The Kantzler Foundation
The Kantzler Foundation is a private foundation based in Bay City, Michigan. Established in 1975, it supports charitable projects and programs that directly benefit residents of Bay County, including work in education, science, arts, culture, human services, conservation, beautification, and recreation.
The Kantzler Foundation at a glance
In short: The Kantzler Foundation gave $364K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $33K), mostly in Michigan. 55% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $363,500
- +7.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +57.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $33,045
- -31.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $26,000
- Total assets
- $6,274,042
- +2.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 55% first-time grantees (6 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (100% 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 The Kantzler Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Applicants must first contact the foundation to register their intent to apply. If a request meets preliminary qualifications, the applicant receives access to an online application. Eligible applicants are qualified public institutions or tax-exempt charitable organizations under Section 501(c)(3). Requested materials include a project summary and description, timeline, budget and funding plan, projected community impact, sustainability and evaluation plans, organizational history and mission, board and key executive information, financial statements, tax-exempt determination and Form 990, revenue sources, and supporting letters or other relevant documentation. Grant recipients must submit progress reports before each March trustee meeting from the project’s start through completion. The foundation’s stated restrictions are that awards support charitable, educational, scientific, or artistic programs and purposes beneficial to people in the Greater Bay County community.
- Review Cycle
- Requests are due two to three weeks before each scheduled board meeting. The board meets up to four times per year and considers applications received by the published deadlines for the following meeting.
- Deadline
- Requests are due two to three weeks before each scheduled board meeting.
- Contact
Application contact: The Kantzler Foundation
Mailing address: Pere Marquette Depot, 919 Boutell Place Ste 200, Bay City, MI 48708
Phone: (989) 892-0591
Website: https://kantzler.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Kantzler Foundation
Who The Kantzler Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Jefferson Project ($100K). Together the top 10 received $361K.
Grant Size Distribution
46 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 30 grants of 46 (65%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation states that its grants are intended to benefit residents of Bay County, Michigan, and describes its work as serving the Greater Bay Area. All 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Kantzler Foundation open to new grantees?
55%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 11 grantees (55%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $46K; repeat grants $18K. How we count
Medians: $33K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 27% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+15%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 95% 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 (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 $271K (2020) to $397K (2021). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $364K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Jefferson Project Bay City, MI | Building Purchase and Upgrades | $100,000 |
| YMCA of Saginaw Saginaw, MI | Capital Campaign Support | $60,000 |
| Hidden Harvest Saginaw, MI | Building Renovation Project | $35,000 |
| Bay Area Women's Center Bay City, MI | Property Upgrades - Fencing | $35,000 |
| Can Council Saginaw, MI | Building Renovation Project | $30,000 |
| Foster Families Navigation & Res CT Bay City, MI | Building Renovation Project | $26,000 |
| The Miracle League of Bay City Bay City, MI | Build a Disability Access Field | $25,000 |
| Antique Toy & Firehouse Museum Bay City, MI | Firehouse Restoration Project | $25,000 |
| Bay City in Bloom Kawkawlin, MI | Arboretum Upgrades - Irrigation Pump | $15,000 |
| Disability Services Resource Center Bay City, MI | Facility Equipment Support | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Kantzler Foundation?
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 | $6,274,042 | $551,995 | $398,022 | $363,500 | 11 | $367,738 | $528,961 | $388,128 |
| 2024 | $6,120,069 | $374,088 | $362,167 | $337,350 | 7 | $340,152 | $352,073 | $374,454 |
| 2023 | $6,108,148 | $276,169 | $367,817 | $345,350 | 9 | $347,714 | $256,066 | $336,704 |
| 2022 | $6,199,796 | $-34,027 | $356,534 | $315,400 | 9 | $317,668 | $143,382 | $350,427 |
| 2021 | $6,590,357 | $816,279 | $430,699 | $397,200 | 10 | $400,514 | $792,494 | $387,522 |
| 2020 | $6,204,777 | $592,634 | $300,327 | $271,317 | 7 | — | $572,106 | $330,194 |
| 2019 | $5,912,470 | $564,225 | $319,130 | $289,833 | 11 | — | $544,204 | $327,327 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Kantzler Foundation reported a distributable amount of $388K 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
The foundation’s stated mission is to provide financial support for charitable projects and programs that directly benefit Bay County residents. Its listed areas include education, science, arts, culture, human services, conservation, beautification, and recreation. The foundation says it has also supported equipment, programming, planning, scholarships, and specific operating expenses on a case-by-case basis.
The foundation favors feasible projects with potential long-term community benefit, broad collaboration, and realistic sustainability plans. It asks applicants to explore other funding sources and says projects with broad financial support receive higher priority in review.
Its 2025 grants included organizations with varied missions. The Jefferson Project describes its work as community-centered placemaking, public art, and design; Bay Area Women’s Center says it works to end domestic violence and sexual assault; Bay City in Bloom promotes attractive and improved public spaces; and Disability Services Resource Center serves people with temporary or permanent disabilities through awareness, support, and recreation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 11 grants totaling $363,500. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $100,000, with a median of $26,000. Notable awards included $100,000 to The Jefferson Project for a building purchase and upgrades, $60,000 to YMCA of Saginaw for capital campaign support, $35,000 each to Hidden Harvest for a building renovation and Bay Area Women’s Center for property upgrades, and $30,000 to CAN Council for a building renovation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Andrea Hales as president; Rob Clark, Debra K. Lutz, and Tara Welch as trustees; Michael L. Hanisko as treasurer; Wayne Barber as secretary; and Trish Burns as vice president.
The Kantzler Foundation is led by Andrea Hales, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 7 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Andrea Hales
President
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Debra K. Lutz
Trustee
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rob Clark
Trustee
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tara Welch
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael L. Hanisko
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Trish Burns
Vice President
Secretary → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Wayne Barber
Secretary
Trustee → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2021
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (7)
- Former: Walter Szostak (2019–2023) — Vice President
- Former: Dominic Monastiere (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Maria Moore (2021) — Trustee
- Former: Jeremy Ventrone (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Kathy Czerwinski (2019–2020) — Administrator
- Former: Maria Vos (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Michelle Vannest (2019) — Past Secretary
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 The Kantzler Foundation
How much does The Kantzler Foundation give each year?
The Kantzler Foundation gave $364K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $337K across 7 grants.
What is The Kantzler Foundation's typical grant size?
The Kantzler Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $26,000, and its average grant was $33,045, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Kantzler Foundation that year got $46K on average.
Where does The Kantzler Foundation give grants?
The Kantzler Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Bay City, MI (6 grants) and Saginaw, MI (3 grants).
Does The Kantzler Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on The Kantzler Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Building Renovation Project" (3 grants).
Who are The Kantzler Foundation's largest grantees?
The Kantzler Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Jefferson Project ($100,000), YMCA of Saginaw ($60,000) and Hidden Harvest ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Kantzler Foundation?
The Kantzler Foundation reported $6.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $368K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $388K (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 The Kantzler Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to provide financial support for charitable projects and programs that directly benefit Bay County residents. Its listed areas include education, science, arts, culture, human services, conservation, beautification, and recreation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Kantzler Foundation?
Applicants must first contact the foundation to register their intent to apply. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Kantzler Foundation's EIN?
The Kantzler Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7422733. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 6, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 24, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Kantzler Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Kantzler Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-kantzler-foundation-morg_29f9d03303854462af5e4879f21b6159
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237422733_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Kantzler Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-kantzler-foundation-morg_29f9d03303854462af5e4879f21b6159},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 The Kantzler 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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