The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong
The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong is a private foundation based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It supports organizations benefiting children in southwestern Michigan, as well as work involving visual and performing arts, endangered species, Sjogren’s syndrome and related diseases, and conservation of areas of significant biodiversity.
The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong at a glance
In short: The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong gave $185K across 29 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Michigan. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $185,000
- +27.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 29
- +16.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,379
- +10.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $3,316,044
- +69.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (4 of 28, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (91% 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 Lawrence and Sylvia Wong
- How to Apply
-
No specific application is required at this time. Contact James Vanderroest. The foundation’s filing states that submissions must be filed between June 1 and September 30. Its stated restrictions are support for organizations benefiting southwestern Michigan children, including visual and performing arts; education about and preservation of endangered plant and animal species; medical research into Sjogren’s syndrome and related diseases and their treatment; and conservation of areas of significant biodiversity.
- Review Cycle
- Submissions must be filed between June 1 and September 30.
- Deadline
- Submissions must be filed between June 1 and September 30.
- Contact
Application contact: Co James Vanderroest
Mailing address: 834 King Highway Ste 110, Kalamazoo, MI 49001
Phone: (269) 344-9236
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Western Michigan University Foundat ($18K). Together the top 10 received $118K.
Grant Size Distribution
125 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 125 grants of 125 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan, 8% to Indiana, 1% to Texas, and 1% to Virginia. The listed 2025 recipients include organizations in Kalamazoo, Benton Harbor, and Battle Creek, Michigan, and New Albany, Indiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 29 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 28 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 86% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 36% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 120% 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 $100K (2019) to $185K (2025). In 2025 it made 29 grants totaling $185K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Western Michigan University Foundat Kalamazoo, MI | General Operationg | $18,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton Harbor Benton Harbor, MI | General Operating | $16,000 |
| Read and Write Kalamazoo Kalamazoo, MI | General Operating | $15,000 |
| Carnegie Center for Arts (Oper) New Albany, IN | General Operating | $12,000 |
| Open Doors Kalamazoo, MI | General Operating | $12,000 |
| Girsl Scouts Heart of Michigan Kalamazoo, MI | Arts Programming | $11,000 |
| Food Bank of South Central Michigan Battle Creek, MI | General Operating | $10,000 |
| Kalamazoo Public Library Kalamazoo, MI | General Operating | $10,000 |
| Crescendo Music Academy Kalamazoo, MI | General Operating | $8,000 |
| Fox Music Center Kalamazoo, MI | Charitable | $6,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong?
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 | $3,316,044 | $264,484 | $217,791 | $185,000 | 29 | $189,557 | $235,333 | $158,418 |
| 2024 | $1,952,366 | $375,641 | $192,563 | $145,000 | 25 | $147,821 | $347,892 | $147,308 |
| 2023 | $1,766,450 | $94,202 | $167,615 | $144,500 | 24 | $145,924 | $72,511 | $190,985 |
| 2022 | $1,839,450 | $-52,137 | $174,648 | $136,000 | 23 | $138,705 | $35,329 | $188,407 |
| 2021 | $2,066,057 | $530,258 | $157,639 | $131,000 | 24 | $133,431 | $506,050 | $200,364 |
| 2020 | $1,690,950 | $100,202 | $147,534 | $121,000 | 24 | — | $79,527 | $169,449 |
| 2019 | $1,740,998 | $124,697 | $132,645 | $100,000 | 23 | — | $106,810 | $113,398 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong reported a distributable amount of $158K 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 focus is supporting organizations that benefit southwestern Michigan children, including through visual and performing arts. Its stated areas also include education about and preservation of endangered plant and animal species, medical research to understand and treat Sjogren’s syndrome and related diseases, and conservation of areas of significant biodiversity.
Its grants include organizations with varied missions. Read and Write Kalamazoo says it cultivates reading and writing skills to celebrate and amplify youth voices. The Kalamazoo Institute of Arts says it provides residents of southwest Michigan opportunities to appreciate and create visual art. The Kalamazoo Nature Center describes its work as helping people discover, enjoy, value, and care for nature.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 29 grants totaling $185,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $18,000, with a median of $5,000. Among the largest were $18,000 to Western Michigan University Foundation for general operating support; $16,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton Harbor for general operating support; $15,000 to Read and Write Kalamazoo for general operating support; and $12,000 each to Carnegie Center for Arts and Open Doors for general operating support. Other reported grants included $11,000 to Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan for arts programming and $10,000 to Food Bank of South Central Michigan and Kalamazoo Public Library, each for general operating support.
The foundation also gave $5,000 to Kalamazoo Nature Center in 2024. The center describes its mission as inspiring people to discover, enjoy, value, and care for nature.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Michael Wong as president/trustee, Annette Wong as vice president, and James Vanderroest as secretary.
The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong is led by Michael Wong, President since 2020 (on filings since 2019); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michael Wong
President
President, Treasurer & Director → President, 2020
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Annette Wong
Vice President
Vice President & Director → Vice President, 2020
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
James Vanderroest
Secretary
Secretary & Director → Secretary, 2020
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 The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong
How much does The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong give each year?
The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong gave $185K across 29 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $145K across 25 grants.
What is The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong's typical grant size?
The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $6,379, across 29 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong give grants?
The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong gives mostly in Michigan: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Indiana (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Kalamazoo, MI (15 grants), New Albany, IN (2 grants) and Watervliet, MI (2 grants).
Does The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong give general operating support?
Yes: 66% of The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 29) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong's largest grantees?
The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong's largest 2025 grantees include Western Michigan University Foundat ($18,000), Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton Harbor ($16,000) and Read and Write Kalamazoo ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong?
The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong reported $3.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $190K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $158K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong fund?
The foundation’s stated focus is supporting organizations that benefit southwestern Michigan children, including through visual and performing arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong?
No specific application is required at this time. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong's EIN?
The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-3244488. 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 1, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 28, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-lawrence-and-sylvia-wong-morg_842464211a4a40c998b2bc9bb6f6287a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_383244488_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-lawrence-and-sylvia-wong-morg_842464211a4a40c998b2bc9bb6f6287a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Lawrence and Sylvia Wong'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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