Mesara Family Foundation
Kalamazoo, MI · EIN 47-3197993. Reported 221 grants totalling $2,118,915 to 90 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. Mesara Family Foundation 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 $7,500. Half of everything it gave fell between $5,000 and $10,000; the smallest was $1,000 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wmu Foundation | Kalamazoo, MI | $156,410 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Building Tomorrow | Indianapolis, IN | $123,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| She Jumps | Salt Lake City, UT | $108,525 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Leader Dogs for the Blind | Rochester Hills, MI | $100,100 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Special Operations Warrior Foundation | Tampa, FL | $75,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Seward Association for the Advancement of Marine Science | Seward, AK | $55,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| First Day Shoe Fund | Portage, MI | $50,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Michigan Interfaith Power and Light | Detroit, MI | $50,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Pyxera Global Inc | Washington, DC | $50,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Special Forces Association Chapter 7 | Crestview, FL | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Special Forces Scholarship Fund | Fayetteville, NC | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Wild Sheep Foundation | Bozeman, MT | $50,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Catamount Institute | Colorado Springs, CO | $49,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Special Days Camps | Dimondale, MI | $49,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Care and Share Food Bank of Southern Colorado | Colorado Springs, CO | $44,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Feeding Tampa Bay | Tampa, FL | $44,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes | Kalamazoo, MI | $44,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| The Chill Foundation | Burlington, VT | $42,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| God's Special Peoples Camp | Jones, MI | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Mountain View Lakes Foundation | Owls Head, NY | $38,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Florida Trail Association | Gainesville, FL | $37,880 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Inside Out Youth Services | Colorado Springs, CO | $35,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Cetera Inc | Saint Petersburg, FL | $34,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Hearts and Horses Therapeutic Riding | Loveland, CO | $31,720 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| American Friends of the Ocean Cleanup Foundation | Pasadena, CA | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Malama Kauai | Kilauea, HI | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Hidden Harbor Marine Environmental Project Inc | Marathon, FL | $28,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Southridge Reformed Church | Kalamazoo, MI | $27,500 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Boone and Crocket Club | Missoula, MT | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Friends of Cheyenne Mountain State Park | Colorado Springs, CO | $23,280 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Musk Ox Development Corporation | Palmer, AK | $22,500 | 6 | 5 | 2025 |
| Helping Hands of Paulding County | Dallas, GA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Kalamazoo County Nature Center | Kalamazoo, MI | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Penrickton Center for Blind Children | Taylor, MI | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Pikes Peak Suicide Prevention Partnership | Colorado Springs, CO | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Reef Environmental Education Foundation | Key Largo, FL | $20,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| The Ocean Cleanup North Pacific Foundation | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Conch Republic Marine Army | Big Pine Key, FL | $18,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Discovery Center Great Lakes | Traverse City, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Friends of Seminole State Forest | Sorrento, FL | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Portage Public Schools | Portage, MI | $14,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| HUNT2HEAL | Grandville, MI | $13,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Locks of Love Inc | West Palm Beach, FL | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Scott Elementary School | Colorado Springs, CO | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Bronson Health Foundation | Kalamazoo, MI | $12,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Season of Justice | Zionsville, IN | $12,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Wild Blue Cats | Colorado Springs, CO | $11,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Children's Hosptial Colorado Foundation | Denver, CO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Children's Nature Playscape | Kalamazoo, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Cole Community Solutions Inc | Portage, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Great Lakes Burn Camp | Jackson, MI | $10,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Haverhill Elementary PTO | Portage, MI | $10,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| High Fives Foundation | Truckee, CA | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Humane Society of West Michigan | Walker, MI | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Kalamazoo County Parks and Recreation Development Foundation | Kalamazoo, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Livesafe Resources | Marietta, GA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Mackenzie's Animal Sanctuary Inc | Lake Odessa, MI | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Seasons of Justice | Zionville, IN | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Share Winter Foundation | Providence, RI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Southwest Michigan Miracle League | Schoolcraft, MI | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Special Operations Transition Foundation | Smyrna, GA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| St Johns Riverkeeper Inc | Jacksonville, FL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Olivet College | Olivet, MI | $8,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Brother Wolf Animal Rescue | Asheville, NC | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Mountain Projects | Waynesville, NC | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Reef | Key Largo, FL | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| St Luke's Episcopal Church Partners in Housing | Kalamazoo, MI | $7,500 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Kids on Bikes Inc | Colorado Springs, CO | $7,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Animal Rescue Project | Kalamazoo, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Gryphon Place | Portage, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Hawaii Animal Rescue Foundation | Wailuku, HI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Maui Food Bank Inc | Wailuku, HI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Pasadena Humane | Pasadena, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| University of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Embark Outdoors | Salt Lake City, UT | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Daybreak Adp | Woodland Park, CO | $3,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Alaska Raptor Center | Sitka, AK | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Douglas County Canine Rescue | Castle Rock, CO | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Hoods to Woods | Brooklyn, NY | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Key West Wildlife Center Inc | Key West, FL | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Reef Renewal USA Inc | Tampa, FL | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Portage Community Outreach Center | Portage, MI | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Talons Out Honor Flight | Portage, MI | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Animal Care Center of St John Inc | St John, VI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Kalamazoo River Watershed Council | Kalamazoo, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Meet the Ocean | Portland, OR | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Portage Public Schools Education Foundation | Portage, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Save Our Key Deer | Big Pine Key, FL | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
49 of 90 (54%) 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 68%, 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 the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Wmu Foundation
WMU STUDY ABROAD MESARA AIRFARE SCHOLARSHIP - Special Forces Association Chapter 7
SPECIAL FORCES SCHOLARSHIP FUND - Florida Trail Association
NEXT GENERATION COALITION - Friends of Cheyenne Mountain State Park
TERRAIN HOPPER WHEELCHAIR - Pyxera Global Inc
WILLIAM J WHITE FELLOWSHIP - Leader Dogs for the Blind
ENDOSCOPY SYSTEM REPLACEMENT
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 151 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 | 43 | $380,910 | $7,000 |
| 2022 | 45 | $420,100 | $7,500 |
| 2023 | 42 | $380,805 | $7,750 |
| 2024 | 48 | $453,100 | $7,500 |
| 2025 | 43 | $484,000 | $8,500 |
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
35% 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 $7,500. 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.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Mesara Family Foundation'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: 131 Merriweather Lane, Kalamazoo, MI, 49006. 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 47-3197993 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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