Rotary Charities of Traverse City
Rotary Charities of Traverse City is a place-based funder in Traverse City, Michigan, that supports organizations and initiatives serving Northwest Lower Michigan. It provides funding, learning, and connections to address regional challenges and create community assets; its filing type is Form 990 (a public charity).
Key facts about Rotary Charities of Traverse City
In short: Rotary Charities of Traverse City gave $1.8M across 42 grants in 2025 (avg $42K), mostly in Michigan. 57% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 38-2170564
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,757,182
- Grants made (2025)
- 42
- Average grant
- $41,838
- Median grant
- $14,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 57% first-time grantees (24 of 42, 2025)
- Total assets
- $50,332,157
- Primary geography
- Michigan (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Deadline
- Seed Grants: monthly; Assets for Thriving Communities and Systems Change Accelerator: March and September; Learning…
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$50.3M
+4.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.8M
-5.9% YoY
Grant Count
42
+40.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$42K
-32.8% YoY
Is Rotary Charities of Traverse City open to new grantees?
57%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 24 of 42 grantees (57%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $67K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 17% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+10%). Method
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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s mission is to work in partnership with changemakers, providing funding, learning, and connections to address the region’s complex problems and create community assets for all. Its website describes work in community development, systems change, and leadership. Examples of community assets it supports include housing, transportation, food systems, public spaces, natural landscapes, and cultural institutions.
Its eligible partners include 501(c)(3) nonprofits, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, local units of government, and school districts. Partnerships and networks may apply through an eligible fiscal sponsor. Examples of supported organizations include United Way of Northwest Michigan, whose stated mission is to improve lives by mobilizing communities for the common good, and the Frankfort Area Community Land Trust, which says it was created to provide attainable homes for its community.
Grantmaking
The organization offers several grant categories. Seed Grants provide up to $15,000 for convening, planning, and capacity-building. Assets for Thriving Communities grants provide up to $50,000 for developing, strengthening, or expanding shared community assets. Systems Change Accelerator grants provide up to $150,000 for collaborative strategies that address root causes and change how systems work. The Learning Fund provides up to $500 for individuals and $2,000 for teams for training and professional development.
For 2024, IRS grant data lists 30 grants totaling $1,866,933. The organization’s filing narrative separately reports 97 grants to 69 governmental and nonprofit organizations, along with four capacity-building opportunities for 77 individuals. The listed 2024 recipients include United Way of Northwest Michigan ($127,537), Grow Benzie Inc. ($75,000), Inland Seas Education Association ($53,159), and Frankfort Area Community Land Trust ($50,000).
Applicants must generally have provided services for at least one year; start-up organizations, private foundations, and individuals are not eligible for grant funding. Eligible work must serve the organization’s five-county region, though organizations headquartered elsewhere may be considered when their work significantly benefits regional residents and the impact can be documented. The organization’s grant guidance document outlines application requirements and review processes. A pre-grant meeting is required for Assets for Thriving Communities applications.
Review Cycle
Seed Grants: monthly; Assets for Thriving Communities and Systems Change Accelerator: March and September; Learning Fund: ongoing.
Open Grants
4 open opportunities from Rotary Charities of Traverse City
Good Works Fund Grants
Rotary Charities of Traverse City
Amount
Up to US $5,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Rotary Charities of Traverse City: Assets for Thriving Communities Grant
Rotary Charities of Traverse City
Amount
Up to US $50,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Rotary Charities of Traverse City: Learning Fund Grant
Rotary Charities of Traverse City
Amount
Up to US $2,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ready to take the next step with Rotary Charities of Traverse City?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The service region comprises Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau counties in Northwest Lower Michigan. The organization also considers applicants headquartered outside that area when their work significantly benefits residents within the region and the impact can be clearly measured or documented.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 42 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.3M (2021) to $2.0M (2020). In 2025 it made 42 grants totaling $1.8M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Discovery Center & Pier ($221K). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
190 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 124 grants of 190 (65%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery Center & Pier Traverse City, MI | OTHER | $221,166 |
| Rotary Camps and Services Traverse City, MI | OTHER | $221,165 |
| Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency Traverse City, MI | Seed Grant &Systems Change Accelerator | $170,000 |
| Benzie Conservation District Beulah, MI | Systems Change Accelerator | $150,000 |
| Downtown Development Authority of Traverse City Traverse City, MI | OTHER | $141,656 |
| Crosshatch Center for Art & Ecology Bellaire, MI | Assets for Thriving Communities | $50,000 |
| East Bay Charter Township Traverse City, MI | Assets for Thriving Communities | $50,000 |
| Homestretch Traverse City, MI | Assets for Thriving Communities | $50,000 |
| Illinois Facilities Fund Detroit, MI | OTHER | $50,000 |
| New Community Vision Northport, MI | Assets for Thriving Communities | $50,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $50,332,157 | $4,167,748 | $3,240,352 | 0 |
| 2024 | $48,203,748 | $2,410,878 | $3,317,871 | $1,866,933; 30 grants |
| 2023 | $46,937,028 | $1,013,623 | $3,417,345 | $2,010,089; 34 grants |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $50,332,157 | $48,203,748 | $46,937,028 |
| Revenue | $4,167,748 | $2,410,878 | $1,013,623 |
| Expenses | $3,240,352 | $3,317,871 | $3,417,345 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,864,963 | $2,108,992 | $576,165 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 20, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS December 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS December 21, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 4, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lorraine Beers as chair; Greg Luyt as vice chair; Benjamin Marentette as treasurer/secretary; and John Roddy, John Hall, Madison Ford, Kelly Dunham, Wendy Irvin, Autumn Soltysiak, and Rebecca Teahen as trustees.
