The Serra Foundation

FENTON, MI EIN: 26-1675789 Website

The Serra International Foundation is a Catholic philanthropic organization that has been supporting vocations since 1951. The Foundation provides financial aid to programs that foster vocations to the ministerial priesthood and formation for men and women in consecrated religious life within the Catholic Church.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$9.2M

+5.9% YoY

Annual Giving

$999K

+145.4% YoY

Grant Count

+12.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$18K

+119.1% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Serra Foundation reported a distributable amount of $715K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The Foundation's stated purposes are:

To give financial aid to programs that foster and promote vocations to the ministerial priesthood of the Catholic Church
To give financial aid to programs of formation for men and women in consecrated religious life in the Catholic Church
To enhance the recognition of Serra International as the global lay apostolate for vocations in the Catholic Church

Grantmaking

The Foundation awarded over 15 grants in the most recent year documented. Recent grant recipients include:

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The Foundation funds programs globally, with documented grants across North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, including recipients in the United States, Canada, Rwanda, Kenya, India, Congo, Indonesia, and Vatican City.

Grant Distribution by State

Michigan $3.7M (84%)

Illinois $537K (12%)

Ohio $140K (3%)

Pennsylvania $20K (0%)

New York $10K (0%)

District of Columbia $8K (0%)

Florida $3K (0%)

Virginia $1K (0%)

+1 more states

States

District of Columbia Florida Illinois Michigan North Carolina New York Ohio Pennsylvania Virginia

Cities

AlbionAnn ArborArlingtonBirminghamBloomfield HillsBurtonChicagoClarkstonCoconut CreekDavisonDetroitEast LansingElmhurstEvanstonFarmington HillsFentonFlintFlushingFt LauderdaleGaylord

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$9,161,688	$8,653,266	$5,681,213
Revenue	$2,847,330	$6,738,504	$208,686
Expenses	$1,092,689	$454,208	$1,387,737
Qualifying Distributions	$999,299	$407,233	$1,270,978
Net Investment Income	$1,510,160	$1,702,858	$171,209
Distributable Amount	$715,433	$461,307	$400,689

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

226 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Loyola University Chicago ($420,000), Albion College ($205,000), Michigan State University ($60,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
Albion College Albion, MI	General Use	$205,000
Ascension Genesys Foundation Grand Blanc, MI	General Use	$5,000
CAN Council Saginaw, MI	General Use	$1,000
Catholic Charities Flint, MI	General Use	$1,000
Center for Hope Flint, MI	General Use	$250
Communities First Flint, MI	General Use	$5,500
Community Foundation of Greater Rochester Rochester Hills, MI	General Use	$25,000
Community Partners for Affordable Housing Libertyville, IL	General Use	$10,000
DADS of Southeast Michigan Sterling Heights, MI	General Use	$500
ELGA Credit Union Foundation for Impact Grand Blanc, MI	General Use	$500

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Julie A Serra	President	1	—
Joseph O Serra	Vice Pres.	1	—
Lauren M Serra	Secretary	1	—
Matthew J Serra	Treasurer	1	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2023

The Foundation launched an endowment giving program in 2023, announcing its first endowment initiative to support long-term vocations work.

Announcing the Foundation's First Endowment - Serra International

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Serra Foundation fund?

The Foundation's stated purposes are: • To give financial aid to programs that foster and promote vocations to the ministerial priesthood of the Catholic Church • To give financial aid to programs of formation for men and women in consecrated religious life in the Catholic Church • To enhance the recognition of Serra International as the global lay apostolate for vocations in the Catholic Church

How do I apply for a grant from The Serra Foundation?

The Foundation awarded over 15 grants in the most recent year documented. Recent grant recipients include: • Pontifical North American College (Rome) • Institute for Priestly Formation (United States) • Serra's US Council (United States) • Vocations Symposium (Vatican) • Bishop White Seminary (United States) • Missionary Sisters of Mary Queen of the World (United States) • Catholic Bishops of Ontario (Canada) • St. Mary Sisters (United States) • Diocese of Kibungo (Rwanda) • Jesuit Eastern Afri…

Where does The Serra Foundation make grants?

What size grants does The Serra Foundation award?

In 2024, The Serra Foundation awarded 56 grants totaling $999K — an average of about $18K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Serra Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Serra Foundation reported a distributable amount of $715K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.