Morse Charitable Foundation Inc
Morse Charitable Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Detroit, Michigan. It supports education innovators working to improve academic outcomes for low-income students, as well as public policy initiatives focused on reducing government regulation, promoting fiscal responsibility, and encouraging entrepreneurism.
Morse Charitable Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Morse Charitable Foundation Inc gave $863K across 31 grants in 2024 (avg $28K), top state Pennsylvania. 32% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $862,757
- +90.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 31
- +10.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $27,831
- +72.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $21,412,108
- +12.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (10 of 31, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (20% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Morse Charitable Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists David P. Larsen as the contact and requests a brief letter, a financial statement, and a copy of the IRS letter determining tax status, unless the organization is already listed in the cumulative list. The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Awards are generally limited to charitable organizations already favorably known to, and of interest to, the foundation’s substantial contributors. No grants are made to individuals.
- Contact
Application contact: David P Larsen
Mailing address: 1901 St Antoine Street 6Th Floor, Detroit, MI 48226
Phone: (313) 259-7777
Website: https://morsecharitablefoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Morse Charitable Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Entitlements How ($100K). Together the top 10 received $618K.
Grant Size Distribution
134 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 110 grants of 134 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars were distributed across recipients in multiple states. The largest listed state shares were Pennsylvania (20%), Kentucky (12%), Montana (12%), Georgia (12%), and New York (10%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Morse Charitable Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 31 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $44K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $38K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 61% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+8%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 105% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $453K (2023) to $863K (2024). In 2024 it made 31 grants totaling $863K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Entitlements How Lexington, KY | Program Services | $100,000 |
| Primer Microschools Foundation Orrick, MT | Program Services | $100,000 |
| 3DE Atlanta, GA | Program Services | $100,000 |
| Morgan Stanley DAF New York, NY | Program Services | $67,757 |
| Congaree Foundation Houston, TX | Program Services | $50,000 |
| Williamson College for the Trades Media, PA | The New Criterion | $50,000 |
| Black Pastors United for Education Harrisburg, PA | Program Services | $50,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County Hendersonville, NC | Program Services | $50,000 |
| The Fairness Center Harrisburg, PA | Program Services | $25,000 |
| Commonwealth Foundation Harrisburg, PA | Program Services | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Morse Charitable Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $21,412,108 | $3,334,211 | $1,103,913 | $862,757 | 31 | $1,032,638 | $3,259,463 | $979,269 |
| 2023 | $19,107,417 | $2,466,862 | $862,685 | $452,500 | 28 | $837,523 | $2,264,432 | $920,370 |
| 2022 | $17,507,711 | $1,628,110 | $900,550 | $827,500 | 24 | $851,948 | $1,584,595 | $856,547 |
| 2021 | $16,775,680 | $3,543,547 | $1,002,788 | $800,000 | 22 | $818,648 | $2,677,225 | $803,258 |
| 2020 | $14,234,921 | $661,566 | $718,921 | $667,154 | 29 | — | $690,426 | $810,070 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Morse Charitable Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $979K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation says it searches for innovators in traditional public schools and alternative education models whose approaches can help low-income students achieve exceptional academic outcomes, with an emphasis on solutions that can be scaled. It also supports public policy initiatives intended to reduce government regulation, promote fiscal responsibility, and foster enterprising solutions.
The organizations it supported in 2024 illustrate a range of work. School Boards for Academic Excellence describes its mission as building a national network to reform education policies and practices and improve student outcomes. Entitlements How says it educates and empowers young Americans to make informed decisions about policies affecting them. Other grantees describe work in youth development through golf (Congaree Foundation), public-interest litigation (The Fairness Center), government accountability journalism (Government Accountability Institute), poverty reduction (The Banner Lake Club), and Everglades restoration and protection (The Everglades Foundation).
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $862,757 through 31 grants. The grants ranged from $5,000 to $100,000, with a median of $15,000. Recent annual giving was $452,500 through 28 grants in 2023 and $827,500 through 24 grants in 2022.
Among its 2024 grants, the foundation awarded $100,000 each to Entitlements How, Primer Microschools Foundation, and 3DE. It awarded $67,757 to Morgan Stanley DAF and $50,000 each to Congaree Foundation, Williamson College for the Trades, Black Pastors United for Education, and Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County. Other listed grants included $25,000 each to The Fairness Center, Commonwealth Foundation, Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, and School Boards for Academic Excellence.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Peter C. Morse as president and director; Martha F. Morse as vice president and director; Kate M. Frantz as director and secretary; Lisa M. Volling, Peter S. Frantz, Jeffrey J. Volling, Jeremiah Millbank III, and Carl Helstrom as directors; and Brittany Baldwin as director and assistant secretary.
Morse Charitable Foundation Inc is led by Peter C. Morse, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 9 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Peter C. Morse
President & Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kate M. Frantz
Director & Secretary
Director → Director & Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lisa M. Volling
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Martha F. Morse
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brittany Baldwin
Director & Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2023
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carl Helstrom
Director
On filings since 2023
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey J. Volling
Director
On filings since 2023
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeremiah Millbank III
Director
On filings since 2023
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peter S. Frantz
Director
On filings since 2023
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Morse Charitable Foundation Inc
How much does Morse Charitable Foundation Inc give each year?
Morse Charitable Foundation Inc gave $863K across 31 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $453K across 28 grants.
What is Morse Charitable Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Morse Charitable Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $27,831, across 31 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Morse Charitable Foundation Inc that year got $44K on average.
Where does Morse Charitable Foundation Inc give grants?
Morse Charitable Foundation Inc's top state is Pennsylvania, with 20% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Kentucky (12%) and Montana (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (4 grants), Harrisburg, PA (3 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants) and Hobe Sound, FL (2 grants).
Does Morse Charitable Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 31 grants with a stated purpose on Morse Charitable Foundation Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Services" (29 grants).
Who are Morse Charitable Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Morse Charitable Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Entitlements How ($100,000), Primer Microschools Foundation ($100,000) and 3DE ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Morse Charitable Foundation Inc?
Morse Charitable Foundation Inc reported $21.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $979K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Morse Charitable Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation says it searches for innovators in traditional public schools and alternative education models whose approaches can help low-income students achieve exceptional academic outcomes, with an emphasis on solutions that can be scaled. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Morse Charitable Foundation Inc?
The filing lists David P. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Morse Charitable Foundation Inc's EIN?
Morse Charitable Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-3630825. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 10, 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 November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Morse Charitable Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/morse-charitable-foundation-inc-morg_0d4b34771c8c40dc8bfe30cb71ed75b4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_453630825_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Morse Charitable Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/morse-charitable-foundation-inc-morg_0d4b34771c8c40dc8bfe30cb71ed75b4},
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 Morse Charitable 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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