The Oakriver Foundation
The Oakriver Foundation is a private foundation based in Northport, Michigan. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations whose stated work involves education, museums, conservation, health, and service dogs.
The Oakriver Foundation at a glance
In short: The Oakriver Foundation gave $214K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $16K), top state Michigan. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $214,000
- -1.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $16,462
- -1.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $3,541,422
- -4.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (2 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (47% 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 Oakriver Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. The filing specifies no application form or materials and no deadlines. It states that distributions are made exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, or scientific purposes.
- Contact
Application contact: William P Heidrich
Mailing address: 820 North Birchwood Drive, Northport, MI 49670
Phone: (309) 676-6020
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Oakriver Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Atwill Memorial Chapel ($45K). Together the top 10 received $205K.
Grant Size Distribution
66 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 59 grants of 66 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were reported as 47% to recipients in Michigan, 20% in Illinois, 19% in Massachusetts, 5% in California, and 5% in Connecticut.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Oakriver Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 13 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $19K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 77% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+0%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 111% 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 $170K (2020) to $219K (2021). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $214K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Atwill Memorial Chapel Northport, MI | Charitable | $45,000 |
| Peoria Riverfront Museum Peoria, IL | Charitable | $40,000 |
| University of Michigan Library Ann Arbor, MI | Educational | $40,000 |
| Phillips Academy Peabody Museum Andover, MA | Charitable | $40,000 |
| Greenwich Country Day School Greenwich, CT | Educational | $10,000 |
| Munson Hospital Foundation Traverse City, MI | Charitable | $10,000 |
| UCSF Foundation San Francisco, CA | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Shelburne Museum Shelburne, VT | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Los Angeles Family School Los Angeles, CA | Educational | $5,000 |
| Bluepath Service Dogs Wappingers Falls, NY | Charitable | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Oakriver 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 | $3,541,422 | $165,866 | $311,627 | $214,000 | 13 | $242,977 | $104,609 | $218,532 |
| 2024 | $3,712,050 | $687,243 | $291,466 | $216,500 | 13 | $238,240 | $634,016 | $212,351 |
| 2023 | $3,289,032 | $147,862 | $290,591 | $214,000 | 12 | $235,591 | $92,862 | $212,797 |
| 2022 | $3,431,761 | $393,853 | $292,551 | $214,000 | 13 | $230,931 | $345,733 | $212,937 |
| 2021 | $3,337,983 | $470,674 | $272,422 | $218,500 | 15 | $230,379 | $430,031 | $212,918 |
| 2020 | $3,133,631 | $83,637 | $221,032 | $170,000 | 13 | — | $46,681 | $169,527 |
| 2019 | $3,269,602 | $204,038 | $222,795 | $175,000 | 15 | — | $167,775 | $178,867 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Oakriver Foundation reported a distributable amount of $219K 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 separate mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 filing says distributions are made exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, or scientific purposes. Reported grants include charitable and educational purposes.
Grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of supported organizations. Peoria Riverfront Museum says its mission is to inspire lifelong learning by connecting art, history, science, and achievement. Leelanau Conservancy says it works to conserve land, water, and scenic character in Leelanau County and provide education about the county’s natural heritage. BluePath Service Dogs says it provides autism service dogs to support safety, companionship, and independence.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $214,000. Grants ranged from $1,500 to $45,000, with a median of $5,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $45,000 to Atwill Memorial Chapel in Northport, Michigan, for charitable purposes; $40,000 each to Peoria Riverfront Museum in Peoria, Illinois, for charitable purposes, the University of Michigan Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for educational purposes, and Phillips Academy Peabody Museum in Andover, Massachusetts, for charitable purposes. Other reported grants included $10,000 to Greenwich Country Day School for educational purposes and $10,000 to Munson Hospital Foundation for charitable purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists William P Heidrich, Carolyn Ziebarths, William Heidrich II, and Peter Heidrich as trustees.
The Oakriver Foundation's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
William P. Heidrich
Trustee
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
$18K (2019) → $48K (2025)
Carolyn Ziebarths
Trustee
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peter Heidrich
Trustee
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William Heidrich II
Trustee
On filings since 2021
5 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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $48K, to William P Heidrich (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about The Oakriver Foundation
How much does The Oakriver Foundation give each year?
The Oakriver Foundation gave $214K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $217K across 13 grants.
What is The Oakriver Foundation's typical grant size?
The Oakriver Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $16,462, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Oakriver Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Oakriver Foundation give grants?
The Oakriver Foundation's top state is Michigan, with 47% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Illinois (20%) and Massachusetts (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Peoria, IL (2 grants).
Does The Oakriver Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on The Oakriver Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (9 grants) and "Educational" (4 grants).
Who are The Oakriver Foundation's largest grantees?
The Oakriver Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Atwill Memorial Chapel ($45,000), Peoria Riverfront Museum ($40,000) and University of Michigan Library ($40,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 58% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Oakriver Foundation?
The Oakriver Foundation reported $3.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $243K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $219K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Oakriver Foundation fund?
No separate mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 filing says distributions are made exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, or scientific purposes. Reported grants include charitable and educational purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Oakriver Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Oakriver Foundation's EIN?
The Oakriver Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4139320. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Oakriver 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 May 18, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 19, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 30, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 28, 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
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Oakriver Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Oakriver Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-oakriver-foundation-morg_150bceeeb98d48098a30c1ca9da7c541
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_364139320_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Oakriver Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-oakriver-foundation-morg_150bceeeb98d48098a30c1ca9da7c541},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Oakriver 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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