William and Karen Dobbins

Private foundation · Grantmaker Albion, MI EIN: 87-4760087

William and Karen Dobbins is a private foundation based in Albion, Michigan. Its 2025 filing reports grants to organizations in Albion, including community, education, arts, health, and history organizations.

William and Karen Dobbins at a glance

In short: William and Karen Dobbins gave $133K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Michigan. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$133,179
+4339.3% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
19
+1800.0% vs 2024
Average grant
$7,009
+133.6% vs 2024
Median grant
$2,000
Total assets
$4,916,529
+38.8% vs 2024
Primary geography
Michigan (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.

How to apply to William and Karen Dobbins

Accepts unsolicited proposals
Yes
How to Apply

The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Applicants should submit the foundation’s two-page grant request form in writing by mail or email. The filing lists Caroline N Hurteau as the contact for applications.

Review Cycle
None at this time, according to the filing.
Deadline
None at this time, according to the filing.
Contact

Application contact: Caroline N Hurteau
Mailing address: 16000 East Michigan Avenue, Albion, MI 49224-9193
Phone: (517) 629-8838
Email: churteau@casterconcepts.com

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who William and Karen Dobbins funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Albion Community Foundation: $68KAlbion Community Foundation$68KInnovate Albion: $15KInnovate Albion$15KFriends of the Bohm: $11KFriends of the Bohm$11KCity of Albion: $5KCity of Albion$5KRun Albion: $5KRun Albion$5KSwingin at the Shell: $5KSwingin at the Shell$5KAlbion Arts Commission: $3KAlbion Arts Commission$3KAlbion Building Community: $3KAlbion Building Community$3KBohm Theatre: $3KBohm Theatre$3KAlbion Community Gardens: $2KAlbion Community Gardens$2K

The largest 2025 recipient was Albion Community Foundation ($68K). Together the top 10 received $119K.

Grant Size Distribution

21 grants across all recorded years

19<$50K2$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 19 grants of 21 (90%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Michigan. The itemized 2025 grants listed here were to organizations in Albion, Michigan.

Grant Distribution by State

1state

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.

States

Cities

Albion

How William and Karen Dobbins gives

  • In 2025 it paid out 144% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$50K$100K$150K0 grants2022 1 grant2023 1 grant2024 19 grants2025

From 2023 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $3K (2024) to $133K (2025). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $133K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Albion Community Foundation Albion, MIEnhancing Community Life$67,500
Innovate Albion Albion, MISTEM Teaching & Training$15,000
Friends of the Bohm Albion, MIMembers of Bohm Theatre$11,179
City of Albion Albion, MIFostering Community Development$5,000
Run Albion Albion, MIFamily Fun Races in Albion$5,000
Swingin at the Shell Albion, MIBand Shell Renovations$5,000
Albion Arts Commission Albion, MIProvides Access to Creativity & Art$3,000
Albion Building Community Albion, MIEnsuring Compliance and Regs$2,500
Bohm Theatre Albion, MIFilm & Performing Arts Center$2,500
Albion Community Gardens Albion, MIProvision of Fresh Produce$2,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$4,916,529$1,902,426$149,182$133,17919$133,179$890,915$92,628
2024$3,542,236$972,053$4,345$3,0001$3,000$95,804$67,044
2023$2,178,454$1,068,396$59,988$59,9831$59,983—$4,802
2022$1,000,382$1,000,382—————$4,106

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, William and Karen Dobbins reported a distributable amount of $93K 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 community development and quality of life, STEM education, arts and performance, senior well-being, fresh produce, and local events.

Among its grantees, the Albion Community Foundation describes its mission as strengthening the Greater Albion area by cultivating community assets to enhance quality of life. Innovate Albion Inc says it provides STEM learning opportunities for students, educators, and professionals in the greater Albion region. The Albion Health Care Alliance says it promotes wellness, health-care access, and care coordination, while the Albion Historical Society says it encourages preservation, education, research, and interest in Albion’s history.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation awarded 19 grants totaling $133,179. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $67,500, with a median award of $2,000. The largest awards included $67,500 to the Albion Community Foundation, $15,000 to Innovate Albion, $11,179 to Friends of the Bohm, and $5,000 each to the City of Albion, Run Albion, and Swingin at the Shell.

The foundation’s filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It has developed a two-page grant request form asking for basic information, contacts, approvals, and authorizations for board review. Written requests are accepted by mail or email. The filing reports no formal restrictions on awards.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists William H Dobbins as president, Karen Dobbins as vice president, Caroline Hurteau as secretary, Emily Verbeke as vice president, and Andrew Dobbins as treasurer.

William and Karen Dobbins is led by Emily Verbeke, V. President since 2024 (on filings since 2022); none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Emily Verbeke

    V. President

    Vice President → V. President, 2024

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Karen Dobbins

    V. President

    Vice President → V. President, 2024

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • William H. Dobbins

    President

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Andrew Dobbins

    Treasurer

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Caroline Hurteau

    Secretary

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2022–2025. "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 William and Karen Dobbins

How much does William and Karen Dobbins give each year?

William and Karen Dobbins gave $133K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $3K across 1 grant.

What is William and Karen Dobbins's typical grant size?

William and Karen Dobbins's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $7,009, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Where does William and Karen Dobbins give grants?

William and Karen Dobbins gives mostly in Michigan: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Albion, MI (19 grants).

Does William and Karen Dobbins give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on William and Karen Dobbins's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.

Who are William and Karen Dobbins's largest grantees?

William and Karen Dobbins's largest 2025 grantees include Albion Community Foundation ($67,500), Innovate Albion ($15,000) and Friends of the Bohm ($11,179), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 70% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is William and Karen Dobbins?

William and Karen Dobbins reported $4.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $133K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $93K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does William and Karen Dobbins fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for community development and quality of life, STEM education, arts and performance, senior well-being, fresh produce, and local events. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from William and Karen Dobbins?

The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is William and Karen Dobbins's EIN?

William and Karen Dobbins's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-4760087. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2025.

Does William and Karen Dobbins accept unsolicited proposals?

Yes, 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

(2)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
  2. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2022–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). William and Karen Dobbins funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/william-and-karen-dobbins-morg_6d6825cbcee64dca80817a1543a119a7

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_874760087_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{William and Karen Dobbins funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/william-and-karen-dobbins-morg_6d6825cbcee64dca80817a1543a119a7},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 William and Karen Dobbins'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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