Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc
Traverse City, MI · EIN 38-2449838. Reported 170 grants totalling $2,248,680 to 82 recipients across tax years 2021-2025. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $10,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $5,000 and $20,000; the smallest was $500 and the largest $50,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nmc Foundation | Traverse City, MI | $250,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Mayo Clinic | Rochester, MN | $140,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Nmc-Scholarships | Traverse City, MI | $135,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Mt Holiday Inc | Traverse City, MI | $120,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Habitat for Humanity | Traverse City, MI | $110,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Inland Seas Education Association | Suttons Bay, MI | $105,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Traverse Symphony Orchestra | Traverse City, MI | $55,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Child & Family Services | Traverse City, MI | $54,066 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Pk | Traverse City, MI | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Gt Regional Land Concervancy | Traverse City, MI | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Gt Regional Land Conservancy | Traverse City, MI | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Interlochen Center for the Arts | Interlochen, MI | $50,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Salvation Army | Traverse City, MI | $48,067 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Mid-Michigan Honor Flight | Mecosta, MI | $45,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Womens Resource Center | Traverse City, MI | $36,189 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| US Coast Guard | Traverse City, MI | $34,465 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Generations Ahead | Traverse City, MI | $33,409 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Benzie Area Christian Neighbors | Benzonia, MI | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| City Opera House | Traverse City, MI | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Great Lakes Children's Museum | Traverse City, MI | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| St Clair Butterfly Foundation | Auburn Hills, MI | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Tc St Francis Catholic School | Traverse City, MI | $28,762 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Tart Trails | Traverse City, MI | $28,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Seeds | Traverse City, MI | $27,500 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Father Fred Foundation | Traverse City, MI | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Food Rescue (goodwill Industries) | Traverse City, MI | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Grand Traverse Industries | Traverse City, MI | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Gt YMCA | Traverse City, MI | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Peninsula Township | Traverse City, MI | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Single Momm | Traverse City, MI | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Traverse Bay Childrens Adv Center | Traverse City, MI | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| VFW - Lake Leelanau | Lake Leelanau, MI | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Traverse City Public Schools | Traverse City, MI | $24,600 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Grand Traverse Pavilions Foundation | Traverse City, MI | $22,850 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Women's Resouce Center | Traverse City, MI | $22,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Big Brothersbig Sisters Nw Mi | Traverse City, MI | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Honor Area Restoration Project | Honor, MI | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Parallel 45 Theater | Traverse City, MI | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Veterans in Crisis | Traverse City, MI | $18,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Child and Family Services | Traverse City, MI | $16,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Flow (for Love of Water) | Traverse City, MI | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Hospice of Michigan | Traverse City, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Montana State University | Bozeman, MT | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Thompsonville Area Revitalization | Thompsonville, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Tbays (youth Soccer) | Traverse City, MI | $12,100 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Traverse Area District Library | Traverse City, MI | $11,692 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Kids on the Go Traverse City | St Clair Shores, MI | $11,650 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Make-a-Wish Michigan | Brighton, MI | $10,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear | Empire, MI | $10,485 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Dream Team | Traverse City, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Fife Lake Public Library | Fife Lake, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Junior Achievement | Colorado Springs, CO | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Leelanau County Cancer Foundation | Northport, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Newton's Road Nw | Traverse City, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Old Town Playhouse | Traverse City, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| The Friendship Community Center | Suttons Bay, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Toys for Tots | Triangle, VA | $10,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Vasa Ski Club | Traverse City, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Flow | Traverse City, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Peace Ranch | Traverse City, MI | $7,500 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Acme Christian Thrift Store | Williamsburg, MI | $7,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| St Mary School Lake Leelanau | Lake Leelanau, MI | $7,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Central Day Care Center | Traverse City, MI | $5,915 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Bayside - Coast Guard | Traverse City, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Benzie Acquatic Center | Frankfort, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Bethany Christian Services | Traverse City, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Boys Scouts Guardian Membership | Traverse City, MI | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Girl Scouts of Mi | Traverse City, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Gt Regional Community Foundation | Traverse City, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Michael's Place | Traverse City, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Michigan Crossroads Council | Eagle, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Nm Michigan Arts & Culture | Traverse City, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Nw Mi Ballet Theatre | Traverse City, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Sharecare of Leelanau | Suttons Bay, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Tc Central High | Traverse City, MI | $3,150 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Tc West High | Traverse City, MI | $3,150 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Whisltle Stop Child Care Center | Thompsonville, MI | $2,904 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Tc West Robotics Boosters | Traverse City, MI | $2,726 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Nw Michigan Vallet Theatre | Traverse City, MI | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Tc Coast Guard Spouses Club | Flint, MI | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Dynamic Foundation | San Jose, CA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Schwander Headstone Memorials | Traverse City, MI | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
36 of 82 (44%) received money in more than one year over the 5 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 64%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is about typical. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one.
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 58 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 33 | $469,887 | $10,000 |
| 2022 | 34 | $436,411 | $10,000 |
| 2023 | 29 | $410,017 | $10,000 |
| 2024 | 33 | $443,081 | $10,000 |
| 2025 | 41 | $489,284 | $10,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
92% of its giving went to organizations in Michigan. If your organization is based elsewhere, look in the recipient list for grants to your area before writing.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $10,000. A request many times that size asks for something it has rarely or never given.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Michigan.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Les & Ann Biederman Foundation Inc's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2021-2025). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: Po Box 564, Traverse City, MI, 49685. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 38-2449838 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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