Mesara Family Foundation
The Mesara Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It supports carefully selected organizations in education, conservation, and other causes of special family interest where its funding can make a genuine difference.
Mesara Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Mesara Family Foundation gave $484K across 43 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), top state Michigan. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $484,000
- +6.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 43
- -10.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $11,256
- +19.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $8,500
- Total assets
- $5,449,922
- -6.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (5 of 43, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (38% 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 Mesara Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Its website provides the application process and requirements. It primarily awards grants to appropriate 501(c)(3) organizations and does not fund political or faith-based causes.
- Contact
Application contact: Jane E Blyth
Mailing address: PO Box 19975, Kalamazoo, MI 49019
Phone: (269) 350-6354
Email: jane.e.blyth@mesarafamilyfoundation.org
Website: https://www.mesarafamilyfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Mesara Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was She Jumps ($50K). Together the top 10 received $229K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($40,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
221 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 218 grants of 221 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it primarily funds organizations working to address needs in Michigan, while also considering compelling, well-aligned projects elsewhere. In 2025, Michigan received 38% of grant dollars; Florida received 12%, Indiana 11%, Utah 10%, and Colorado 10%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 43 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Mesara Family Foundation open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 43 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 81% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+15%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 101% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 $335K (2020) to $484K (2025). In 2025 it made 43 grants totaling $484K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| She Jumps Salt Lake City, UT | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
| WMU Foundation Kalamazoo, MI | WMU Study Abroad Mesara Airfare Scholarship | $50,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $40,000 |
| Leader Dogs for the Blind Rochester Hills, MI | General Operating Support | $30,000 |
| Special Forces Association Chapter 7 Crestview, FL | Special Forces Scholarship Fund | $25,000 |
| First Day Shoe Fund Portage, MI | Shoe Distribution | $15,000 |
| Pyxera Global Inc Washington, DC | William J White Fellowship | $15,000 |
| Season of Justice Zionsville, IN | DNA Testing for Cold Cases in Michigan | $12,000 |
| Special Days Camps Dimondale, MI | General Operating Support | $12,000 |
| American Friends of the Ocean Cleanup Foundation Pasadena, CA | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Mesara Family 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,449,922 | $317,637 | $670,210 | $484,000 | 43 | $574,331 | $222,128 | $567,552 |
| 2024 | $5,805,102 | $137,900 | $635,397 | $453,100 | 48 | $543,473 | $104,336 | $542,339 |
| 2023 | $6,301,734 | $260,737 | $523,024 | $380,805 | 42 | $445,518 | $183,231 | $465,828 |
| 2022 | $6,562,173 | $84,377 | $566,032 | $420,100 | 45 | $488,304 | $56,197 | $455,400 |
| 2021 | $7,044,084 | $179,741 | $539,033 | $380,910 | 43 | $446,671 | $98,347 | $483,787 |
| 2020 | $7,403,121 | $494,482 | $451,013 | $335,000 | 34 | — | $423,611 | $413,372 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mesara Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $568K 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 mission is to honor the philanthropic principles of the Mesara and Pauch families by supporting organizations that share similar values. Its stated areas of focus are education, conservation, and other causes of special family interest. It says it does not fund political or faith-based causes.
Its 2025 grantees included organizations with varied missions. SheJumps says it increases women’s and girls’ participation in outdoor activities through outdoor education. Leader Dogs for the Blind says it empowers people who are blind or visually impaired with skills for safe, independent travel. First Day Shoe Fund provides new athletic shoes at no cost to students in Kalamazoo County public elementary schools. Special Days Camps provides medically supervised camp experiences for children affected by cancer and their families.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 43 grants totaling $484,000. The grants ranged from $1,500 to $50,000, with a median of $8,500. Notable awards included $50,000 to SheJumps for general operating support and $50,000 to the WMU Foundation for the WMU Study Abroad Mesara Airfare Scholarship; $30,000 to Leader Dogs for the Blind for general operating support; and $15,000 each to First Day Shoe Fund for shoe distribution and Pyxera Global for the William J White Fellowship. The filing also lists a $40,000 grant to an individual recipient in Indiana for a fellowship program, while the website says the foundation does not give grants to individuals and only gives to appropriate 501(c)(3) organizations.
The website invites organizations to begin by emailing a brief description of their organization and proposed program or project. The board screens requests against the foundation’s mission and guiding principles, and the standard application is then provided by email. The foundation uses a rolling grant cycle, reviewing applications at the next quarterly board meeting; it notes that a response may take several weeks. Multi-year support may be considered for organizations and projects known to the foundation, with documented positive outcomes important for ongoing support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Douglas W. Mesara as president, Heather White as treasurer and secretary, Jeffrey Pauch as vice-president, and Gregory Pauch and Nicol White as directors. The foundation’s website also lists Jane E. Blyth as director of operations.
Mesara Family Foundation is led by Douglas W. Mesara, President on every filing since 2020; all 5 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Douglas W. Mesara
President
On filings since 2020
8 hrs/week
$4K (2020) → $8K (2025)
Gregory Pauch
Director
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
$5K (2021) → $8K (2025)
Nicol White
Director
On filings since 2023
4 hrs/week
$6K (2023) → $8K (2025)
Heather White
Treasurer & Secretary
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
$4K (2020) → $8K (2025)
Jeffrey Pauch
Vice President
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
$4K (2020) → $8K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Nicol Delvechio (2021–2022) — Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $8K, to Douglas W Mesara (President). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Mesara Family Foundation
How much does Mesara Family Foundation give each year?
Mesara Family Foundation gave $484K across 43 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $453K across 48 grants.
What is Mesara Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Mesara Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $8,500, and its average grant was $11,256, across 43 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mesara Family Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Mesara Family Foundation give grants?
Mesara Family Foundation's top state is Michigan, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Florida (12%) and Indiana (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Kalamazoo, MI (6 grants), Colorado Springs, CO (5 grants), Portage, MI (4 grants) and Pasadena, CA (2 grants).
Does Mesara Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 58% of Mesara Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (25 of 43) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Mesara Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Mesara Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include She Jumps ($50,000), WMU Foundation ($50,000) and Leader Dogs for the Blind ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($40,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Mesara Family Foundation?
Mesara Family Foundation reported $5.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $574K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $568K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Mesara Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to honor the philanthropic principles of the Mesara and Pauch families by supporting organizations that share similar values. Its stated areas of focus are education, conservation, and other causes of special family interest. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mesara Family Foundation?
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Mesara Family Foundation's EIN?
Mesara Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-3197993. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Mesara Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 4, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- 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). Mesara Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mesara-family-foundation-morg_0840c96817484e4682cfc495cba38cac
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_473197993_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Mesara Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mesara-family-foundation-morg_0840c96817484e4682cfc495cba38cac},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Mesara Family 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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