Liberty Foundation
Liberty Foundation is a private foundation based in Dearborn, Michigan. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including churches, with each listed grant intended “to benefit religious or other charitable purposes.”
Liberty Foundation at a glance
In short: Liberty Foundation gave $615K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $62K), mostly in Michigan. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $615,000
- +53.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +42.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $61,500
- +7.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $57,500
- Total assets
- $25,215,048
- +24.6% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Michigan (79% 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 Liberty Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 500 Town Center Dr, Dearborn, MI 48126
Phone: (734) 624-2172
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Liberty Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Inter-City Baptist Church ($100K). Together the top 10 received $615K.
Grant Size Distribution
22 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 9 grants of 22 (41%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 79% of grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan, 15% to Wisconsin, and 7% to Indiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
How Liberty Foundation gives
- 50% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 362% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 60% 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 $76K (2020) to $615K (2025). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $615K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Inter-City Baptist Church Allen Park, MI | To benefit religious or other charitable purposes. | $100,000 |
| Beth Eden Missionary Baptist Church Detroit, MI | To benefit religious or other charitable purposes. | $100,000 |
| First Latin American Baptist Church Detroit, MI | To benefit religious or other charitable purposes. | $75,000 |
| Mercy Hill Church Port Austin, MI | To benefit religious or other charitable purposes. | $70,000 |
| Rooted Church Royal Oak, MI | To benefit religious or other charitable purposes. | $65,000 |
| Lakewood Baptist Church Pewaukee, WI | To benefit religious or other charitable purposes. | $50,000 |
| Gospel Grace Church Fortville, IN | To benefit religious or other charitable purposes. | $40,000 |
| Pillar Church Inc Wauwatosa, WI | To benefit religious or other charitable purposes. | $40,000 |
| Lake Orion Baptist Church Lake Orion, MI | To benefit religious or other charitable purposes. | $40,000 |
| Grace Baptist Church of Hamtramck Hamtramck, MI | To benefit religious or other charitable purposes. | $35,000 |
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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 | $25,215,048 | $5,589,295 | $692,184 | $615,000 | 10 | $617,510 | $521,723 | $1,024,738 |
| 2024 | $20,230,274 | $8,362,403 | $490,258 | $402,000 | 7 | $404,191 | $330,079 | $616,494 |
| 2023 | $12,142,121 | $5,557,174 | $203,787 | $197,000 | 2 | $199,151 | $154,122 | $404,982 |
| 2022 | $6,552,528 | $3,361,285 | $140,846 | $133,000 | 1 | $134,931 | $55,608 | $198,386 |
| 2021 | $3,439,078 | $1,019,589 | $84,383 | $80,000 | 2 | $81,744 | $17,140 | $134,585 |
| 2020 | $2,538,205 | $1,013,700 | $78,043 | $76,100 | 1 | — | $13,650 | $81,473 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Liberty Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.0M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $615,000 in 10 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $35,000 to $100,000, with a median of $57,500. The largest grants included $100,000 each to Inter-City Baptist Church in Allen Park, Michigan, and Beth Eden Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit; $75,000 to First Latin American Baptist Church in Detroit; and $70,000 to Mercy Hill Church in Port Austin.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s 2025 filing lists Samuel A. Dawson as president, Carolyn F. Dawson as secretary, and Robbin L. Vandervort as treasurer.
Liberty Foundation is led by Samuel A. Dawson, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Samuel A. Dawson
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carolyn F. Dawson
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robbin L. Vandervort
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 Liberty Foundation
How much does Liberty Foundation give each year?
Liberty Foundation gave $615K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $402K across 7 grants.
What is Liberty Foundation's typical grant size?
Liberty Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $57,500, and its average grant was $61,500, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Liberty Foundation give grants?
Liberty Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 79% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Wisconsin (15%) and Indiana (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Detroit, MI (2 grants).
Who are Liberty Foundation's largest grantees?
Liberty Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Inter-City Baptist Church ($100,000), Beth Eden Missionary Baptist Church ($100,000) and First Latin American Baptist Church ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 45% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Liberty Foundation?
Liberty Foundation reported $25.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $618K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.0M (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.
How do I apply for a grant from Liberty Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Liberty Foundation's EIN?
Liberty Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-3656138. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Liberty Foundation 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Liberty 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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