James a Childs and Susan M Childs
James a Childs and Susan M Childs is a private foundation based in Traverse City, Michigan. Its 2024 grants supported charitable organizations and causes, primarily in Michigan, with additional grant dollars going to recipients in Idaho, the District of Columbia, and Tennessee.
James a Childs and Susan M Childs at a glance
In short: James a Childs and Susan M Childs gave $106K across 31 grants in 2024 (avg $3K), mostly in Michigan. 16% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $106,000
- +175.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 31
- +14.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,419
- +139.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $2,156,005
- +64.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 16% first-time grantees (5 of 31, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (88% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to James a Childs and Susan M Childs
- 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: 880 Munson Ave Suite B, Traverse City, MI 49686
Phone: (231) 929-4100
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who James a Childs and Susan M Childs funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was GTBAY YMCA CDC ($31K). Together the top 10 received $74K.
Grant Size Distribution
111 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 111 grants of 111 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Michigan recipients received 88% of grant dollars. Idaho recipients received 10%, while recipients in the District of Columbia and Tennessee each received 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
Cities
Is James a Childs and Susan M Childs open to new grantees?
16%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 31 grantees (16%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 84% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 216% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 111% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2024). 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 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $34K (2021) to $106K (2024). In 2024 it made 31 grants totaling $106K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| GTBAY YMCA CDC Traverse City, MI | General Purpose | $31,000 |
| Anna Dippel Traverse City, MI | Emergency Assistance | $10,000 |
| Benzie County Central Schools Benzonia, MI | General Purpose | $6,000 |
| The Rock of Kingsley Youth Center Kingsley, MI | General Purpose | $5,000 |
| Idaho Falls School District 91 Idaho Falls, ID | General Purpose | $4,500 |
| Junior Achievement of MI Traverse City, MI | General Purpose | $4,000 |
| Newton's Road Northwest Traverse City, MI | General Purpose | $4,000 |
| Long Lake Foundation Interlochen, MI | General Purpose | $3,000 |
| LSSU Foundation Sault Ste Marie, MI | General Purpose | $3,000 |
| Munson Healthcare Foundation Traverse City, MI | General Purpose | $3,000 |
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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 | $2,156,005 | $1,633,299 | $128,898 | $106,000 | 31 | $106,000 | $602,240 | $95,235 |
| 2023 | $1,309,856 | $1,037,862 | $48,247 | $38,500 | 27 | $38,500 | $21,834 | $49,722 |
| 2022 | $894,706 | $-35,168 | $61,925 | $41,500 | 29 | $42,100 | $11,034 | $46,571 |
| 2021 | $991,785 | $697,912 | $46,342 | $33,500 | 24 | $34,425 | $685,995 | $43,020 |
| 2020 | $340,753 | $340,753 | — | — | — | — | — | $8 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, James a Childs and Susan M Childs reported a distributable amount of $95K 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 grants include general-purpose support and emergency assistance. Among its 2024 grantees, the Women’s Resource Center says its mission is to protect, shelter, and empower people impacted by domestic and sexual violence; Project Feed the Kids says it fights food insecurity in its community; and Cherryland Humane Society says it provides a safe harbor for animals and works to find them permanent homes. Other grantees describe work in child development and family support, community improvement, and pediatric disease research and treatment.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 31 grants totaling $106,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $31,000, with a median of $2,000. The largest grants included $31,000 to GTBAY YMCA CDC for general purposes, $10,000 to Anna Dippel for emergency assistance, $6,000 to Benzie County Central Schools for general purposes, and $5,000 to The Rock of Kingsley Youth Center for general purposes. Other grants included $4,000 to Junior Achievement of MI and $4,000 to Newton’s Road Northwest, both for general purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Christopher M. Lamb is listed as an officer on the 2024 filing.
James a Childs and Susan M Childs's only listed officer is Christopher M. Lamb, Officer on every filing since 2020 (uncompensated).
Officers on the 2024 filing
Christopher M. Lamb
Officer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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 James a Childs and Susan M Childs
How much does James a Childs and Susan M Childs give each year?
James a Childs and Susan M Childs gave $106K across 31 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $39K across 27 grants.
What is James a Childs and Susan M Childs's typical grant size?
James a Childs and Susan M Childs's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $3,419, across 31 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from James a Childs and Susan M Childs that year got $3K on average.
Where does James a Childs and Susan M Childs give grants?
James a Childs and Susan M Childs gives mostly in Michigan: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Idaho (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Traverse City, MI (18 grants), Driggs, ID (3 grants), Kingsley, MI (2 grants) and Idaho Falls, ID (2 grants).
Does James a Childs and Susan M Childs give general operating support?
Yes: 97% of James a Childs and Susan M Childs's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (30 of 31) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are James a Childs and Susan M Childs's largest grantees?
James a Childs and Susan M Childs's largest 2024 grantees include GTBAY YMCA CDC ($31,000), Anna Dippel ($10,000) and Benzie County Central Schools ($6,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is James a Childs and Susan M Childs?
James a Childs and Susan M Childs reported $2.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $106K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $95K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does James a Childs and Susan M Childs fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include general-purpose support and emergency assistance. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from James a Childs and Susan M Childs?
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 James a Childs and Susan M Childs's EIN?
James a Childs and Susan M Childs's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-6817533. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does James a Childs and Susan M Childs 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 James a Childs and Susan M Childs funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). James a Childs and Susan M Childs funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/james-a-childs-and-susan-m-childs-morg_af873f39ab2a4a268046bd2bd80c866e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_856817533_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{James a Childs and Susan M Childs funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/james-a-childs-and-susan-m-childs-morg_af873f39ab2a4a268046bd2bd80c866e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 James a Childs and Susan M Childs'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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