The Royal Little Family Foundation
The Royal Little Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Detroit, Michigan. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including arts, homelessness-services, conservation, education, community, and care organizations.
Key facts about The Royal Little Family Foundation
In short: The Royal Little Family Foundation gave $750K across 60 grants in 2024 (avg $12K), top state Massachusetts. 17% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 05-6016740
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $749,700
- Grants made (2024)
- 60
- Average grant
- $12,495
- Median grant
- $10,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (10 of 60, 2024)
- Total assets
- $16,941,800
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (29% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$16.9M
+3.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$750K
-7.7% YoY
Grant Count
60
-11.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$12K
+4.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Royal Little Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Royal Little Family Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 60 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 77% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 23% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 82% 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 (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement is available in the provided information. The 2024 grants include support for organizations whose stated missions range from ending homelessness to sustaining educational programs, promoting equity, conserving natural resources, expanding opportunities for youth, presenting live theatre, and providing skilled and long-term care. These are the recipient organizations’ missions, not stated priorities of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 60 grants totaling $749,700. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $120,000, with a median grant of $10,000. Many of the largest awards were designated for daily operations or general financial support.
Notable 2024 grants included $120,000 to Celebrity Series of Boston, $50,000 to Pine Street Inn, $30,000 to Effingham Preservation Society, $25,000 each to Brookline Community Foundation, Lyford Cay Foundation, Vashon Island Public Schools Foundation, and Pacific Bonsai Museum, and $20,000 each to Green Mountain Conservation Group and Creature Conserve. Pine Street Inn describes its mission as helping people move from homelessness to housing and supporting formerly homeless people in retaining housing. Vashon Island Public Schools Foundation says its primary purpose is to raise funds to sustain the school district’s educational programs. Green Mountain Conservation Group describes itself as dedicated to protecting and conserving natural resources in the Ossipee River Valley.
How to Apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with The Royal Little Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Detroit, Michigan. Its 2024 grant dollars went primarily to recipients in Massachusetts (29%), Washington (23%), Rhode Island (19%), New Hampshire (11%), and New York (8%). The listed 2024 grants also include an award to an organization in Oregon.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 60 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $750K (2024) to $988K (2020). In 2024 it made 60 grants totaling $750K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Celebrity Series of Boston ($120K). Together the top 10 received $362K.
Grant Size Distribution
364 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 351 grants of 364 (96%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Celebrity Series of Boston Boston, MA | Support of Daily Operations | $120,000 |
| Pine Street Inn Boston, MA | Support of Daily Operations | $50,000 |
| Effingham Preservation Society Effingham, NH | Support of Daily Operations | $30,000 |
| Brookline Community Foundation Inc Brookline, MA | Support of Daily Operations | $25,000 |
| Lyford Cay Foundation Inc New York, NY | Support of Daily Operations | $25,000 |
| Vashon Island Public Schools Foundation Vashon, WA | General Financial Support | $25,000 |
| Pacific Bonsai Museum Federal Way, WA | Support of Daily Operations | $25,000 |
| Cascade Head Biosphere Collaborative Otis, OR | Support of Daily Operations | $21,500 |
| Green Mountain Conservation Group Effingham, NH | General Financial Support | $20,000 |
| Dr Martin Luther King Jr Community CNTR Newport, RI | Support for Daily | $20,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant total | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $16,941,800 | $1,441,209 | $1,152,042 | $749,700 | 60 |
| 2023 | $16,329,389 | $1,167,683 | $1,198,140 | $812,000 | 68 |
| 2022 | $16,414,604 | $1,188,766 | $1,451,153 | $969,000 | 78 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $16,941,800 | $16,329,389 | $16,414,604 |
| Revenue | $1,441,209 | $1,167,683 | $1,188,766 |
| Expenses | $1,152,042 | $1,198,140 | $1,451,153 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $900,914 | $982,734 | $1,155,065 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,195,489 | $940,948 | $931,873 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,096,639 | $994,463 | $1,036,963 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Comerica Bank is listed as trustee on the 2024 filing.
The Royal Little Family Foundation's only listed officer is Comerica Bank, Trustee on every filing since 2020 (compensated).
Officers on the 2024 filing
Comerica Bank
Trustee
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
$63K (2020) → $72K (2024)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $72K, to Comerica Bank (Trustee).
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 75000, Detroit, MI 48275-7874
Phone: (313) 222-9388
Frequently asked questions about The Royal Little Family Foundation
How much does The Royal Little Family Foundation give each year?
The Royal Little Family Foundation gave $750K across 60 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $812K across 68 grants.
What is The Royal Little Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Royal Little Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $12,495, across 60 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Royal Little Family Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does The Royal Little Family Foundation give grants?
The Royal Little Family Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 29% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Washington (23%) and Rhode Island (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Vashon, WA (12 grants), Newport, RI (9 grants), Boston, MA (6 grants) and Providence, RI (6 grants).
Does The Royal Little Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 17% of The Royal Little Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 60) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Support of Daily Operations" (36 grants).
Who are The Royal Little Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Royal Little Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Celebrity Series of Boston ($120,000), Pine Street Inn ($50,000) and Effingham Preservation Society ($30,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Royal Little Family Foundation?
The Royal Little Family Foundation reported $16.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $901K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.1M (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 Royal Little Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement is available in the provided information. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Royal Little Family Foundation?
The foundation 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 Royal Little Family Foundation's EIN?
The Royal Little Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 05-6016740. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Royal Little 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 October 2026.
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