Hillsdale County Community Foundation
Hillsdale County Community Foundation is a public charity based in Hillsdale, Michigan. Established in 1991, it administers funds and makes grants intended to improve quality of life for Hillsdale County residents.
Hillsdale County Community Foundation at a glance
In short: Hillsdale County Community Foundation gave $645K across 33 grants in 2025 (avg $20K), mostly in Michigan. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $645,237
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 33
- -2.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $19,553
- +3.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $11,000
- Total assets
- $34,620,034
- +14.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (7 of 33, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (97% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Hillsdale County Community Foundation
- Review Cycle
- General Foundation grant applications are due May 1 and November 1. Y.O.U.T.H. grant applications are due November 1 and April 1.
- Deadline
- General Foundation grant applications are due May 1 and November 1.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2 South Howell St, Hillsdale, MI 49242
Phone: (517) 439-5101
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Hillsdale County Community Foundation
Who Hillsdale County Community Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was St Peter's Free Clinic Inc ($110K). Together the top 10 received $427K.
Grant Size Distribution
180 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 165 grants of 180 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation focuses on improving quality of life for Hillsdale County residents. Its policy allows applications from outside Hillsdale County when a significant number of the people served reside within the county. In 2025, approximately 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan; the reported shares for Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee were 2%, 1%, and 1%, respectively.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Hillsdale County Community Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 33 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $11K repeat.
- 52% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−6%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $574K (2019) to $764K (2023). In 2025 it made 33 grants totaling $645K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Peter's Free Clinic Inc Hillsdale, MI | General Support | $110,000 |
| Hillsdale Assembly of God Jonesville, MI | General Support | $80,034 |
| Jonesville Community Schools Jonesville, MI | Education | $59,064 |
| Salem Mennonite Church Waldron, MI | General Support | $46,000 |
| Hillsdale Community Theatre Hillsdale, MI | General Support | $25,000 |
| City of Hillsdale Hillsdale, MI | General Support | $24,545 |
| Greater Hillsdale Humane Society Osseo, MI | General Support | $24,050 |
| Hillsdale College Goal Program Hillsdale, MI | General Support | $22,803 |
| Hospice of Hillsdale County Hillsdale, MI | General Support | $18,025 |
| Helping Hands PRC Hillsdale, MI | General Support | $17,333 |
Ready to take the next step with Hillsdale County Community Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $34,620,034 | $4,131,939 | $1,938,055 | $645,237 | 33 | $865,028 |
| 2024 | $30,285,479 | $4,098,485 | $1,885,537 | $645,162 | 34 | $703,653 |
| 2023 | $23,566,918 | $2,024,933 | $1,600,631 | $763,627 | 42 | $628,211 |
| 2022 | $21,166,126 | $2,366,506 | $1,562,673 | $683,100 | 35 | $1,075,799 |
| 2021 | $25,397,868 | $2,552,971 | $1,371,479 | $602,415 | 36 | $340,316 |
| 2020 | $20,267,089 | $1,990,864 | $1,466,761 | $668,655 | 32 | $505,900 |
| 2019 | $18,739,458 | $2,099,523 | $1,610,972 | $574,408 | 29 | $500,723 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s mission is “to receive and administer funds for artistic, charitable, educational, and scientific purposes in a manner that both promotes the spirit of philanthropy and meets the needs of the people of Hillsdale County.”
Its grant policy prioritizes projects that benefit a broad range of county residents, address underlying community needs, promote access and independence, encourage collaboration, and build organizational capacity. Applicants may be from outside the county if a significant number of people served reside in Hillsdale County. Eligible applicants include tax-exempt organizations, educational institutions, and governmental units.
The 2025 grantees illustrate a range of supported organizations. Hillsdale Community Theatre described its mission as promoting cultural experiences through theatre programs performed by community members. Hospice of Hillsdale County described its work as hospice care for terminally ill people and grief counseling for patients’ families. South Michigan Food Bank described its mission as collecting and distributing food, advocating for hunger-relief programs, and collaborating to address basic needs.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the Foundation reported 33 grants totaling $645,237. Awards ranged from $5,008 to $110,000, with a median grant of $11,000. The largest listed awards included $110,000 to St. Peter’s Free Clinic for general support; $80,034 to Hillsdale Assembly of God for general support; $59,064 to Jonesville Community Schools for education; and $46,000 to Salem Mennonite Church for general support. Other listed awards included $25,000 to Hillsdale Community Theatre and $18,025 to Hospice of Hillsdale County, both for general support.
