Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc

TRAVERSE CITY, MI EIN: 38-2449838

The Les & Ann Biederman Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1986 and based in Traverse City, Michigan. The foundation uses investment income to make grants to charitable organizations across multiple sectors.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$7.1M

+5.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$443K

+8.1% YoY

Grant Count

33

+13.8% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$13K

-5.0% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $411K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation supports charitable activities in the following areas:

  • Education
  • Civic improvement
  • Fine arts
  • Health and human services
  • Recreation and youth services

Grantmaking

The foundation awarded a three-year grant to the St. Clair Butterfly Foundation for trauma-informed expressive arts programs:

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Michigan, with some grants extending to Virginia and Minnesota.

Grant Distribution by State

6states

Cities

BenzoniaBrightonColorado SpringsEagleEmpireFrankfortGrand RapidsHonorInterlochenLake LeelanauMaxwell AfbMecostaNorthportOmenaRochesterSan JoseSt Clair ShoresSuttons BayTraverse CityTriangle

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

  • Total assets: $7,110,999
  • Total revenues: $824,452
  • Total expenses: $476,232
  • Total giving: $443,081
  • Number of employees: 0
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$269K$538K$807K$1M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$7,110,999$6,762,779$6,338,536
Revenue$824,452$872,680$296,924
Expenses$476,232$448,437$474,529
Qualifying Distributions$459,030$426,995$451,864
Net Investment Income$463,965$238,010$211,845
Distributable Amount$410,854$378,271$412,214

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$117K$235K$352K$470K37 grants202033 grants202134 grants202229 grants202333 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

NMC FOUNDATION$50KMAYO CLINIC$30KNMC-SCHOLARSHIPS$30KBOTANIC GARDEN AT HISTOR…$25KHABITAT FOR HUMANITY$25KMT HOLIDAY INC$25KPENINSULA TOWNSHIP$25KTRAVERSE SYMPHONY ORCHES…$25KGT YMCA$25KSINGLE MOMM$25K

Grant Size Distribution

166 grants across all recorded years

159<$50K7$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Nmc Foundation ($50,000), Mayo Clinic ($30,000), Nmc-scholarships ($30,000).

RecipientPurposeAmount
BIG BROTHERSBIG SISTERS NW MI TRAVERSE CITY, MICHARITABLE ACTIVITIES$10,000
BOTANIC GARDEN AT HISTORIC BARNS PK TRAVERSE CITY, MICHARITABLE ACTIVITIES$25,000
BOYS SCOUTS GUARDIAN MEMBERSHIP TRAVERSE CITY, MICHARITABLE ACTIVITIES$1,000
CHILD & FAMILY SERVICES TRAVERSE CITY, MICHARITABLE ACTIVITIES$10,000
DREAM TEAM TRAVERSE CITY, MICHARITABLE ACTIVITIES$10,000
DYNAMIC FOUNDATION SAN JOSE, CACHARITABLE ACTIVITIES$500
FATHER FRED FOUNDATION TRAVERSE CITY, MICHARITABLE ACTIVITIES$5,000
GENERATIONS AHEAD TRAVERSE CITY, MICHARITABLE ACTIVITIES$5,000
GREAT LAKES CHILDREN'S MUSEUM TRAVERSE CITY, MICHARITABLE ACTIVITIES$10,000
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY TRAVERSE CITY, MICHARITABLE ACTIVITIES$25,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

  • Ross Biederman - Son of Les and Anne Biederman; currently administers the foundation
  • Brenda Biederman - Wife of Ross Biederman; involved in foundation administration

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
LAWRENCE E GORDONTRUSTEE
PAUL M BIEDERMANTRUSTEE
ROSS A BIEDERMANTRUSTEE
CHRIS WARRENSECRETARY
LEE RUSSELLTRUSTEE
VOJIN BAICTRUSTEE

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2025

In May 2025, the foundation awarded a grant to the St. Clair Butterfly Foundation to expand trauma-informed expressive arts programs addressing youth mental health in Northern Michigan. The three-year investment will support infrastructure development, including launching a data dashboard to track outcomes, expanding outreach to regional school districts, and hiring and training additional facilitators.

Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc fund?

The foundation supports charitable activities in the following areas: • Education • Civic improvement • Fine arts • Health and human services • Recreation and youth services

How do I apply for a grant from Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc?

**Grant Characteristics:** • Typical award range: $500–$50,000 • Made 37 grants in the most recent year **Recent Grants (2024):** • Mayo Clinic: $30,000 • Habitat for Humanity - Grand Traverse Region: $25,000 • Traverse City Philharmonic: $25,000 **Notable Multi-Year Grant:** The foundation awarded a three-year grant to the St. Clair Butterfly Foundation for trauma-informed expressive arts programs: • Year 1: $15,000 • Year 2: $10,000 • Year 3: $5,000 **Significant Historical Grant:** In 2017, …

Where does Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Michigan, with some grants extending to Virginia and Minnesota.

What size grants does Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc award?

In 2024, Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc awarded 33 grants totaling $443K — an average of about $13K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $411K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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 2020–2024.

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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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