The Samuel L Westerman Foundation
The Samuel L Westerman Foundation is a private foundation based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. In 2025, it reported 144 grants totaling $533,650 to organizations that included educational, charitable, and religious recipients.
The Samuel L Westerman Foundation at a glance
In short: The Samuel L Westerman Foundation gave $534K across 144 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Michigan. 10% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $533,650
- +10.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 144
- +8.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,706
- +2.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $5,377,954
- +3.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (14 of 144, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (78% 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 Samuel L Westerman Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing lists Ruth Loprete as the contact and requests a letter furnishing the purpose and a copy of exempt status. The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and lists no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Ruth Loprete
Mailing address: 5020 North Park Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46205
Phone: (248) 835-3002
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Samuel L Westerman Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Grand Valley State University ($30K). Together the top 10 received $159K.
Grant Size Distribution
695 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 695 grants of 695 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 78% of grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan, followed by Indiana at 6%, Ohio at 4%, Washington, DC, at 3%, and Virginia at 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 144 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Samuel L Westerman Foundation open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 14 of 144 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+8%). 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 (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $482K (2024) to $549K (2023). In 2025 it made 144 grants totaling $534K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids, MI | Educational | $30,000 |
| Camp Westminster Detroit, MI | Charitable | $22,000 |
| Henry Ford Health Systems Detroit, MI | Charitable | $17,000 |
| Grand Rapids Christian Schools Grand Rapids, MI | Educational | $15,000 |
| Easter Seals of MI Auburn Hills, MI | Charitable | $15,000 |
| Ohio Wesleyen University Delaware, OH | Education | $15,000 |
| Orchard Lake Community Church Presbyterian Orchard Lake, MI | Religious | $12,500 |
| Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan Grand Rapids, MI | Charitable | $12,000 |
| Allendale Christian School Allendale, MI | Educational | $10,000 |
| New Era Christian School New Era, MI | Educational | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Samuel L Westerman 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 | $5,377,954 | $781,872 | $600,678 | $533,650 | 144 | $548,785 | $778,068 | $562,566 |
| 2024 | $5,196,761 | $467,826 | $537,611 | $481,500 | 133 | $487,800 | $212,700 | $523,079 |
| 2023 | $5,266,545 | $516,709 | $602,303 | $548,725 | 142 | $551,373 | $205,480 | $468,489 |
| 2022 | $5,352,138 | $330,791 | $553,736 | $492,163 | 133 | $497,663 | $248,707 | $477,599 |
| 2021 | $5,594,585 | $746,736 | $545,490 | $502,150 | 143 | $504,070 | $229,086 | $537,983 |
| 2020 | $5,393,337 | $184,186 | $559,733 | $523,754 | 148 | — | $155,118 | $451,036 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Samuel L Westerman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $563K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state the foundation’s mission. Its 2025 grants included schools and universities, health and social-service organizations, a church, and a public-policy organization. Grantees’ own mission statements illustrate this range: Grand Rapids Christian Schools says it prepares students to serve Christ in contemporary society, while AYS Inc says it aims to create an accessible and enriching community where children and families thrive beyond the school day. The Heritage Foundation describes its mission as promoting conservative public policies based on principles including free enterprise, limited government, and individual freedom.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 144 grants totaling $533,650. Grants ranged from $250 to $30,000, with a median of $2,000. Among the largest were $30,000 to Grand Valley State University for educational purposes, $22,000 to Camp Westminster for charitable purposes, and $17,000 to Henry Ford Health Systems for charitable purposes. Other notable grants included $15,000 each to Grand Rapids Christian Schools and Easter Seals of MI, and $10,000 each to New Era Christian School, the University of Notre Dame, and the Heritage Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists James H LoPrete as President; Kent G LoPrete and Gordon Muir as Vice Presidents; Cameron K Muir as Treasurer; Ruth R LoPrete as Grant Officer; and Mary M Lyneis as Secretary.
The Samuel L Westerman Foundation is led by James H LoPrete, President on every filing since 2020; 5 of 6 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James H LoPrete
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$2K (2020) → $4K (2025)
Cameron K Muir
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$5K (2020) → $8K (2025)
Gordon J Muir
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$2K (2020) → $4K (2025)
Kent G LoPrete
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$2K (2020) → $4K (2025)
Ruth R LoPrete
Grant Officer
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$2K (2020) → $3K (2025)
Mary M Lyneis
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Martha M Muir (2020–2022) — Vice President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 $8K, to Cameron K Muir (Treasurer). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Samuel L Westerman Foundation
How much does The Samuel L Westerman Foundation give each year?
The Samuel L Westerman Foundation gave $534K across 144 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $482K across 133 grants.
What is The Samuel L Westerman Foundation's typical grant size?
The Samuel L Westerman Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $3,706, across 144 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Samuel L Westerman Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Samuel L Westerman Foundation give grants?
The Samuel L Westerman Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Indiana (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Grand Rapids, MI (26 grants), Detroit, MI (20 grants), Grand Haven, MI (9 grants) and Holland, MI (8 grants).
Does The Samuel L Westerman Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 144 grants with a stated purpose on The Samuel L Westerman Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (101 grants), "Educational" (20 grants) and "Religious" (14 grants).
Who are The Samuel L Westerman Foundation's largest grantees?
The Samuel L Westerman Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Grand Valley State University ($30,000), Camp Westminster ($22,000) and Henry Ford Health Systems ($17,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 13% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Samuel L Westerman Foundation?
The Samuel L Westerman Foundation reported $5.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $549K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $563K (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 Samuel L Westerman Foundation fund?
The available information does not state the foundation’s mission. Its 2025 grants included schools and universities, health and social-service organizations, a church, and a public-policy organization. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Samuel L Westerman Foundation?
The 2025 filing lists Ruth Loprete as the contact and requests a letter furnishing the purpose and a copy of exempt status. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Samuel L Westerman Foundation's EIN?
The Samuel L Westerman Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7108795. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 20, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 25, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 28, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Samuel L Westerman Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-samuel-l-westerman-foundation-morg_aafa6db70d324fe089a80dc57f2e4cf3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237108795_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Samuel L Westerman Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-samuel-l-westerman-foundation-morg_aafa6db70d324fe089a80dc57f2e4cf3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Samuel L Westerman 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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