Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation
The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation is a private foundation based in Detroit, Michigan. It supports organizations working in health, youth and family, and animal welfare, with a stated mission of transforming lives through grants in those areas.
Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation at a glance
In short: Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation gave $3.9M across 57 grants in 2025 (avg $68K), mostly in Michigan. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,853,924
- +26.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 57
- -19.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $67,613
- +58.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $27,500
- Total assets
- $160,397,590
- +3.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (10 of 56, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (66% 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 Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Its website advises prospective applicants to contact the foundation to determine fit before submitting a Letter of Inquiry. A Letter of Inquiry may be submitted at any time, and the foundation says it typically notifies applicants within four to six weeks if it will invite a full proposal. Applicants must be U.S. 501(c)(3) organizations, have a current independent CPA audit or review, have support from the organization’s president and/or CEO, and meet the foundation’s nondiscrimination policy. The general geographic eligibility is Southeast Michigan, with Michigan-based organizations outside Southeast Michigan considered case by case, plus metropolitan Denver and the Aspen–Parachute Corridor; medical research requests are accepted nationwide. The website lists board meetings in March, June, September, and December.
- Contact
Mailing address: 7066 Mcgraw, Detroit, MI 48210
Phone: (313) 285-8618
Website: https://dresnerfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation
Who Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Forgotten Harvest ($473K). Together the top 10 received $2.3M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($6,250), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
367 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 235 grants of 367 (64%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The application guidelines identify Southeast Michigan, metropolitan Denver (the City and County of Denver), and the Aspen–Parachute Corridor in Colorado as geographic areas for organizational applicants. Michigan-based 501(c)(3) organizations outside Southeast Michigan may be considered case by case. Medical research requests are accepted nationwide. In 2025, 66% of grant dollars went to Michigan recipients, followed by Colorado (10%), Ohio (7%), Oregon (6%), and New York (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 57 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 56 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $37K; repeat grants $76K. How we count
Medians: $9K first-time, $40K repeat.
- 59% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 28% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 88% 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 $3.0M (2024) to $5.8M (2021). In 2025 it made 57 grants totaling $3.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Forgotten Harvest Oak Park, MI | Program Support | $472,500 |
| Gleaners Community Food Bank Detroit, MI | Program Support | $400,000 |
| Oregon Health and Science Univ Fou Portland, OR | Research Grant | $250,000 |
| Childrens Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH | Research Grant | $250,000 |
| Gary Burnstein Community Health Pontiac, MI | Program Support | $231,828 |
| Wayne Metro Community Assoc Detroit, MI | Program Support | $200,000 |
| Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx, NY | Research Grant | $125,000 |
| Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Seattle, WA | Research Grant | $125,000 |
| University of Colorado Denver Denver, CO | Research Grant | $125,000 |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer New York, NY | Program Support | $125,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Vera and Joseph Dresner 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 | $160,397,590 | $8,426,004 | $7,937,009 | $3,853,924 | 57 | $6,446,589 | $6,947,986 | $7,322,036 |
| 2024 | $155,239,462 | $5,089,612 | $9,386,395 | $3,037,070 | 71 | $7,956,178 | $3,940,173 | $7,228,703 |
| 2023 | $148,378,898 | $5,823,403 | $8,495,641 | $3,516,014 | 69 | $7,025,482 | $4,449,711 | $6,899,422 |
| 2022 | $141,138,679 | $9,418,735 | $8,877,182 | $5,336,008 | 88 | $7,586,802 | $8,366,402 | $7,352,401 |
| 2021 | $160,025,391 | $12,906,766 | $8,492,698 | $5,849,805 | 82 | $7,552,500 | $11,737,247 | $7,936,794 |
| 2020 | $155,819,550 | $2,430,433 | $7,570,893 | $5,272,209 | 86 | — | $2,905,256 | $7,312,216 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation reported a distributable amount of $7.3M 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 foundation’s mission is to improve lives by supporting health, youth and family, and animal welfare. Its website says it funds medical research and clinical trials specifically related to MDS, health-care access and outcomes, programs that empower children and families, and animal-care organizations.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate these areas. Forgotten Harvest describes its mission as relieving hunger in Metro Detroit and preventing nutritious food waste. Give Merit says it extends educational opportunities to Detroit youth through enrichment, mentorship, and athletics. Michigan Humane Society describes its work as improving and saving lives through animal care, community engagement, and advocacy. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 57 grants totaling $3,853,924. Awards ranged from $1,500 to $472,500, with a median of $27,500. Larger grants included $472,500 to Forgotten Harvest and $400,000 to Gleaners Community Food Bank for program support; $250,000 each to Oregon Health and Science University Foundation and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center for research; and $231,828 to Gary Burnstein Community Health for program support. Other notable awards included $200,000 to Wayne Metro Community Association, $125,000 to Give Merit, and $100,000 each to Michigan Humane Society, Food Gatherers, and Racquet Up Detroit.
The foundation describes project support for new, expanded, or continuing effective programs, and capital support for equipment and facilities. It says special-circumstances funding for existing grantee programs is considered case by case and is not open to unsolicited proposals. Its application guidelines also say it is not currently considering requests to acquire, construct, or renovate facilities.
The foundation also describes an MDS Research Fund for MDS and related blood-disorder research. The program information lists Early Career Awards of up to $125,000 and Established Investigator Awards of up to $250,000, within an overall stated award range of up to $500,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lori Dresner as Director/President, Kevin Furlong as Director/CFO, Gary Weisman as Director/VP, Mark S. Cohn as Director/Secretary, and Virginia Romano as CEO.
Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation is led by Virginia Romano, CEO on every filing since 2022; all 5 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Virginia Romano
CEO
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$249K (2022) → $311K (2025)
Lori Dresner
Director & President
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$363K (2020) → $421K (2025)
Gary Weisman
Director & Vice President
On filings since 2020
15 hrs/week
$178K (2020) → $294K (2025)
Kevin Furlong
Director & CFO
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$327K (2020) → $385K (2025)
Mark S. Cohn
Director & Secretary
On filings since 2020
15 hrs/week
$118K (2020) → $280K (2025)
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 $421K, to Lori Dresner (Director/Pre). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation
How much does Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation give each year?
Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation gave $3.9M across 57 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $3.0M across 71 grants.
What is Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation's typical grant size?
Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $27,500, and its average grant was $67,613, across 57 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation that year got $37K on average.
Where does Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation give grants?
Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 66% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Colorado (10%) and Ohio (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Detroit, MI (10 grants), Denver, CO (5 grants), Pontiac, MI (3 grants) and Ann Arbor, MI (3 grants).
Does Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 5% of Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 57) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (46 grants) and "Research Grant" (5 grants).
Who are Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation's largest grantees?
Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Forgotten Harvest ($472,500), Gleaners Community Food Bank ($400,000) and Oregon Health and Science Univ Fou ($250,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($6,250), which are not listed by name. Together they received 29% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation?
Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation reported $160.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $6.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $7.3M (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 Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to improve lives by supporting health, youth and family, and animal welfare. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation's EIN?
Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5838578. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Vera and Joseph Dresner 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.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 18, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/vera-and-joseph-dresner-foundation-morg_baecfc546cf643d68c44247e51b0d508
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_205838578_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/vera-and-joseph-dresner-foundation-morg_baecfc546cf643d68c44247e51b0d508},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Vera and Joseph Dresner 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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