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.
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
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
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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
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 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
91 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
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 ...Related Funders
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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