Savage Foundation
Savage Foundation is a private foundation based in East Lansing, Michigan. It gave $15,000 in grants to 12 organizations in 2025; the listed recipients show support for charitable organizations serving the Lansing area and for educational institutions in Michigan and Illinois.
Savage Foundation at a glance
In short: Savage Foundation gave $15K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $1K), mostly in Michigan. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $15,000
- -6.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,250
- -6.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $54,340
- -19.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (1 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (90% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Savage Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 843, East Lansing, MI 48826-0843
Phone: (517) 706-0800
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Savage Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was St John Student Parish ($3K). Together the top 10 received $14K.
Grant Size Distribution
62 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 62 grants of 62 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in East Lansing, Michigan. In 2025, 90% of grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan and 10% to recipients in Illinois. Listed Michigan recipients are in East Lansing, Lansing, and Okemos; Illinois recipients are in Golf and Evanston.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Savage Foundation open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 12 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $1K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 92% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 25% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 471% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 $15K (2025) to $24K (2021). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $15K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St John Student Parish East Lansing, MI | CHURCH | $2,500 |
| Southside Community Kitchen Lansing, MI | Food Pantry | $2,500 |
| Advent House Ministries Lansing, MI | Homeless Shelter | $2,000 |
| Ele's Place Lansing, MI | Support for Grieving Children | $1,000 |
| Evans Scholars Foundation Golf, IL | Educational Institution | $1,000 |
| Greater Lansing Food Bank Lansing, MI | Food Bank | $1,000 |
| Haven House East Lansing, MI | Homeless Shelter | $1,000 |
| Lansing City Rescue Mission Lansing, MI | Homeless Shelter | $1,000 |
| Rose Hill Center Okemos, MI | Mental Illness Treatment Facility | $1,000 |
| Capital Area Community Foundation Lansing, MI | Support Local Communities | $1,000 |
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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 | $54,340 | $3,014 | $16,081 | $15,000 | 12 | $15,000 | $3,014 | $3,184 |
| 2024 | $67,407 | $2,944 | $17,815 | $16,000 | 12 | $16,000 | $2,944 | $3,980 |
| 2023 | $82,278 | $265 | $17,920 | $16,500 | 12 | $16,500 | $265 | $4,695 |
| 2022 | $99,933 | $-102,207 | $21,853 | $20,000 | 12 | $20,000 | $725 | $6,091 |
| 2021 | $223,993 | $17,379 | $26,140 | $24,000 | 14 | $24,000 | $17,379 | $10,016 |
| 2020 | $232,754 | $72,611 | $25,388 | $24,000 | 14 | — | $72,611 | $10,705 |
| 2019 | $185,531 | $4,982 | $25,361 | $24,000 | 14 | — | $4,982 | $12,123 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Savage Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for food assistance, homelessness services, grieving children and families, mental illness treatment, vocational opportunities, education, and community support. These are areas represented by the listed grants, not a stated foundation mission.
Among the grantees, Advent House Ministries says its mission is to provide services to poor and disadvantaged people in the Lansing area. Greater Lansing Food Bank says it works to alleviate hunger and increase access to nourishing food. Haven House says it guides and supports families experiencing homelessness on their paths to stable homes. Rose Hill Center says it provides residential psychiatric rehabilitation for adults with mental illness. Ele’s Place says it supports grieving children and their families through peer support programs. Evans Scholars Foundation says it provides scholarships and other educational opportunities for caddies and promotes recipients’ social and educational welfare.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 12 grants totaling $15,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $2,500, with a median of $1,000.
The largest listed grants were $2,500 each to St John Student Parish and Southside Community Kitchen, and $2,000 to Advent House Ministries. Other listed grants included $1,000 each to Ele’s Place, Evans Scholars Foundation, Greater Lansing Food Bank, Haven House, Lansing City Rescue Mission, Rose Hill Center, and Capital Area Community Foundation, plus $500 each to Kellogg School of Management and Peckham Community Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists James M. Savage as president, Mary T. Savage as secretary and treasurer, and Justin R. Savage as a board member.
Savage Foundation is led by James M. Savage, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James M. Savage
President
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Justin R. Savage
Board Member
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Mary T. Savage
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Savage Foundation
How much does Savage Foundation give each year?
Savage Foundation gave $15K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $16K across 12 grants.
What is Savage Foundation's typical grant size?
Savage Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,250, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Savage Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Savage Foundation give grants?
Savage Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 90% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Illinois (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lansing, MI (7 grants) and East Lansing, MI (2 grants).
Does Savage Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on Savage Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Homeless Shelter" (3 grants).
Who are Savage Foundation's largest grantees?
Savage Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include St John Student Parish ($2,500), Southside Community Kitchen ($2,500) and Advent House Ministries ($2,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 47% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Savage Foundation?
Savage Foundation reported $54K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $15K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Savage Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for food assistance, homelessness services, grieving children and families, mental illness treatment, vocational opportunities, education, and community support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Savage Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Savage Foundation's EIN?
Savage Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-3226603. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Savage Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 29, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work Savage Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Savage Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Figures come from Savage 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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