Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation
The Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation is a private foundation based in Southfield, Michigan. Its mission is to enrich humanity by strengthening and empowering children and families in need, with work spanning Jewish engagement, early childhood, arts and culture, impact investing, and legacy.
Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation at a glance
In short: Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation gave $15.3M across 189 grants in 2024 (avg $81K), mostly in Michigan. 21% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $15,315,204
- -21.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 189
- -12.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $81,033
- -10.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $47,908
- Total assets
- $280,007,862
- -0.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (23 of 108, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (67% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Invitation Only
-
The Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Its website says that, with the exception of special projects, applications are by invitation only. Organizations interested in a program aligned with the Foundation’s mission and impact areas are encouraged to submit an initial letter of inquiry through its database.
- Contact
Mailing address: Two Towne Square 900, Southfield, MI 48076
Phone: (248) 415-4000
Website: https://mmfisher.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Jewish Federation of Detroit ($1.5M across 4 grants). Together the top 10 received $8.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
944 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 492 grants of 944 (52%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation is based in Southfield, Michigan. In 2024, 67% of grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan, 15% to New York, 8% to Florida, and 3% to Ohio; the filing also reports 6% for an unspecified state category. The listed grants include support for Detroit-area early childhood and Jewish organizations, as well as organizations in New York and Florida.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 189 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 23 of 108 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $116K; repeat grants $149K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $73K repeat.
- 74% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+7%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 135% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $14.3M (2021) to $19.5M (2023). In 2024 it made 189 grants totaling $15.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish Federation of Detroit Bloomfield Hills, MI | 2024 and 2025 Annual Campaign | $1,290,000 |
| Everybody Ready Allen Park, MI | Brightmoor Quality Childcare Initiative | $737,110 |
| Development Centers Inc DBA Mi Early Years Detroit, MI | Brightmoor Childcare Quality Initiative | $452,911 |
| Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan Detroit, MI | Marjorie M. Fisher Fund | $450,000 |
| Jewish Agency for Israel-North American Council New York, NY | Spark.il | $400,000 |
| United Jewish Foundation Bloomfield Hills, MI | Phillip Wm Fisher Support Foundation | $400,000 |
| United Jewish Foundation Bloomfield Hills, MI | Jane f. & larry d. Sherman family support foundation | $400,000 |
| Birthright Israel Foundation New York, NY | Birthright israel: strengthening jewish identity and connetion to the jewish homeland | $300,000 |
| Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties West Palm Beach, FL | Fisher-Cummings Family Fund | $300,000 |
| Development Centers Inc DBA Mi Early Years Detroit, MI | Social Emotional Learning Intern Support | $274,400 |
Ready to take the next step with Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $280,007,862 | $8,072,532 | $21,492,813 | $15,315,204 | 189 | $19,171,276 | $4,964,184 | $14,192,032 |
| 2023 | $280,244,201 | $6,380,193 | $27,230,526 | $19,512,853 | 215 | $23,854,888 | $2,404,228 | $13,879,489 |
| 2022 | $279,901,104 | $9,896,483 | $23,126,911 | $14,595,199 | 182 | $19,755,707 | $6,358,328 | $14,375,178 |
| 2021 | $339,251,423 | $60,989,770 | $21,374,120 | $14,314,725 | 177 | $17,828,407 | $58,693,291 | $14,253,882 |
| 2020 | $296,716,008 | $13,582,266 | $20,741,996 | $16,975,091 | 181 | — | $13,332,647 | $12,839,974 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation reported a distributable amount of $14.2M for 2024 — 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 mission is to enrich humanity by strengthening and empowering children and families in need. Its stated impact areas are Jewish, early childhood, arts and culture, impact investing, and legacy. The Foundation says its Jewish work supports the vitality and well-being of the Jewish people, while its early childhood work focuses on access to development resources for children ages 0 to 8 and their families.
Examples of organizations supported in 2024 illustrate the range of its grantmaking. The Jewish Federation of Detroit describes itself as committed to meeting the needs of the Jewish people and building a strong Jewish future in Detroit, Israel, and around the world. Everybody Ready says it works to coordinate services and resources for Wayne County families with children from prenatal stages through age eight. The United Jewish Foundation of Detroit says it manages Jewish communal assets to promote continuity of the Jewish people. Other 2024 recipients included the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and organizations supporting Jewish connections to Israel.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Foundation made 189 grants totaling $15,315,204. Grant amounts ranged from $630 to $1,290,000, with a median grant of $47,908.
Among the largest reported grants were $1,290,000 to the Jewish Federation of Detroit for its 2024 and 2025 annual campaign; $737,110 to Everybody Ready for the Brightmoor Quality Childcare Initiative; $452,911 to Development Centers Inc. dba MI Early Years for the Brightmoor Childcare Quality Initiative; and $450,000 to the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan for the Marjorie M. Fisher Fund. Other large grants included $400,000 to the Jewish Agency for Israel-North American Council for SPARK.IL and $300,000 to Birthright Israel Foundation for work to strengthen Jewish identity and connection to the Jewish homeland.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Julie Fisher Cummings and Jane F. Sherman as trustees; Phillip Wm Fisher as managing trustee; Dr. Marjorie M Fisher as treasurer; and David Sherman, Caroline Rafferty, Amanda Fisher, Alissandra Aronow, and Andrew Sherman as next-generation trustees. Douglas Bitonti Stewart is listed as executive director.
Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation is led by Douglas Bitonti Stewart, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 10 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Douglas Bitonti Stewart
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$427K (2020) → $475K (2024)
Phillip Wm Fisher
Managing Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alissandra Aronow
Next General Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amanda Fisher
Next General Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Sherman
Next General Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Caroline Rafferty
Next General Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Sherman
Next General Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jane F. Sherman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julie Fisher Cummings
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marjorie M. Fisher
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $475K, to Douglas Bitonti Stewart (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation
How much does Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation give each year?
Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation gave $15.3M across 189 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $19.5M across 215 grants.
What is Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation's typical grant size?
Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $47,908, and its average grant was $81,033, across 189 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation that year got $116K on average.
Where does Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation give grants?
Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 67% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (15%) and Florida (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Detroit, MI (92 grants), New York, NY (24 grants), Bloomfield Hills, MI (8 grants) and West Palm Beach, FL (8 grants).
Does Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 7% of Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 189) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "2024 Membership Dues" (7 grants) and "2025 Membership Dues" (7 grants).
Who are Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation's largest grantees?
Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Jewish Federation of Detroit ($1,540,000 across 4 grants), Jewish Agency for Israel-North American Council ($1,308,160 across 8 grants) and Development Centers Inc DBA Mi Early Years ($1,215,806 across 17 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation?
Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation reported $280.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $19.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $14.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s mission is to enrich humanity by strengthening and empowering children and families in need. Its stated impact areas are Jewish, early childhood, arts and culture, impact investing, and legacy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation?
The Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation's EIN?
Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-1784340. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Max M & Marjorie S Fisher 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Max M & Marjorie S Fisher Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/max-m-and-marjorie-s-fisher-foundation-morg_e9723d76bdfa437fa050ff26ebc91b3c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_381784340_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Max M \& Marjorie S Fisher Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/max-m-and-marjorie-s-fisher-foundation-morg_e9723d76bdfa437fa050ff26ebc91b3c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Max M & Marjorie S Fisher 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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