Rotary Charities of Traverse City is led by Sakura Takano, CEO since 2024 (on filings since 2022); 1 of 11 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sakura Takano
CEO
Executive Director → CEO, 2024
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$111K (2022) → $154K (2025)
Lorraine Beers
Chair
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2023
Vice Chair → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Hall
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wendy Irvin
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kelly Dunham
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Autumn Soltysiak
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca Teahen
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Roddy
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Madison Ford
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Greg Luyt
Vice Chair
Vice Chair → Chair, 2023
Chair → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Benjamin Marentette
Treasurer & Secretary
Trustee → Treasurer & Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (14)
- Former: Allison Beers (2019–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Marlene Bevan (2019–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Jeff Hickman (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Homer Nye (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Trevor Tkach (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Rebecca Ewing (2019–2021) — Executive Director
- Former: Jennifer Casey (2021) — Trustee
- Former: Mark Eckhoff (2019–2020) — Treasurer & Secretary
- Former: Sidney Lammers (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Ben Marentette (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Chris Degood (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Elaine Wood (2019) — Chair
- Former: Marsha Smith (2019) — Executive Director Emeritus
- Former: Warren Call (2019) — Trustee
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 $154K, to Sakura Takano (CEO).
Contact
Mailing address: 800 Cottageview Drive 1090, Traverse City, MI 49684
Phone: (231) 941-4010
Website: https://rotarycharities.org
Frequently asked questions about Rotary Charities of Traverse City
How much does Rotary Charities of Traverse City give each year?
Rotary Charities of Traverse City gave $1.8M across 42 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.9M across 30 grants.
What is Rotary Charities of Traverse City's typical grant size?
Rotary Charities of Traverse City's median grant in 2025 was $14,000, and its average grant was $41,838, across 42 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Rotary Charities of Traverse City that year got $23K on average.
Where does Rotary Charities of Traverse City give grants?
Rotary Charities of Traverse City 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 Traverse City, MI (20 grants), Northport, MI (2 grants), Bellaire, MI (2 grants) and Elk Rapids, MI (2 grants).
Does Rotary Charities of Traverse City give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 42 grants with a stated purpose on Rotary Charities of Traverse City's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Seed Grant" (20 grants), "Assets for Thriving Communities" (8 grants) and "Other" (6 grants).
Who are Rotary Charities of Traverse City's largest grantees?
Rotary Charities of Traverse City's largest 2025 grantees include Discovery Center & Pier ($221,166), Rotary Camps and Services ($221,165) and Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency ($170,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Rotary Charities of Traverse City?
Rotary Charities of Traverse City reported $50.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $4.2M.
What does Rotary Charities of Traverse City fund?
The organization’s mission is to work in partnership with changemakers, providing funding, learning, and connections to address the region’s complex problems and create community assets for all. Its website describes work in community development, systems change, and leadership. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Rotary Charities of Traverse City?
Rotary Charities of Traverse City has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check rotarycharities.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Rotary Charities of Traverse City's EIN?
Rotary Charities of Traverse City's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-2170564. 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.
Here's the math on researching Rotary Charities of Traverse City by hand.
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