Morley Foundation
The Morley Foundation is a private foundation based in Saginaw, Michigan. Founded in 1948, it makes grants for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes, with a focus on Michigan and major emphasis on Saginaw County.
Morley Foundation at a glance
In short: Morley Foundation gave $203K across 59 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Michigan. 34% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $203,400
- +24.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 59
- +59.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,447
- -22.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $4,693,410
- +6.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 34% first-time grantees (20 of 59, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (93% 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 Morley Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s website says it considers requests quarterly and has no formal application form, though it accepts the Council of Michigan Foundations’ common grant application. It asks applicants to submit a proposal electronically with information about the program, organization, project cost and requested amount, objectives and strategy, other funding sources, organizational leadership, tax-exempt status, audited financial statement, and current budget. Its 2025 filing lists a one-page letter as the application material and names Peter Morley Jr as the contact. The website says applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations able to provide financial and organizational information, and that grants are for organizations benefiting Saginaw County residents. Multi-year commitments are generally limited to capital projects, and the foundation prefers not to grant to endowment funds. The filing states there are no award restrictions and no deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: Peter Morley Jr
Mailing address: One Tuscola PO Box 2485, Saginaw, MI 48605-2485
Phone: (989) 791-0155
Website: https://morleyfdn.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Morley Foundation
Who Morley Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Northern Michigan Childress Assn ($25K). Together the top 10 received $134K.
Grant Size Distribution
298 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 298 grants of 298 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website says its grantmaking is primarily focused on Michigan, with major emphasis in Saginaw County. In 2025, 93% of grant dollars went to Michigan recipients; the remaining reported shares went to Connecticut (2%), Texas (1%), Oregon (1%), and Illinois (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 59 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Morley Foundation open to new grantees?
34%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 20 of 59 grantees (34%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 37% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 116% 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 $163K (2024) to $211K (2021). In 2025 it made 59 grants totaling $203K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Michigan Childress Assn Roscommon, MI | Welfare | $25,000 |
| Hidden Harvest Saginaw, MI | Welfare | $20,000 |
| Delta College Broadcasting University Center, MI | Education | $18,200 |
| Saginaw Bay Community Sailing Assoc Bay City, MI | Education | $15,000 |
| Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Bay City, MI | Education | $14,000 |
| Baysail Bay City, MI | Civic Improvement | $10,000 |
| Saginaw Art Museum Saginaw, MI | Arts | $10,000 |
| Saginaw Community Foundation Saginaw, MI | Civic Improvement | $10,000 |
| YMCA of Saginaw Saginaw, MI | Education | $6,000 |
| North Central Michigan College Petoskey, MI | Education | $5,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Morley 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 | $4,693,410 | $157,340 | $326,859 | $203,400 | 59 | $256,310 | $86,791 | $220,931 |
| 2024 | $4,400,301 | $233,861 | $270,552 | $163,460 | 37 | $213,865 | $179,174 | $213,978 |
| 2023 | $4,246,615 | $289,709 | $298,475 | $190,950 | 70 | $246,115 | $237,349 | $197,804 |
| 2022 | $4,017,067 | $283,559 | $299,281 | $193,126 | 65 | $248,764 | $117,045 | $210,102 |
| 2021 | $4,966,255 | $474,253 | $298,377 | $211,244 | 67 | $257,814 | $428,711 | $249,515 |
| 2020 | $4,621,468 | $143,555 | $298,784 | $204,881 | 60 | — | $108,581 | $224,832 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Morley Foundation reported a distributable amount of $221K 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 says it supports legitimate needs in welfare, health, education, civic improvement, and the humanities. Its website says it prioritizes concerns close to the community rather than broad social issues.
The foundation’s 2025 grants included organizations working in areas such as conservation, community initiatives, women’s empowerment, survivor support, music, higher education, and public recreation. For example, the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy describes its mission as conserving land and water resources in the Saginaw Bay watershed; the Saginaw Community Foundation says it enables community initiatives; and the YWCA Great Lakes Bay Region describes its work as empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 59 grants totaling $203,400. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $25,000, with a median of $1,000. Its largest reported grants included $25,000 to Northern Michigan Childress Assn for welfare, $20,000 to Hidden Harvest for welfare, $18,200 to Delta College Broadcasting for education, and $15,000 to Saginaw Bay Community Sailing Assoc for education.
Other notable 2025 grants included $14,000 to Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy, $10,000 each to Baysail, Saginaw Art Museum, and Saginaw Community Foundation, and $6,000 to YMCA of Saginaw.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jonathan C Morley as president; David Morley and Carol Morley Beck as vice presidents; Christine Black as secretary; and Sara Morley LaCroix as treasurer. It lists Peter Morley Jr, Morley Anne Bland, Michael Morley Brand, George Morley Jr, Michael Morley, and Jodona Morley Kinney as trustees, and Peter Morley Sr as honorary trustee.
Morley Foundation is led by Jonathan C Morley, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 15 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jonathan C Morley
President
Trustee → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$15K (2023) → $50K (2025)
Peter Morley Jr.
Trustee
President → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$47K (2020) → $0 (2025)
Chase Brand
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
George Morley Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jodona Morley Kinney
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Morley
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Morley Brand
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Morley Anne Bland
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter Morley Sr.
Honorary Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard Thomson Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sam Morley
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carol Morley Beck
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christine Black
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Morley
Vice President
Vice President & Treasurer → Vice President, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sara Morley LaCroix
Treasurer
Trustee → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Tom Thomson (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Katharyn Morley (2020) — Honorary Trustee
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 $50K, to Jonathan C Morley (President).
Frequently asked questions about Morley Foundation
How much does Morley Foundation give each year?
Morley Foundation gave $203K across 59 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $163K across 37 grants.
What is Morley Foundation's typical grant size?
Morley Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $3,447, across 59 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Morley Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Morley Foundation give grants?
Morley Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Saginaw, MI (18 grants), Bay City, MI (5 grants), Roscommon, MI (4 grants) and Petoskey, MI (3 grants).
Does Morley Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 59 grants with a stated purpose on Morley Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (22 grants), "Welfare" (13 grants) and "Civic Improvement" (12 grants).
Who are Morley Foundation's largest grantees?
Morley Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Northern Michigan Childress Assn ($25,000), Hidden Harvest ($20,000) and Delta College Broadcasting ($18,200), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Morley Foundation?
Morley Foundation reported $4.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $256K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $221K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Morley Foundation fund?
The foundation says it supports legitimate needs in welfare, health, education, civic improvement, and the humanities. Its website says it prioritizes concerns close to the community rather than broad social issues. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Morley Foundation?
The foundation’s website says it considers requests quarterly and has no formal application form, though it accepts the Council of Michigan Foundations’ common grant application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Morley Foundation's EIN?
Morley Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-6055569. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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 August 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 23, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 3, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Morley Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Morley Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/morley-foundation-morg_71eceb35e2b0400ebd43dfb9c479f4dc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_386055569_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Morley Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/morley-foundation-morg_71eceb35e2b0400ebd43dfb9c479f4dc},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Morley 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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