Leelanau Township Community Foundation
The Leelanau Township Community Foundation is a public charity based in Northport, Michigan. Established in 1945, it administers charitable funds and supports community needs in the Leelanau Township area through grants and educational scholarships.
Key facts about Leelanau Township Community Foundation
In short: Leelanau Township Community Foundation gave $198K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $18K), mostly in Michigan. 36% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 38-6060138
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $198,325
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- Average grant
- $18,030
- Median grant
- $13,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (4 of 11, 2025)
- Total assets
- $8,214,655
- Primary geography
- Michigan (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The foundation makes its grant application publicly available. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- Applications must reach staff by the first of the month to be considered at a board meeting.
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$8.2M
+7.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$198K
+73.1% YoY
Grant Count
11
+37.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$18K
+25.9% YoY
Is Leelanau Township Community Foundation open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 11 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 27% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−7%). 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to help meet residents’ needs; build permanent endowment funds from a broad range of donors; involve local volunteers in identifying needs and developing programs; build understanding of charitable giving; and involve youth in community leadership and grantmaking.
Its website describes grants from the General Endowment Fund as supporting local nonprofit organizations that sustain youth and elders and assist with education, health care, recreation, and the arts. Its 2022–2024 strategic goals identified attainable housing, childcare, technology access, poverty reduction, and the environment as priority areas for exploration.
Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofits operating within Leelanau Township or serving a significant number of its residents, as well as local educational institutions and municipalities seeking funds for projects not otherwise tax supported. Among its 2025 grantees, Conservation Resource Alliance describes its mission as protecting Northern Michigan waterways, wildlife, and forests; Friendship Community Center says it provides opportunities that enrich multigenerational relationships in Leelanau County.
Grantmaking
The 2025 filing data itemizes 11 grants totaling **$198,325**. Those grants ranged from **$9,500 to $51,677**, with a median of **$13,000**. Separately, the filing narrative says the foundation awarded 19 grants to 15 organizations and 20 college scholarships to 12 individuals during the year.
Review Cycle
Applications must reach staff by the first of the month to be considered at a board meeting. The foundation lists grant-review meetings in January, March, May, July, September, and November.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Leelanau Township Community Foundation
Ready to take the next step with Leelanau Township Community Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated mission concerns residents of Leelanau Township, and its website describes grantmaking for the Northport and Omena community. Applicants may be eligible if they operate within Leelanau Township or serve a significant number of its residents. All 2025 grant dollars in the filing data went to recipients in Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $101K (2021) to $221K (2020). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $198K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Leelanau Township ($52K). Together the top 10 received $189K.
Grant Size Distribution
41 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 38 grants of 41 (93%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Leelanau Township Northport, MI | Building/Renovation | $51,677 |
| Northport Public School Northport, MI | Educational | $27,900 |
| Northport Performing Arts Center Northport, MI | Annual disbursement from koenig performing arts fund to benefit npac | $22,324 |
| Leelanau Township Fire Department Northport, MI | Public Safety/Disaster Preparedness and Relief | $16,924 |
| Leelanau County Cancer Foundation Northport, MI | General Purpose | $15,000 |
| Northport Arts Association Northport, MI | General | $13,000 |
| Omena Historical Society Omena, MI | Building/Renovation | $12,000 |
| Friendship Community Center Suttons Bay, MI | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Conservation Resource Alliance Traverse City, MI | Program Development | $10,000 |
| Women's Resource Center for Grand Traverse Area Traverse City, MI | Housing/Shelter | $10,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $8,214,655 | $720,937 | $441,656 | $198,325 |
| 2024 | $7,640,770 | $646,029 | $359,350 | $114,605 |
| 2023 | $7,067,644 | $494,002 | $423,757 | $168,043 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $8,214,655 | $7,640,770 | $7,067,644 |
| Revenue | $720,937 | $646,029 | $494,002 |
| Expenses | $441,656 | $359,350 | $423,757 |
| Net Investment Income | $495,391 | $442,538 | $333,254 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 5, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 27, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 31, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 21, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kristi Fischer as board chair, Jane Gale as vice chair, Doug Whitley as secretary, and Kim Armbruster as treasurer. Trustees listed are Megan Ernst, Barbara Nelson-Jameson, Marian Kromkowski, Bill Krusel, Deb Stannard, and Beth Verhey.
Leelanau Township Community Foundation is led by Bethany Stowe, Executive Director on every filing since 2024; 1 of 12 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Bethany Stowe
Executive Director
On filings since 2024
20 hrs/week
$9K (2024) → $38K (2025)
Kristi Fischer
Board Chair
Board Treasurer → Board Chair, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ty Wessell
Trustee
Board Secretary → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Beth Verhey
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Barbara Nelson-Jameson
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Deb Stannard
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Megan Ernst
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bill Krusel
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marian Kromkowski
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kim Armbruster
Board Treasurer
Trustee → Board Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Doug Whitley
Board Secretary
Trustee → Board Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jane Gale
Board Vice Chair
Trustee → Board Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (11)
- Former: Barbara McCann (2019–2024) — Board Vice Chair
- Former: Kristi Hallett (2019–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Joan Moore (2020–2024) — Executive Director · Filing note: Retired
- Former: Rick Foster (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Fredrick Budd (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Greg McMorrow (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Kathy Garthe (2019–2022) — Board President
- Former: Beatriz Moreno (2022) — Trustee
- Former: John Sanders (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Bea Cruz (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Larry Coppard (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 $38K, to Bethany Stowe (Executive Director).
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 818, Northport, MI 49670
Phone: (231) 386-9000
Website: https://leelanaufoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about Leelanau Township Community Foundation
How much does Leelanau Township Community Foundation give each year?
Leelanau Township Community Foundation gave $198K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $115K across 8 grants.
What is Leelanau Township Community Foundation's typical grant size?
Leelanau Township Community Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $13,000, and its average grant was $18,030, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Leelanau Township Community Foundation that year got $12K on average.
Where does Leelanau Township Community Foundation give grants?
Leelanau Township Community Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Northport, MI (6 grants) and Traverse City, MI (2 grants).
Does Leelanau Township Community Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 36% of Leelanau Township Community Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are Leelanau Township Community Foundation's largest grantees?
Leelanau Township Community Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Leelanau Township ($51,677), Northport Public School ($27,900) and Northport Performing Arts Center ($22,324), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Leelanau Township Community Foundation?
Leelanau Township Community Foundation reported $8.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $721K.
What does Leelanau Township Community Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to help meet residents’ needs; build permanent endowment funds from a broad range of donors; involve local volunteers in identifying needs and developing programs; build understanding of charitable giving; and involve youth in community leadership and grantmaking. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Leelanau Township Community Foundation?
The foundation makes its grant application publicly available. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Leelanau Township Community Foundation's EIN?
Leelanau Township Community Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-6060138. 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.
Here's the math on researching Leelanau Township Community Foundation by hand.
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