The Porter Family Foundation
The Porter Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Its 2025 filing lists grants to charitable organizations, including environmental organizations and other nonprofits.
The Porter Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Porter Family Foundation gave $106K across 24 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Michigan. 42% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $105,692
- +6.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 24
- +33.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,404
- -20.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $1,508,534
- +4.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (10 of 24, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (87% 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 Porter Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states on its 2023 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 212 W Summit, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Phone: (313) 881-0500
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Porter Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Michigan Climate Action Network ($35K). Together the top 10 received $89K.
Grant Size Distribution
94 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 94 grants of 94 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 87% of grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan. The remaining reported shares went to recipients in Washington, DC (4%), Virginia (4%), Massachusetts (2%), and Illinois (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Porter Family Foundation open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 24 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. With only 24 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 46% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+11%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 107% 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 $67K (2020) to $109K (2021). In 2025 it made 24 grants totaling $106K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan Climate Action Network Lansing, MI | Environmental Education | $35,259 |
| Solardarity Highland Park, MI | Charitable Purposes | $10,000 |
| Mieibc Lansing, MI | Charitable Purposes | $10,000 |
| Ecology Center Ann Arbor, MI | Charitable purposes | $6,850 |
| Michigan Environmental Council Lansing, MI | Environmental | $6,500 |
| Flow for Love of Water Traverse City, MI | Charitable Purposes | $5,000 |
| Food and Water Watch Washington, DC | Charitable Purposes | $4,500 |
| National Wildlife Federation Reston, VA | Charitable purposes | $4,000 |
| Center for Michigan Ann Arbor, MI | charitable | $3,500 |
| Discovery Center & Pier Traverse City, MI | charity | $3,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Porter 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 | $1,508,534 | $207,702 | $143,697 | $105,692 | 24 | $105,692 | $189,053 | $99,114 |
| 2024 | $1,444,529 | $211,897 | $132,630 | $99,207 | 18 | $99,207 | $201,008 | $96,910 |
| 2023 | $1,365,262 | $32,292 | $132,779 | $104,857 | 17 | $104,857 | $22,474 | $87,831 |
| 2022 | $1,465,750 | $102,548 | $119,419 | $95,149 | 16 | $95,149 | $86,742 | $94,342 |
| 2021 | $1,482,621 | $432,871 | $142,881 | $109,277 | 19 | — | $216,068 | $104,455 |
| 2020 | $1,192,631 | $155,131 | $94,909 | $67,363 | 21 | — | $143,770 | $77,822 |
| 2019 | $1,132,409 | $125,436 | $105,610 | $74,000 | 17 | — | $104,791 | $75,412 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Porter Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $99K 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 include support for organizations whose own missions address environmental work, trails, and music. For example, the Ecology Center describes its mission as developing innovative solutions for healthy people and a healthy planet; the Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative says it facilitates regional trails connecting people, communities, and nature; and Dedham School of Music says it provides people of all ages, abilities, and means an environment to learn, play, and enjoy music.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 24 grants totaling $105,692. Grant amounts ranged from $258 to $35,259, with a median grant of $2,500.
The largest reported grants included $35,259 to Michigan Climate Action Network for environmental education; $10,000 each to Solardarity and MIEIBC for charitable purposes; $6,850 to the Ecology Center; and $6,500 to Michigan Environmental Council for environmental work. Other reported grants included $5,000 to Flow for Love of Water, $4,500 to Food and Water Watch, and $4,000 to the National Wildlife Federation. The foundation also gave $1,000 to the Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative and $500 to Dedham School of Music in 2025.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Thomas S. Porter as director.
The Porter Family Foundation is led by Thomas S. Porter, Director on every filing since 2019 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Thomas S. Porter
Director
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 Porter Family Foundation
How much does The Porter Family Foundation give each year?
The Porter Family Foundation gave $106K across 24 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $99K across 18 grants.
What is The Porter Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Porter Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $4,404, across 24 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Porter Family Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does The Porter Family Foundation give grants?
The Porter Family Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 87% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Lansing, MI (4 grants), Ann Arbor, MI (4 grants), Traverse City, MI (3 grants) and Dedham, MA (3 grants).
Who are The Porter Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Porter Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Michigan Climate Action Network ($35,259), Solardarity ($10,000) and Mieibc ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Porter Family Foundation?
The Porter Family Foundation reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $106K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $99K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Porter Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations whose own missions address environmental work, trails, and music. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Porter Family Foundation?
The foundation states on its 2023 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and 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 Porter Family Foundation's EIN?
The Porter Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-3503967. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Porter 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 2, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 24, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 24, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 18, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 10, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 9, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Porter Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
United States Energy Foundation
San Francisco, CA
United States Energy Foundation funds education, outreach, and analysis advancing clean and equitable energy and climate solutions, including renewable energy, efficiency, clean transportation, buildings, and industry, in the United States. Its 2024 grants ranged from $10,000 to $21 million, with a median of $135,000. It does not accept unsolicited requests or proposals; grant-seekers must be invited.
Assets
$215.7M
Grants
597
Total Given
$166.3M
Arie and Ida Crown Memorial
Chicago, IL
Arie and Ida Crown Memorial supports education, the environment, health and human services, gun violence prevention, homelessness prevention, and Jewish community and Israel initiatives, with a strong focus on Chicago and giving across the U.S. and internationally. In 2024, its grants ranged from $500 to $3 million, with a median of $55,000. It uses an invitation-only process and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.4B
Grants
897
Total Given
$115.2M
Natural Resources Defense Council Inc
New York, NY
NRDC funds organizations working on environmental advocacy, including climate, energy, pollution, conservation, and environmental justice efforts in the U.S. and internationally. In 2025, grants ranged from $5,500 to $2 million, with a median of $16,625; the profile does not state whether NRDC accepts unsolicited grant requests.
Assets
$657.2M
Grants
116
Total Given
$5.3M
The Minneapolis Foundation
Minneapolis, MN
The Minneapolis Foundation funds civic, social, and economic needs, including economic mobility, education, health, the environment, arts, and human services, with most grant dollars going to Minnesota. Its 2025 grants had a median of $25,000, though amounts varied widely. It says no funding opportunities are currently open; whether it accepts unsolicited requests is not stated.
Assets
$1.2B
Grants
1,565
Total Given
$121.7M
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
Flint, MI
The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation funds nonprofits working in civil society, youth engagement, environmental sustainability, and Flint-area community development, in Flint and communities around the world. Its 2024 grants had a median of $55,000, though awards ranged widely; it does not accept unsolicited funding requests and supports preselected organizations.
Assets
$3.8B
Grants
834
Total Given
$166.4M
The Joyce Foundation
Chicago, IL
The Joyce Foundation funds policy research, development, and advocacy advancing racial equity and economic mobility, across areas including education, the environment, democracy, culture, gun violence prevention and justice reform, and journalism. Its grants primarily support work in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin; the 2024 median grant was $80,000, with awards ranging from $685 to $1 million. It accepts online letters of inquiry year-round, but formal proposals are by invitation only.
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
470
Total Given
$52.2M
More similar funders
More Funders in Michigan
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Porter Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-porter-family-foundation-morg_7a3ec402a7c040a2a930b41d71c7d952
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_383503967_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Porter Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-porter-family-foundation-morg_7a3ec402a7c040a2a930b41d71c7d952},
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 Porter 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.
The Porter Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?