Sage Foundation
Sage Foundation is a private foundation based in Brighton, Michigan. Its 2025 filing reports 68 grants totaling $1,631,000 to charitable, educational, arts, and other organizations.
Sage Foundation at a glance
In short: Sage Foundation gave $1.6M across 68 grants in 2025 (avg $24K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,631,000
- -13.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 68
- -2.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $23,985
- -10.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $47,172,122
- +0.7% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Illinois (62% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Sage Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing says to contact the foundation’s president or secretary. Applicants should provide the amount requested; intended accomplishments and how they will be achieved; how the objectives further the applicant’s tax-exempt purposes; procedures for evaluating results; any additional information useful to the trustees’ decision; a copy of the IRS determination letter or ruling confirming 501(c)(3) status; and the applicant contact person. The filing states that there are no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- No deadlines.
- Deadline
- No deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: President Or Secretary Sage Foundat
Mailing address: PO Box 1919, Brighton, MI 48116-5719
Phone: (810) 227-7660
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sage Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Hillsdale College ($200K). Together the top 10 received $898K.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($60,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
298 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 257 grants of 298 (86%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 62% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois and 30% to recipients in Michigan. California received 5%, while Kentucky and New York each received 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 68 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Sage Foundation gives
- 71% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−19%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 63% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $1.6M (2025) to $2.7M (2020). In 2025 it made 68 grants totaling $1.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hillsdale College Hillsdale, MI | General, charitable, educational - Choral Scholars Program Scholarships | $200,000 |
| Ravinia Festival Highland Park, IL | General, charitable, educational | $120,000 |
| Grant Park Orchestral Association Chicago, IL | General, charitable, educational | $100,000 |
| Joffrey Ballet Chicago, IL | General, charitable, educational - Live Music Program | $100,000 |
| Window to the World Communications Inc Chicago, IL | General, charitable, educational - Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival film | $95,000 |
| AfterImage Public Media San Francisco, CA | General, charitable, educational | $52,500 |
| Lenawee Chamber Foundation Adrian, MI | General, charitable, educational | $50,000 |
| Orchestral Association Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chicago, IL | General, charitable, educational | $50,000 |
| 2 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $60,000 |
| Big Shoulders Fund Chicago, IL | General, charitable, educational | $30,000 |
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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 | $47,172,122 | $2,520,921 | $2,188,046 | $1,631,000 | 68 | $1,920,803 | $2,263,679 | $3,045,910 |
| 2024 | $46,851,639 | $2,407,979 | $2,393,978 | $1,874,000 | 70 | $2,121,598 | $2,145,600 | $2,859,450 |
| 2023 | $46,996,859 | $1,743,815 | $2,417,511 | $1,863,000 | 79 | $2,120,974 | $1,477,278 | $2,641,522 |
| 2022 | $47,684,838 | $885,594 | $2,640,002 | $2,020,750 | 80 | $2,261,850 | $758,386 | $2,704,639 |
| 2021 | $49,439,246 | $6,027,926 | $2,817,822 | $2,265,500 | 1 | $2,508,094 | $5,762,198 | $3,006,577 |
| 2020 | $46,229,142 | $3,351,503 | $3,140,138 | $2,657,500 | 1 | — | $3,115,681 | $2,663,470 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sage Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.0M 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for cultural and arts organizations, educational institutions, and community organizations. For example, Window to the World Communications Inc. says it produces and presents content with a Chicago perspective, while AfterImage Public Media says it produces documentary film and television projects and community engagement programs about educational and public-interest matters. Big Shoulders Fund says it supports underserved schools providing quality, values-based education for children.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 68 grants totaling $1,631,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $200,000, with a median grant of $15,000. Larger awards included $200,000 to Hillsdale College for a Choral Scholars Program scholarship purpose; $120,000 to Ravinia Festival; $100,000 to Grant Park Orchestral Association; and $100,000 to Joffrey Ballet for a Live Music Program. Other awards included $95,000 to Window to the World Communications Inc. for a film about the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival, and $52,500 to AfterImage Public Media.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Melissa Sage Fadim as Chairperson, President, Secretary, and Treasurer; Emily M Booth and Amanada J Weidenaar as trustees; and James E Van Doren as Vice President and trustee.
Sage Foundation is led by Melissa Sage Fadim, Chairprson, President, Secretary & Treasurer since 2022 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Melissa Sage Fadim
Chairprson, President, Secretary & Treasurer
President & Trustee → Chairprson, President, Secretary & Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$75K (2020) → $102K (2025)
James E Van Doren
Vice President & Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Emily M Booth
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amanada J Weidenaar
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Ann Sage Price (2020–2022) — 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 $102K, to Melissa Sage Fadim (Chairprson,President,Secretary,Treasur).
Frequently asked questions about Sage Foundation
How much does Sage Foundation give each year?
Sage Foundation gave $1.6M across 68 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.9M across 70 grants.
What is Sage Foundation's typical grant size?
Sage Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $23,985, across 68 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Sage Foundation give grants?
Sage Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 62% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Michigan (30%) and California (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (26 grants), Adrian, MI (13 grants), Tecumseh, MI (3 grants) and Peoria, IL (2 grants).
Does Sage Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 99% of Sage Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (67 of 68) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Sage Foundation's largest grantees?
Sage Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Hillsdale College ($200,000), Joffrey Ballet ($125,000 across 2 grants) and Ravinia Festival ($120,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($60,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sage Foundation?
Sage Foundation reported $47.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Sage Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for cultural and arts organizations, educational institutions, and community organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sage Foundation?
The filing says to contact the foundation’s president or secretary. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sage Foundation's EIN?
Sage Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-6041518. 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 April 21, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 19, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 26, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 6, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 28, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sage Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sage Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sage-foundation-morg_c72d87a258b54f0a9a75e7c9ac618581
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_386041518_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sage Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sage-foundation-morg_c72d87a258b54f0a9a75e7c9ac618581},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Sage 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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