Howard Miller Foundation
The Howard Miller Foundation is a private foundation based in Zeeland, Michigan. Its 2025 filing reports grants to organizations, primarily in Michigan, with most listed grant purposes identified as support for general operations.
Howard Miller Foundation at a glance
In short: Howard Miller Foundation gave $1.1M across 57 grants in 2025 (avg $20K), mostly in Michigan. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,147,500
- +16.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 57
- -3.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $20,132
- +21.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $13,000
- Total assets
- $17,572,772
- +1.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 57, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (95% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Howard Miller Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing lists a scholarship application available upon request. It gives the contact name as Howard Miller Foundation – HR Dept. Scholarship recipients must attend a four-year institution. The filing also says the scholarship application and deadlines are available upon request.
- Contact
Application contact: Howard Miller Foundation - Hr Dept
Mailing address: 860 East Main Avenue, Zeeland, MI 49464
Phone: (616) 748-2602
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Howard Miller Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Community Foundation of Holl-Zeel ($280K). Together the top 10 received $564K.
Grant Size Distribution
295 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 286 grants of 295 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan. The remaining reported shares were Washington (2%), and California, the District of Columbia, and Texas (1% each).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 57 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Howard Miller Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 57 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. How we count
- 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 $895K (2020) to $1.2M (2022). In 2025 it made 57 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Community Foundation of Holl-Zeel Holland, MI | Support for General Operations | $280,000 |
| Resthaven Care Community Holland, MI | Support for General Operations | $63,000 |
| Salvation Army Holland, MI | Support for General Operations | $41,000 |
| Mary Free Bed Rehab Hospital Foundation Grand Rapids, MI | Support for General Operations | $35,000 |
| Bethany Christian Services Grand Rapids, MI | Support for General Operations | $25,000 |
| Grand Rapids Symphony Grand Rapids, MI | Support for General Operations | $25,000 |
| Hope College Development Services Holland, MI | Support for General Operations | $25,000 |
| Pine Rest Grand Rapids, MI | Support for General Operations | $25,000 |
| Ready for School Holland, MI | Support for General Operations | $25,000 |
| Holland Christian Schools Development Office Holland, MI | Support for General Operations | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Howard Miller Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Amounts below are reported by filing year.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $17,572,772 | $1,538,125 | $1,262,924 | $1,147,500 | 57 | $1,149,300 | $1,460,038 | $1,239,947 |
| 2024 | $17,294,684 | $1,676,855 | $1,059,335 | $981,500 | 59 | $983,390 | $1,600,910 | $1,154,622 |
| 2023 | $16,671,064 | $560,648 | $1,045,085 | $963,500 | 58 | $965,145 | $492,382 | $981,674 |
| 2022 | $17,153,558 | $1,211,659 | $1,268,578 | $1,153,500 | 60 | $1,155,701 | $1,139,167 | $983,354 |
| 2021 | $17,172,023 | $1,544,152 | $1,027,996 | $947,500 | 61 | $950,420 | $1,466,577 | $1,145,993 |
| 2020 | $16,657,181 | $855,611 | $964,045 | $894,500 | 62 | — | $788,246 | $958,000 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Howard Miller Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.2M for 2025 — 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 2025 grants include support for organizations whose missions span different fields. For example, Ready for School says it works to increase access to early educational experiences so children enter kindergarten ready to learn. Bethany Christian Services says it protects children, empowers youth, and strengthens families through social services. Bread for the World Institute describes its work as providing analysis and education on hunger issues.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 57 grants totaling $1,147,500. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $280,000, with a median of $13,000. The largest award was $280,000 to Community Foundation of Holl-Zeel for general operations. Other major grants included $63,000 to Resthaven Care Community and $41,000 to the Salvation Army, both for general operations. Grants of $25,000 each went to Mary Free Bed Rehab Hospital Foundation, Bethany Christian Services, Grand Rapids Symphony, Hope College Development Services, Pine Rest, and Ready for School.
Other 2025 recipients included World Vision Inc. ($20,000), Van Andel Institute ($18,000), Dallas Theological Seminary ($16,000), Bread for the World Institute ($16,000), Interlochen Center for the Arts ($13,000), and Grand Rapids Art Museum ($13,000). The grantee descriptions identify work in areas including humanitarian relief, theological education, hunger analysis, the arts, and research and education.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Howard J. Miller as president and Derek J. Miller as secretary/treasurer.
Howard Miller Foundation is led by Howard J. Miller, President since 2021 (on filings since 2020); none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Howard J. Miller
President
Secretary & Treasurer → President, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Derek J. Miller
Secretary & Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Philip D. Miller (2020–2024) — Secretary & Treasurer
- Former: Jack H. Miller (2020–2023) — 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.
Frequently asked questions about Howard Miller Foundation
How much does Howard Miller Foundation give each year?
Howard Miller Foundation gave $1.1M across 57 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $982K across 59 grants.
What is Howard Miller Foundation's typical grant size?
Howard Miller Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $13,000, and its average grant was $20,132, across 57 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Howard Miller Foundation give grants?
Howard Miller Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Grand Rapids, MI (22 grants), Holland, MI (21 grants) and Zeeland, MI (6 grants).
Does Howard Miller Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Howard Miller Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (57 of 57) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Howard Miller Foundation's largest grantees?
Howard Miller Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Community Foundation of Holl-Zeel ($280,000), Resthaven Care Community ($63,000) and Salvation Army ($41,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Howard Miller Foundation?
Howard Miller Foundation reported $17.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Howard Miller Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations whose missions span different fields. For example, Ready for School says it works to increase access to early educational experiences so children enter kindergarten ready to learn. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Howard Miller Foundation?
The 2025 filing lists a scholarship application available upon request. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Howard Miller Foundation's EIN?
Howard Miller Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-2137226. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 16, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Howard Miller Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Howard Miller Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/howard-miller-foundation-morg_164ec15e2781418a9704321cd8f0f1a7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_382137226_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Howard Miller Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/howard-miller-foundation-morg_164ec15e2781418a9704321cd8f0f1a7},
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 Howard Miller 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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