Monroe-brown Foundation
The Monroe-Brown Foundation is a private family foundation located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, established in 1986 as a memorial to Albertine Monroe Brown and Robert Judson Brown. The foundation is dedicated to bettering lives and strengthening the community through support for higher education and economic development initiatives in Michigan.
Key facts about Monroe-brown Foundation
- EIN
- 38-2513263
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,077,805
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- Average grant
- $173,150
- Median grant
- $61,334
- Total assets
- $24,541,701
- Primary geography
- Michigan (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated June 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Monroe-brown Foundation funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Monroe-brown Foundation's 12 itemized 2024 grants were Michigan (100%). The most frequent recipient cities were Kalamazoo, MI (7 grants) and Ann Arbor, MI (5 grants). 25% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$24.5M
-4.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.1M
+403.5% YoY
Grant Count
12
+20.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$173K
+319.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Monroe-brown Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: "Opportunities for education and skills development are available to all people so they can improve their lives and enrich their communities."
Primary Focus Areas: The foundation's mission is twofold: to provide support for higher education in the State of Michigan, and to advance economic development in the Kalamazoo community through programs designed to encourage the retention and employment of local scholars.
Recent grant distribution shows that 68% of giving supports education, 14% goes to community development, and approximately 8% supports arts and culture.
Grantmaking
The foundation made 19 grants in 2024. Recent grants include:
Review Cycle
.
How to Apply
**
Ready to take the next step with Monroe-brown Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
94% of grants stay in Michigan, with a primary focus on the Kalamazoo community and Kalamazoo County.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 12 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Giving (2024):
- Total Assets: $24,541,701
- Total Revenues: $1,205,242
- Total Expenses: $2,457,107
- Investment Income and Dividends: $596,722
Assets & Giving (2023):
- Total Assets: $25,793,566
- Total Giving: $412,667
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $24,541,701 | $25,793,566 | $25,483,173 |
| Revenue | $1,205,242 | $1,086,097 | $919,036 |
| Expenses | $2,457,107 | $775,704 | $1,938,228 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,261,414 | $630,379 | $1,775,735 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,350,922 | $981,628 | $1,500,441 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,756,138 | $1,540,959 | $1,482,071 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 7 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
91 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include University of Michigan ($1,871,088 across 5 grants), Western Michigan University Foundation ($110,667 across 2 grants), Kalamazoo Nonprofit Advocacy Coalition ($50,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ANN ARBOR, MI | LOCKER ROOM PROJECT | $500,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ANN ARBOR, MI | SCHOLARSHIPS | $421,088 |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ANN ARBOR, MI | ALZHEIMERS FUND | $400,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ANN ARBOR, MI | MICHIGAN MEDALLION | $300,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ANN ARBOR, MI | VC FUND | $250,000 |
| WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION KALAMAZOO, MI | ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM | $72,667 |
| KALAMAZOO NONPROFIT ADVOCACY COALITION KALAMAZOO, MI | GENERAL | $50,000 |
| WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION KALAMAZOO, MI | SCHOLARSHIPS | $38,000 |
| KALAMAZOO COUNTY READY 4S KALAMAZOO, MI | GENERAL | $25,000 |
| STARTUP ZOO KALAMAZOO, MI | GENERAL | $15,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Trustees:
- Frederick O Brown, President
- Jane B Todd, Treasurer
- Robert M Brown Jr, Secretary
- Andrew Brown, Trustee
- Catherine E Brown Webb, Trustee
- Eric M Todd, Trustee
- Stephen Todd, Trustee
- A J Todd IV, Vice President
The foundation's trustees include descendants of the founders: Gail, Robert, and Jane (the three children of Albertine and Robert Brown), who have served as trustees since the foundation's inception.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROBERT M BROWN JR | SECRETARY, TRUSTEE | 0.01 | — |
| A J TODD IV | VICE PRESIDENT, TRUSTEE | 0.01 | — |
| JANE B TODD | TREASURER, TRUSTEE | 0.01 | — |
| FREDERICK O BROWN | PRESIDENT, TRUSTEE | 0.01 | — |
| ANDREW BROWN | TRUSTEE | 0.01 | — |
| CATHERINE E BROWN WEBB | TRUSTEE | 0.01 | — |
| ERIC M TODD | TRUSTEE | 0.01 | — |
| STEPHEN TODD | TRUSTEE | 0.01 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Monroe-Brown Foundation established a Seed Fund that awarded $400,000 in inaugural investment funding. The foundation has provided major historical support to institutions including the Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center, Excellence in Education, Kalamazoo College, University of Michigan, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, and Western Michigan University. Since its formation, the foundation has contributed more than $8 million to higher education causes.
Monroe-Brown Seed Fund awards $400K inaugural investment ...Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Monroe-brown Foundation fund?
**Mission Statement:** "Opportunities for education and skills development are available to all people so they can improve their lives and enrich their communities." **Primary Focus Areas:** The foundation's mission is twofold: to provide support for higher education in the State of Michigan, and to advance economic development in the Kalamazoo community through programs designed to encourage the retention and employment of local scholars. Recent grant distribution shows that 68% of giving supp…
How do I apply for a grant from Monroe-brown Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** The foundation made 19 grants in 2024. Recent grants include: • $72,667 to Western Michigan University Foundation (Entrepreneurship Program) • $50,000 to Kalamazoo Nonprofit Advocacy Coalition (General) • $38,000 to Western Michigan University Foundation (Scholarships) • $150,000 to Kalamazoo Community Foundation • $10,000 to Gilmore Piano Festival • $7,500 to Southeast Michigan First • $5,000 to Kalamazoo College **Application Process:** The foundation only makes contributi…
Where does Monroe-brown Foundation make grants?
94% of grants stay in Michigan, with a primary focus on the Kalamazoo community and Kalamazoo County.
What size grants does Monroe-brown Foundation award?
In 2024, Monroe-brown Foundation awarded 12 grants totaling $2.1M — an average of about $173K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Monroe-brown Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Monroe-brown Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.8M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Monroe-brown Foundation's EIN?
Monroe-brown Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-2513263. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Monroe-brown Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.