Ralph L & Winifred E Polk Foundation

BIRMINGHAM, MI EIN: 38-6080075

The Ralph L & Winifred E Polk Foundation is a private family foundation based in Birmingham, Michigan. Incorporated in 1962, the foundation focuses its philanthropic efforts on education, youth programs, and human services, with a particular emphasis on supporting initiatives in Michigan and select communities in Massachusetts and New York.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

Annual Giving

$759K

+0.8% YoY

Grant Count

37

-9.8% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$21K

+11.7% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's giving is primarily directed toward:

  • Education
  • Youth programs
  • Human services
  • Philanthropy and voluntarism
  • Nature conservation and environmental initiatives

Grantmaking

The foundation distributed $758,500 in total giving in its most recent fiscal year, with 69 grants awarded. Notable recent grants include:

Grant Range

approximately $78

Average Grant

approximately $78

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation funds projects across multiple states, with primary concentration in:

  • Michigan (primary focus, including Detroit and Lansing)
  • Massachusetts (including Boston)
  • New York

Grant Distribution by State

3states

Cities

BINGHAM FARMSBIRMINGHAMBLOOMFIELD HILLSBOSTONCOMMERCE CHARTER TWPDEARBORNDETROITDRYDENEAGLEFARMINGTON HILLSHOLLYINKSTERINTERLOCHENLANSINGLAPEERLIVONIAMT PLEASANTOAK PARKOXFORDPONTIAC

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Most Recent Financial Data:

Metric Amount
Total Assets $13.9–$16.2 million
Total Annual Giving $758,500
Total Expenses $1.09 million
Total Revenue $670,658

Tax Information:

  • EIN: 38-6080075
  • IRS 501(c)(3) status
  • Year formed: 1962–1964
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$0.275$0.55$0.8250000000000001$1.120202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
Distributable Amount

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$223K$445K$668K$891K59 grants202050 grants202149 grants202241 grants202337 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

DETROIT ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY$100KGRAND TRAVERSE REGIONAL …$50KTHE NATURE CONSERVANCY$50KTRINITY HEALTH ST JOSEPH…$50KCHERRYLAND HUMANE SOCIETY$25KCOLLEGE FOR CREATIVE STU…$25KMICHIGAN HUMANE SOCIETY$25KCRANBROOK EDUCATIONAL CO…$25KCORNERSTONE SCHOOLS FOUN…$20KFORGOTTEN HARVEST$20K

Grant Size Distribution

227 grants across all recorded years

213<$50K8$50–100K6$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation is managed by a board of trustees composed of family members, including:

  • Katherine Polk Osborne - President, Treasurer, and Trustee

All trustees serve without compensation.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
KATHERINE POLK OSBORNEPRESIDENT/TREASURER/TRUSTE1
ROBERTA N POLKTRUSTEE0.5
SUSAN P SCYPHERSTRUSTEE0.5
STEPHEN R POLKTRUSTEE0.5
RYAN L POLKTRUSTEE0.5

Contact Information

Address: 260 E Brown St, Suite 280 Birmingham, MI 48009-6231 United States

Telephone: 248-385-5285

Related Funders

Similar funders by location and focus area

Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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