/Treasurer, Pat Gillespie as Vice-Chairman, and Jack Roberts as Director.
Greater Lansing Destination Development is led by Julie Pingston, President & CEO since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 6 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Julie Pingston
President & CEO
Executive Director → President & CEO, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tom Collins
Chairman
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jack Roberts
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paula Cunningham
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bonnie Knutson
Secretary & Treasurer
Secretary & Treasurer → Director, 2021
Director → Secretary & Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Pat Gillespie
Vice Chairman
Director → Vice Chairman, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Barry Freed (2020–2022) — Vice Chairman
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Greater Lansing Destination Development
How much does Greater Lansing Destination Development give each year?
Greater Lansing Destination Development gave $118K across 27 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $61K across 21 grants.
What is Greater Lansing Destination Development's typical grant size?
Greater Lansing Destination Development's median grant in 2024 was $1,000, and its average grant was $4,359, across 27 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Greater Lansing Destination Development give grants?
Greater Lansing Destination Development 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 Lansing, MI (21 grants) and East Lansing, MI (4 grants).
Does Greater Lansing Destination Development give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 27 grants with a stated purpose on Greater Lansing Destination Development's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Event Sponsorship" (6 grants).
Who are Greater Lansing Destination Development's largest grantees?
Greater Lansing Destination Development's largest 2024 grantees include Capital City Family BMX ($21,000), Impression 5 Science Center ($15,000) and Friends of the River ($15,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 43% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Greater Lansing Destination Development?
Greater Lansing Destination Development reported $266K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $118K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $14K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Greater Lansing Destination Development fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied purposes. For example, Impression 5 Science Center says its mission is to spark curiosity and encourage scientific exploration through hands-on exhibits and programming. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Greater Lansing Destination Development?
The foundation 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 Greater Lansing Destination Development's EIN?
Greater Lansing Destination Development's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-2930623. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Greater Lansing Destination Development 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 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Greater Lansing Destination Development funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Greater Lansing Destination Development funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/greater-lansing-destination-development-morg_5943fbaed1eb4b9ea3473481f7358ced
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_202930623_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Greater Lansing Destination Development funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/greater-lansing-destination-development-morg_5943fbaed1eb4b9ea3473481f7358ced},
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 Greater Lansing Destination Development'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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