Michigan First Foundation Inc
Michigan First Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Lathrup Village, Michigan. Its 2025 filing reports grants for educational scholarships and community support, including support for nonprofit organizations.
Michigan First Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Michigan First Foundation Inc gave $174K across 83 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Michigan. 16% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $173,500
- +1.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 83
- -3.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,090
- +5.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $39,973
- +0.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 16% first-time grantees (11 of 68, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (80% 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 Michigan First Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Contact
Mailing address: 27000 Evergreen Road, Lathrup Village, MI 48076
Phone: (248) 395-4012
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Michigan First Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Forgotten Harvest ($5K). Together the top 10 received $46K.
Organizations only. It also paid 8 individual scholarships ($33,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
411 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 411 grants of 411 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 80% of grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan. The reported shares for other recipient states were Virginia 5%, Washington, D.C. 5%, Georgia 3% and Rhode Island 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 83 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Michigan First Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
16%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 11 of 68 grantees (16%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 79% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 23% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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 $138K (2020) to $174K (2025). In 2025 it made 83 grants totaling $174K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 8 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $33,500 |
| Forgotten Harvest Oak Park, MI | Community support - non-profit, collects surplus food from a variety of sources and distributes it to food providers. | $5,000 |
| Gleaners Food Bank Detroit, MI | Community support - collects, warehouses, repacks and distributes many millions of pounds of food for over 300 local member agencies. | $5,000 |
| Hampton University Landon Kendrick Hampton, VA | Educational Scholarships | $5,000 |
| Meals on Wheels Detroit Detroit, MI | Community Support - Provides Meals to Homebound Elderly. | $5,000 |
| Morehouse College & Devyn Myles Hardwick Atlanta, GA | Educational Scholarships | $5,000 |
| Brown University Henry David Buss Providence, RI | Educational Scholarships | $4,500 |
| Hampton Univ Madison McKai Williams Hampton, VA | Educational Scholarships | $4,500 |
| Howard University Lenah Alghali Washington, DC | Educational Scholarships | $4,000 |
| Lipscomb University Ella Halma Nashville, TN | Educational Scholarships | $4,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $39,973 | $198,726 | $199,583 | $173,500 | 83 | $173,500 | $2,962 |
| 2024 | $39,830 | $210,100 | $203,988 | $170,500 | 86 | $170,500 | $5,667 |
| 2023 | $30,718 | $221,160 | $203,410 | $171,000 | 83 | $171,000 | $1,860 |
| 2022 | $12,968 | $167,622 | $164,967 | $141,250 | 78 | $141,250 | $1,447 |
| 2021 | $10,313 | $170,576 | $171,390 | $146,750 | 81 | $146,750 | $2,381 |
| 2020 | $10,127 | $126,068 | $139,928 | $138,250 | 89 | — | $1,710 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Michigan First Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $3K 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
No mission statement is provided in the available information. The foundation’s 2025 grants supported educational scholarships and community organizations. For example, grantees included Forgotten Harvest, whose stated mission is to relieve hunger in Metro Detroit and prevent nutritious food waste, and Focus: HOPE, which describes its work as addressing racism, poverty and injustice in metropolitan Detroit through programs including food assistance, education and workforce development.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 83 grants totaling $173,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $10,000, with a median of $1,500. The filing identifies educational scholarships and community support among grant purposes.
Notable 2025 grants included $10,000 to Eastern Michigan University for educational scholarships; $5,000 each to Central Michigan University, Central State University, Forgotten Harvest, Gleaners Food Bank, Hampton University and Meals on Wheels Detroit; and $3,500 to Focus: HOPE. Other recipients included Downtown Boxing Gym Youth Program, Lawrence Technological University and University of Detroit Mercy, each receiving $2,500, and Spaulding for Children, which received $1,500.
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jennifer Borowy as president, Janet Barden as treasurer, Delonaka Edwards as secretary, and Deirdre Scott and Linda Height as directors.
Michigan First Foundation Inc is led by Jennifer Borowy, President since 2022 (on filings since 2020); none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jennifer Borowy
President
Director → President, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Linda Height
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Deirdre Scott
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Delonaka Edwards
Secretary
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Janet Barden
Treasuruer
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Ines De Jesus (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Michael Poulos (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Sue Postemski (2020–2021) — 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.
Frequently asked questions about Michigan First Foundation Inc
How much does Michigan First Foundation Inc give each year?
Michigan First Foundation Inc gave $174K across 83 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $171K across 86 grants.
What is Michigan First Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Michigan First Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $2,090, across 83 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Michigan First Foundation Inc that year got $3K on average.
Where does Michigan First Foundation Inc give grants?
Michigan First Foundation Inc gives mostly in Michigan: 80% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Virginia (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Detroit, MI (38 grants), Southfield, MI (8 grants), Grand Rapids, MI (6 grants) and Ann Arbor, MI (5 grants).
Does Michigan First Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Occasionally: 6% of Michigan First Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (5 of 83) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Educational Scholarships" (21 grants).
Who are Michigan First Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Michigan First Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Forgotten Harvest ($5,000), Gleaners Food Bank ($5,000) and Hampton University Landon Kendrick ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 8 individual scholarships ($33,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 9% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Michigan First Foundation Inc?
Michigan First Foundation Inc reported $40K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $174K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Michigan First Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement is provided in the available information. The foundation’s 2025 grants supported educational scholarships and community organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Michigan First Foundation Inc?
Michigan First Foundation Inc does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines.
What is Michigan First Foundation Inc's EIN?
Michigan First Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-2487933. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Michigan First Foundation Inc 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Michigan First Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/michigan-first-foundation-inc-morg_926f7bb942964cae8dae9dd6cc98d19b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_272487933_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Michigan First Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/michigan-first-foundation-inc-morg_926f7bb942964cae8dae9dd6cc98d19b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Michigan First 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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