Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc
Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Traverse City, Michigan. Its 2025 filing says applications are generally considered only from the Northern Michigan area and must be for education, civic improvements, fine arts, health and human services, or recreation or youth services.
Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc gave $489K across 41 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), mostly in Michigan. 41% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $489,284
- +10.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 41
- +24.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $11,934
- -11.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $7,306,326
- +2.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 41% first-time grantees (17 of 41, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (90% 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 Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
Follow the application instructions in the foundation’s 2025 filing and direct the submission to Ross A. Biederman.
- Review Cycle
- Submissions must be filed 60 days before quarterly meetings.
- Deadline
- Submissions must be filed 60 days before quarterly meetings.
- Contact
Application contact: Ross A Biederman
Mailing address: PO Box 564, Traverse City, MI 49685
Phone: (231) 947-7675
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was NMC Foundation ($50K). Together the top 10 received $270K.
Grant Size Distribution
170 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 163 grants of 170 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The filing says applications are generally considered only from the Northern Michigan area. In 2025, 90% of grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan, 6% to Minnesota, 3% to Montana, and less than 1% to Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 41 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
41%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 17 of 41 grantees (41%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $13K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 49% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+12%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 117% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 $385K (2019) to $489K (2025). In 2025 it made 41 grants totaling $489K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| NMC Foundation Traverse City, MI | Charitable Activities | $50,000 |
| Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN | Charitable Activities | $30,000 |
| St Clair Butterfly Foundation Auburn Hills, MI | Charitable Activities | $30,000 |
| Food Rescue (Goodwill Industries) Traverse City, MI | Charitable Activities | $25,000 |
| GT Regional Land Conservancy Traverse City, MI | Charitable Activities | $25,000 |
| Habitat for Humanity Traverse City, MI | Charitable Activities | $25,000 |
| NMC-Scholarships Traverse City, MI | Charitable Activities | $25,000 |
| VFW - Lake Leelanau Lake Leelanau, MI | Charitable Activities | $25,000 |
| Mt Holiday Inc Traverse City, MI | Charitable Activities | $20,000 |
| Hospice of Michigan Traverse City, MI | Charitable Activities | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc?
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 | $7,306,326 | $725,404 | $530,077 | $489,284 | 41 | $512,107 | $602,124 | $436,260 |
| 2024 | $7,110,999 | $824,452 | $476,232 | $443,081 | 33 | $459,030 | $463,965 | $410,854 |
| 2023 | $6,762,779 | $872,680 | $448,437 | $410,017 | 29 | $426,995 | $238,010 | $378,271 |
| 2022 | $6,338,536 | $296,924 | $474,529 | $436,411 | 34 | $451,864 | $211,845 | $412,214 |
| 2021 | $6,516,141 | $978,413 | $508,454 | $469,887 | 33 | $487,100 | $430,823 | $448,046 |
| 2020 | $6,046,182 | $437,406 | $427,804 | $396,854 | 37 | — | $250,336 | $410,117 |
| 2019 | $6,036,580 | $445,916 | $418,212 | $385,016 | 33 | — | $252,168 | $363,799 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $436K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing lists education, civic improvements, fine arts, health and human services, and recreation or youth services as areas for which applications may be considered.
Among its 2025 grantees, Inland Seas Education Association describes its mission as inspiring Great Lakes curiosity, stewardship, and passion. Old Town Playhouse says it promotes community theatre and theatrical arts education in Northwest Michigan. Interlochen Center for the Arts describes its work as educational, artistic, and cultural programming. Habitat for Humanity Menominee River says it brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope. These are descriptions of the grantees’ missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 41 grants totaling $489,284. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $50,000, with a median grant of $10,000.
Among its largest listed grants were $50,000 to NMC Foundation; $30,000 each to Mayo Clinic and St. Clair Butterfly Foundation; and $25,000 each to Food Rescue (Goodwill Industries), GT Regional Land Conservancy, Habitat for Humanity, NMC-Scholarships, and VFW – Lake Leelanau. The filing lists each of these grants’ purposes as charitable activities.
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. The filing instructs applicants to contact Ross A. Biederman and submit a completed grant application with a project or purpose summary, total cost and other funding sources, a line-item budget, the organization’s current operating budget, a recent financial statement, prior-year Form 990, tax-exempt letter, and board list. Seven copies of the materials are required. Applications are generally considered only from the Northern Michigan area and must address one of the areas listed under Mission & Focus Areas.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lawrence E. Gordon, Paul M. Biederman, Ross A. Biederman, Lee Russell, and Vojin Baic as trustees, and Chris Warren as secretary.
Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc's 2025 filing lists 6 officers; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lawrence E. Gordon
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Lee Russell
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Paul M. Biederman
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Ross A. Biederman
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Vojin Baic
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Chris Warren
Secretary
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc
How much does Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc give each year?
Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc gave $489K across 41 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $443K across 33 grants.
What is Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $11,934, across 41 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc that year got $11K on average.
Where does Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc give grants?
Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc gives mostly in Michigan: 90% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Minnesota (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Traverse City, MI (27 grants), Suttons Bay, MI (2 grants) and Thompsonville, MI (2 grants).
Does Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 41 grants with a stated purpose on Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable Activities" (38 grants).
Who are Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include NMC Foundation ($50,000), Mayo Clinic ($30,000) and St Clair Butterfly Foundation ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc?
Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc reported $7.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $512K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $436K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s filing lists education, civic improvements, fine arts, health and human services, and recreation or youth services as areas for which applications may be considered. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc?
Follow the application instructions in the foundation’s 2025 filing and direct the submission to Ross A. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc's EIN?
Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-2449838. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 13, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/les-and-ann-biederman-foundation-inc-morg_c770117d43f94bb296336a5178560d21
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_382449838_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Les \& Ann Biederman Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/les-and-ann-biederman-foundation-inc-morg_c770117d43f94bb296336a5178560d21},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc'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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