General Foundation grants are made from named unrestricted endowment funds. The Foundation also offers Y.O.U.T.H. grants through its Y.O.U.T.H. Council, which focuses on projects affecting young people in Hillsdale County. For general grants, the application process begins with an online Statement of Intent. If selected to proceed, applicants are moved to Phase II within two business days of staff review. The Foundation requests grant evaluations from recipient organizations; award letters specify the grant purpose, and unspent funds must be returned.
The policy excludes grants for individuals, legislative or political purposes, loans, and capital campaigns. Religious or sectarian purposes are excluded except for secular services available without regard to religious preference. Routine maintenance and administrative costs for maintaining an organization’s existing operations are also excluded; salaries may be considered case by case when directly related to program expenses. The policy gives low priority to bricks-and-mortar requests and ongoing programs without a plan for alternative funding.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Sharon Bisher as President/CE; Chuck North as Chairman; Gary Beach as Vice Chair; Kelly Lantis as Secretary; and Patrick Flannery as Treasurer. It also lists Maxine Vanlerberg as Member at Large and Shea Dow, Joe Draper, Leann Clement, and Jared Jordan as trustees.
Hillsdale County Community Foundation is led by Sharon Bisher, President since 2023 (on filings since 2019); 1 of 17 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sharon Bisher
President
President → President & CEO, 2021
President & CEO → President, 2023
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$95K (2019) → $142K (2025)
Chuck North
Chairman
Trustee → Treasurer, 2022
Treasurer → Chairman, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joe Draper
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Nevins
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Zach Miller
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jared Jordan
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mike Roberts
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mike Smith
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shea Dow
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kayla Thompson
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Keegan Oxley
Youth Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leann Clement
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Montoya
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gary Beach
Vice Chair
Trustee → Member at La, 2020
Member at La → Vice Chair, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kelly Lantis
Secretary
Trustee → Treasurer, 2020
Treasurer → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maxine Vanlerberg
Member at La
Trustee → Member at La, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patrick Flannery
Treasurer
Trustee → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (18)
- Former: Trent Morris (2019–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Karlye Horton (2019–2023) — Chairman
- Former: Kym Blythe (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Stacy Feltz (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Clemmie Gadwood (2022) — Youth Trustee
- Former: Sherry Bernklau (2022) — Trustee
- Former: Diane Philipp (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Jason Wade (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Lindsey Clarke (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Sara Lisznyai (2019–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Brylee Boyd (2021) — Trustee
- Former: Joseph Draper (2021) — Trustee
- Former: Kimberly Blythe (2021) — Trustee
- Former: Pat Flannery (2021) — Trustee
- Former: Jay Williams (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Jj Hodshire (2019) — Secretary
- Former: Pat Dillon (2019) — Past Chair
- Former: Ronna Steel (2019) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $142K, to Sharon Bisher (President/Ce).
Frequently asked questions about Hillsdale County Community Foundation
How much does Hillsdale County Community Foundation give each year?
Hillsdale County Community Foundation gave $645K across 33 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $645K across 34 grants.
What is Hillsdale County Community Foundation's typical grant size?
Hillsdale County Community Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $11,000, and its average grant was $19,553, across 33 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Hillsdale County Community Foundation that year got $19K on average.
Where does Hillsdale County Community Foundation give grants?
Hillsdale County Community Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Hillsdale, MI (19 grants), Litchfield, MI (3 grants), Jonesville, MI (2 grants) and Reading, MI (2 grants).
Does Hillsdale County Community Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 84% of Hillsdale County Community Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (27 of 32) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are Hillsdale County Community Foundation's largest grantees?
Hillsdale County Community Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include St Peter's Free Clinic Inc ($110,000), Hillsdale Assembly of God ($80,034) and Jonesville Community Schools ($59,064), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Hillsdale County Community Foundation?
Hillsdale County Community Foundation reported $34.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $4.1M.
What does Hillsdale County Community Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s mission is “to receive and administer funds for artistic, charitable, educational, and scientific purposes in a manner that both promotes the spirit of philanthropy and meets the needs of the people of Hillsdale County.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Hillsdale County Community Foundation?
Hillsdale County Community Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Hillsdale County Community Foundation's EIN?
Hillsdale County Community Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-3001297. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 3, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS January 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 2, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 16, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Live grants for the work Hillsdale County Community Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Hillsdale County Community Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Hillsdale County Community Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/hillsdale-county-community-foundation-morg_918c75a5852f4227bbbe48ae67dce2e3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_383001297_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Hillsdale County Community Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/hillsdale-county-community-foundation-morg_918c75a5852f4227bbbe48ae67dce2e3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Hillsdale County Community 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.
Hillsdale County Community Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?