John and Melissa Besse Foundation
The John and Melissa Besse Foundation is a private foundation based in Wells, Michigan. Established by John and Melissa Besse in 2005, it continues the founders’ philanthropy after their deaths. Its 2025 filing states that awards are limited to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin.
John and Melissa Besse Foundation at a glance
In short: John and Melissa Besse Foundation gave $357K across 31 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), mostly in Michigan. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $356,850
- -32.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 31
- +24.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $11,511
- -45.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $11,149,925
- +21.5% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Michigan (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to John and Melissa Besse Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Requests must be submitted in writing to Gregory Besse. The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Awards are limited to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin.
- Contact
Application contact: Gregory Besse
Mailing address: PO Box 250, Wells, MI 49894
Phone: (906) 553-7435
Website: https://john-melissa-bessefoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who John and Melissa Besse Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Michigan Tech FD ($110K). Together the top 10 received $276K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($5,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
98 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 92 grants of 98 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated award restriction is Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin. All grant dollars in its 2025 filing went to recipients listed in Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
Cities
How John and Melissa Besse Foundation gives
- 67% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 595% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 61% 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 (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 $51K (2022) to $528K (2024). In 2025 it made 31 grants totaling $357K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan Tech FD Houghton, MI | Ford Center Sawmill | $110,000 |
| Trees for Tomorrow Eagle River, MI | Educational | $56,500 |
| Marquette City Band Marquette, MI | Band Shell Donation | $45,000 |
| Gladstone Public Safety Department Gladstone, MI | Aireal Drone Donation | $13,200 |
| Pregnancy Services of Delta County Escanaba, MI | Charitable Support | $13,000 |
| Bay Cliff Health Camp Big Bay, MI | Charitable Support | $10,000 |
| Community Foundation of Delta County Escanaba, MI | Charitable Support | $10,000 |
| Lakeview Cemetery Escanaba, MI | Operations and Improvements | $8,000 |
| Baraga County Community Foundation Barage, MI | Charitable Support | $5,000 |
| Bay College Foundation Escanaba, MI | Operations | $5,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $11,149,925 | $2,358,229 | $387,383 | $356,850 | 31 | $361,340 | $2,351,686 | $594,010 |
| 2024 | $9,180,650 | $893,311 | $538,157 | $527,738 | 25 | $528,128 | $892,921 | $571,020 |
| 2023 | $10,785,387 | $499,424 | $342,895 | $332,470 | 10 | $338,150 | $474,000 | $483,160 |
| 2022 | $9,361,458 | $334,625 | $55,421 | $51,350 | 6 | $52,285 | $384,682 | $475,606 |
| 2021 | $11,459,211 | $741,380 | $191,687 | $181,850 | 26 | $182,580 | $732,273 | $531,292 |
| 2020 | $10,085,493 | $315,952 | $229,002 | $221,850 | 19 | — | $309,685 | $423,954 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John and Melissa Besse Foundation reported a distributable amount of $594K 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
The foundation’s website does not state a formal mission. Its 2025 grants include support for a university sawmill, environmental education, a band shell, public-safety equipment, pregnancy services, a health camp, cemetery improvements, and organizational operations and endowment funds.
Grantees describe their own work in varied terms. Trees for Tomorrow says its mission is education for the conservation of natural resources. Bay Cliff Health Camp says it promotes the health, welfare, happiness, and development of children and adults. Pregnancy Services of Delta County says it assists pregnant women and families with young children through counseling, classes, and material support. Other 2025 grantees describe work in areas including cancer-patient assistance, domestic-violence services, community needs, employment and inclusion, and local grants and scholarships.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 31 grants totaling $356,850. Grant amounts ranged from $350 to $110,000, with a median of $5,000. Larger grants included $110,000 to Michigan Tech Fund for the Ford Center Sawmill, $56,500 to Trees for Tomorrow for educational purposes, and $45,000 to Marquette City Band for a band shell donation. Other grants included $13,200 to Gladstone Public Safety Department for an aerial drone donation and $13,000 to Pregnancy Services of Delta County for charitable support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Gregory Besse as president and board member, Cain Besse as secretary and board member, and Raymond Delmont as treasurer and board member. The foundation’s website identifies Greg Besse as the son of the founders and president of the foundation.
John and Melissa Besse Foundation is led by Gregory Besse, President & Board Member since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gregory Besse
President & Board Member
Board Member → President & Board M, 2021
President & Board M → President & Board Member, 2024
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cain Besse
Secretary & Board Member
Board Member → Secretary & Board Me, 2021
Secretary & Board Me → Secretary & Board Member, 2024
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Raymond Delmont
Treasurer & Board Member
Board Member → Treasurer & Board, 2021
Treasurer & Board → Treasurer & Board Member, 2024
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Dan Lamarche (2020) — Officer
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 John and Melissa Besse Foundation
How much does John and Melissa Besse Foundation give each year?
John and Melissa Besse Foundation gave $357K across 31 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $528K across 25 grants.
What is John and Melissa Besse Foundation's typical grant size?
John and Melissa Besse Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $11,511, across 31 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does John and Melissa Besse Foundation give grants?
John and Melissa Besse Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Escanaba, MI (16 grants), Marquette, MI (4 grants) and Gladstone, MI (4 grants).
Does John and Melissa Besse Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 3% of John and Melissa Besse Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 31) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Charitable Support" (14 grants).
Who are John and Melissa Besse Foundation's largest grantees?
John and Melissa Besse Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Michigan Tech FD ($110,000), Trees for Tomorrow ($56,500) and Marquette City Band ($45,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($5,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 59% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is John and Melissa Besse Foundation?
John and Melissa Besse Foundation reported $11.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $361K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $594K (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 John and Melissa Besse Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website does not state a formal mission. Its 2025 grants include support for a university sawmill, environmental education, a band shell, public-safety equipment, pregnancy services, a health camp, cemetery improvements, and organizational operations and endowment funds. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from John and Melissa Besse Foundation?
Requests must be submitted in writing to Gregory Besse. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is John and Melissa Besse Foundation's EIN?
John and Melissa Besse Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3497950. 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). John and Melissa Besse Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/john-and-melissa-besse-foundation-morg_956b5cfea6f740c48f058dc820dab3e6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203497950_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{John and Melissa Besse Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/john-and-melissa-besse-foundation-morg_956b5cfea6f740c48f058dc820dab3e6},
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 John and Melissa Besse 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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