Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation
The Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation (NMCF) is a public charity based in Traverse City, Michigan, formed in 1998. It supports the spiritual, educational, and social needs of the local Roman Catholic community, particularly within the Diocese of Gaylord.
Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation at a glance
In short: Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation gave $1.3M across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $60K), mostly in Michigan. 62% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,263,298
- +160.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- +162.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $60,157
- -0.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,562
- Total assets
- $53,435,359
- +19.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 62% first-time grantees (13 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The website says there are currently no open grants. The 2021 program excluded grants directly to individuals, political parties, and for-profit organizations; annual fundraising events or drives; and organizations not supported or endorsed by the Catholic Church or not serving an identifiable Catholic population.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 4121, Traverse City, MI 49685
Phone: (231) 922-9070
Website: https://nmcatholicfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Diocese of Gaylord ($628K). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
62 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 41 grants of 62 (66%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation states that it supports the local Roman Catholic community, especially the community within the Diocese of Gaylord. All grant dollars itemized for filing year 2025 went to recipients in Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation open to new grantees?
62%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 13 of 21 grantees (62%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $31K; repeat grants $107K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $9K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $485K (2024) to $1.3M (2025). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $1.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Diocese of Gaylord Gaylord, MI | Grants for General Support | $628,084 |
| St Mary Cathedral Parish Gaylord, MI | Grants for General Support | $99,392 |
| Cross in the Woods Indian River, MI | Grants for General Support | $93,673 |
| Cicinelli Family Endowment Fund East Tawas, MI | Grants for General Support | $87,158 |
| Marion Chadwick Legacy Endowment West Branch, MI | Grants for General Support | $85,000 |
| Arnold Ochs Cornerstone Traverse City, MI | Grants for General Support | $78,500 |
| Myler Family Gtacs Traverse City, MI | Grants for General Support | $51,206 |
| Saint Mary of Hannah Catholic School Kingsley, MI | Grants for General Support | $23,271 |
| Holy Cross Cemetery Perpetual Care Fund Alpena, MI | Grants for General Support | $16,421 |
| St Gabriel Church Endowment Fund Ossineke, MI | Grants for General Support | $15,056 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Amounts below are from the foundation’s filings. Grant count and grant sum refer to reported grants for each filing year.
The foundation’s 2023 annual report separately described $802,554 in total grants and distributions for that year, including donor-directed grants, foundation-directed grants, and endowment matching grants.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $53,435,359 | $6,277,681 | $1,690,241 | $1,263,298 | 21 | $2,777,048 |
| 2024 | $44,671,854 | $6,737,020 | $772,277 | $485,366 | 8 | $2,074,362 |
| 2023 | $36,212,071 | $3,291,678 | $954,927 | $747,650 | 16 | $1,323,396 |
| 2022 | $30,264,807 | $6,801,988 | $816,606 | $497,417 | 8 | $1,042,392 |
| 2021 | $29,204,956 | $2,831,837 | $822,422 | $505,898 | 9 | $1,841,620 |
| 2020 | $25,526,060 | $1,792,383 | $850,803 | $607,340 | 10 | $1,320,299 |
| 2019 | $22,819,541 | $1,924,290 | $808,878 | $580,306 | 11 | $1,180,431 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
NMCF’s mission is to financially support the spiritual, educational, and social needs of the local Roman Catholic community. Its stated purpose includes supporting ministries of Word, Worship, Education, and Service, and providing responsible fundraising, financial management, and stewardship in keeping with Catholic teachings.
The foundation provides grants to Catholic churches, schools, and other Catholic organizations. Its website describes past school grants for projects such as educational programs, school facilities, and student retreats, as well as grants to pregnancy resource centers. One 2025 grantee, Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools, says its own mission is to award grants to students from needy families and scholarships to gifted children attending its schools.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, NMCF reported 21 grants totaling $1,263,298. Grant amounts ranged from $5,048 to $628,084, with a median grant of $12,562. The largest reported awards included $628,084 to the Diocese of Gaylord, $99,392 to St. Mary Cathedral Parish, $93,673 to Cross in the Woods, and $87,158 to Cicinelli Family Endowment Fund. Each was reported for general support. Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools received $5,295 in 2025.
The foundation’s website reports that all 16 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Gaylord received unrestricted $5,000 grants in July 2022 for the 2022–2023 school year. Its 2021 school grant program offered up to $50,000 for innovative programs engaging and retaining students and teachers in schools’ Catholic mission. The 2021 application cycle is past. The website also describes a past $20,000 award to four pregnancy resource centers.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing are Rev. James Hayden, vice president; John Puetz, treasurer; Joel R. Myler, chairman; Timothy J. Clulo, vice chairman; Stephan Scholl, Wayne Mueller, Cliff Roberts, Ron G. Harris, and Brenda Garland, directors; and Most Rev. Jeffery J. Walsh, non-voting director.
Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation is led by Tom Hardy, President on every filing since 2023; 1 of 12 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Tom Hardy
President
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$21K (2023) → $125K (2025)
Joel R. Myler
Chairman
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cliff Roberts
Director
Director → Secretary, 2020
Secretary → Director, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wayne Mueller
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Most Rev Jeffery J. Walsh
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ron G. Harris
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brenda Garland
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Reverand Rolando Silva
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephan Scholl
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Hayden
Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Puetz
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Timothy J. Clulo
Vice Chairman
Vice Chairman & Secretary → Vice Chairman, 2020
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (6)
- Former: Stefan Scholl (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Eric Mulvany (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Eric Ritchie (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Most Rev Walter A. Hurley (2021) — Director
- Former: Dawn Marie Strehl (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Steven J. Raica (2019) — Ex-Officio
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $125K, to Tom Hardy (President).
Frequently asked questions about Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation
How much does Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation give each year?
Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation gave $1.3M across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $485K across 8 grants.
What is Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation's typical grant size?
Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $12,562, and its average grant was $60,157, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation that year got $31K on average.
Where does Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation give grants?
Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Gaylord, MI (4 grants), Traverse City, MI (3 grants), East Tawas, MI (3 grants) and Alpena, MI (2 grants).
Does Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (21 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation's largest grantees?
Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Diocese of Gaylord ($628,084), St Mary Cathedral Parish ($99,392) and Cross in the Woods ($93,673), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 65% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation?
Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation reported $53.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $6.3M.
What does Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation fund?
NMCF’s mission is to financially support the spiritual, educational, and social needs of the local Roman Catholic community. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation?
The website says there are currently no open grants. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation's EIN?
Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 30-0210866. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 29, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 6, 2026)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 10, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 26, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 6, 2024)
Live grants for the work Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/northern-michigan-catholic-foundation-morg_322489d6e82c448ab1cdf715461b4399
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_300210866_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Northern Michigan Catholic Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/northern-michigan-catholic-foundation-morg_322489d6e82c448ab1cdf715461b4399},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Northern Michigan Catholic 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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