The Northern Lights Family Foundation
The Northern Lights Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In its 2025 filing, it reported $230,000 in grants to 21 organizations.
The Northern Lights Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Northern Lights Family Foundation gave $230K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), top state Michigan. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $230,000
- +36.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- +10.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,952
- +23.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $3,990,329
- +2.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Michigan (35% 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 The Northern Lights Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. No application materials or other application process are specified.
- Contact
Mailing address: 435 Huntington Place, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Phone: (734) 741-8620
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Northern Lights Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was World Central Kitchen ($29K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $144K.
Grant Size Distribution
109 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 109 grants of 109 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grants went to organizations in multiple states. Michigan received 35% of grant dollars, California 17%, Washington 13%, and Washington, DC 13%; Texas received 5%. The listed grants also included recipients in Arizona and Ohio.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Northern Lights Family Foundation gives
- 15% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 35% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 98% 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $37K (2019) to $230K (2025). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $230K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Leelanu Conservancy Leland, MI | Environment | $25,000 |
| California Community Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Human Services | $20,000 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | Human Services | $19,000 |
| American Red Cross La Region Los Angeles, CA | HEALTH | $10,000 |
| California Fire Foundation Sacramento, CA | Environment | $10,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Ann Arbor, MI | HEALTH | $10,000 |
| Friends in Deed Ypsilanti, MI | Human Services | $10,000 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | Human Services | $10,000 |
| Hopi Foundationkuyi Radio Kykotsmovi, AZ | Education & Arts | $10,000 |
| Skagit Valley Foundation Mt Vernon, WA | Human Services | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Northern Lights Family 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 | $3,990,329 | $343,931 | $260,709 | $230,000 | 21 | $230,020 | $318,892 | $235,133 |
| 2024 | $3,908,108 | $142,046 | $198,611 | $169,000 | 19 | $169,034 | $137,975 | $225,121 |
| 2023 | $3,963,672 | $444,895 | $231,746 | $205,000 | 24 | $205,000 | $113,623 | $190,895 |
| 2022 | $3,711,190 | $16,774 | $210,523 | $170,500 | 30 | $170,500 | $63,756 | $196,798 |
| 2021 | $3,904,939 | $1,363,100 | $134,965 | $104,000 | 15 | $104,020 | $955,011 | $164,288 |
| 2020 | $2,676,804 | $911,461 | $95,056 | $79,000 | 14 | — | $549,305 | $104,275 |
| 2019 | $1,860,399 | $459,962 | $54,326 | $36,500 | 3 | — | $282,167 | $75,530 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Northern Lights Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $235K 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 organizations working in areas such as environment, human services, health, education and arts, and civic engagement.
The grantees describe their own work in varied ways. California Community Foundation says it invests in, partners with, and amplifies the community to build a good life. World Central Kitchen says it provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. Friends In Deed says it provides critical assistance and referrals to low-income Washtenaw County residents.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 21 grants totaling $230,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $25,000, with a median of $10,000. Notable grants included $25,000 to Leelanau Conservancy for environment; $20,000 to California Community Foundation for human services; and $19,000 to World Central Kitchen for human services. Other $10,000 grants included support for the American Red Cross LA Region, California Fire Foundation, Planned Parenthood in Ann Arbor, Friends In Deed, Hopi Foundation KUYI Radio, Skagit Valley Foundation, West Michigan Community Help Network, and CET Public Media Connect.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Michael J O'Donnell as president; Jan L Garfinkle as treasurer/secretary; and Keely O'Donnell, Devin O'Donnell, and Brienne O'Donnell as directors.
The Northern Lights Family Foundation is led by Michael J. O'Donnell, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michael J. O'Donnell
President
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brienne O'Donnell
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Devin O'Donnell
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Keely O'Donnell
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jan L. Garfinkle
Treasurer & Secretary
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
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 Northern Lights Family Foundation
How much does The Northern Lights Family Foundation give each year?
The Northern Lights Family Foundation gave $230K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $169K across 19 grants.
What is The Northern Lights Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Northern Lights Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $10,952, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Northern Lights Family Foundation give grants?
The Northern Lights Family Foundation's top state is Michigan, with 35% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (17%) and Washington (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (2 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants), Ypsilanti, MI (2 grants) and Ann Arbor, MI (2 grants).
Does The Northern Lights Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on The Northern Lights Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education & Arts" (8 grants), "Human Services" (6 grants) and "Health" (3 grants).
Who are The Northern Lights Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Northern Lights Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include World Central Kitchen ($29,000 across 2 grants), Leelanu Conservancy ($25,000) and California Community Foundation ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Northern Lights Family Foundation?
The Northern Lights Family Foundation reported $4.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $230K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $235K (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 Northern Lights Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations working in areas such as environment, human services, health, education and arts, and civic engagement. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Northern Lights Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and 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 The Northern Lights Family Foundation's EIN?
The Northern Lights Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-0866529. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Northern Lights Family 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 12, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 26, 2024)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Northern Lights Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-northern-lights-family-foundation-morg_e522b78b84b74ccb915ed946d9baa9fd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_810866529_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Northern Lights Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-northern-lights-family-foundation-morg_e522b78b84b74ccb915ed946d9baa9fd},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Northern Lights Family 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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