FundersMichigan

The Isabel Foundation

Flint, MI · EIN 38-2853004. Reported 366 grants totalling $13.8M to 86 organizations across tax years 2020-2024. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.

Yesaccepts unsolicited requests
$25,000median grant
$13.8Mgranted, 2020-2024
86organizations funded
89%of grantees funded again the next year
$88.3Massets, latest filing

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. The Isabel 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.

This is the foundation's own statement to the IRS, not our judgement, and it says nothing about whether they have a form, a deadline, or an appetite for new grantees. Treat it as the reason this foundation is worth your research time, not as an invitation. Many small foundations of this kind have no website and no application process -- a letter of inquiry is the normal first step.

How big are its grants?

The median grant is $25,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $10,000 and $50,000; the smallest was $500 and the largest $250,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.

Under $1,000
1 grant
$1,000 - $5,000
24 grants
$5,000 - $10,000
38 grants
$10,000 - $25,000
98 grants
$25,000 - $50,000
107 grants
$50,000 - $100,000
72 grants
$100,000 and Up
26 grants

Every organization it funded

This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which the organization received money -- more than one means a real relationship rather than a one-off.

OrganizationLocationTotal receivedGrantsYears fundedLast
Adventure UnlimitedGreenwood Village, CO$1,335,5001352024
First Church of Christ Scientist Boston theBoston, MA$850,000552024
Principia theSt Louis, MO$760,000752024
Flint Institute of ArtsFlint, MI$566,000752024
Crystal Lake Camps IncHughesville, PA$455,000852024
Cedars Camps theLebanon, MO$395,000852024
Arden Wood IncSan Francisco, CA$380,000852024
Camps Newfoundowatonna CorporationHarrison, ME$375,000852024
Camps Leelanau & Kohahna Foundation IncMaple City, MI$370,000752024
Leaves Inc theRichardson, TX$360,000752024
Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation (tart) Trails IncTraverse City, MI$335,000642024
Chestnut Hill Benevolent AssociationChestnut Hill, MA$330,000652024
Campership Fund for Christian Scientists in the Se and MwSt Louis, MO$310,000752024
First Church of Christ Scientist Flint theFlint, MI$305,000332022
Broadview IncLos Angeles, CA$300,000552024
Peace Haven AssociationSt Louis, MO$300,000752024
E3 Elevating Education Everywhere IncKnoxville, TN$290,000752024
Twelveacres IncCampbell, CA$255,000552024
Fern Lodge IncCastro Valley, CA$250,000552024
GlenmontHilliard, OH$245,000752024
Wide Horizon IncWheat Ridge, CO$245,000552024
Flint Institute of Science and HistoryFlint, MI$225,000332024
Principle Foundation Extended ServicesOverland Park, KS$225,000852024
Friends of Camp Bow-Isle IncRenton, WA$215,000752024
Flint Cultural Center CorporationFlint, MI$200,000222021
UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information StudiesLos Angeles, CA$200,000852024
Friends of GyaWoodland Hills, CA$198,000552024
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater FlintFlint, MI$170,000442024
High Ridge House IncRiverdale, NY$160,000552024
Link School theBuena Vista, CO$160,000552024
Lynn House of Potomac Valley IncAlexandria, VA$160,000552024
Albert Baker Fund theFolsam, CA$152,000752024
Daystar IncDavie, FL$145,000552024
Principle Foundation theOverland Park, KS$143,000852024
Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA$140,000642024
Sunrise of Africa School Charitable Foundation IncVenice, FL$140,000552024
Grand Traverse Regional Land ConservancyTraverse City, MI$120,000112022
Tenth Church of Christ Scientist - Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA$120,000552024
Berkeley Hall SchoolLos Angeles, CA$115,000442024
Sunland Home FoundationEncinitas, CA$115,000442024
Beacon HavenNew Brighton, MN$110,000552024
Wellsprings of FloridaSt Petersburg, FL$107,000442023
Hobart and William Smith CollegesGeneva, NY$100,000112024
Association of Organizations for Christian Science NursingEncinitas, CA$92,000552024
Clearview Home CorporationDelafield, WI$90,000552024
Dominion Foundation theHerndon, VA$90,000552024
Olive Glen Foundation Inc theCarmichael, CA$80,000552024
Sunrise HavenKent, WA$80,000552024
Longyear FoundationChestnut Hill, MA$70,000552024
Commission theBoston, MA$60,000442024
Noontide Visiting Christian Science Nurse Service of MichiganOwosso, MI$55,000442023
Overlook House IncorporatedFairlawn, OH$52,000652024
Branch School theHouston, TX$50,000332022
Council of Michigan FoundationsGrand Haven, MI$50,000552024
Christian Science Nursing Network IncManchester, MO$45,000222024
Christian Science Provider NetworkPlymouth, MA$45,000552024
Boys & Girls Club of Greater FlintFlint, MI$40,000112021
CherishabilityPortland, OR$40,000222024
Morning Light Foundation IncAtlanta, GA$39,500552024
Rainbow Valley Resource NetworkBuena Vista, CO$30,000222021
Wildwood SchoolLos Angeles, CA$30,000112024
Northwest Michigan Habitat for HumanityHarbor Springs, MI$25,000332024
Redwood Community for Christian ScientistsSanta Rosa, CA$25,000222022
Canterbury Crest IncPortland, OR$20,000552024
Rainbow Valley Resource NetworkQueen Creek, AZ$20,000112022
First Church of Christ Scientist Petoskey thePetoskey, MI$16,500552024
Albion CollegeAlbion, MI$15,000222024
Clairbourn SchoolSan Gabriel, CA$15,000332024
Friends of the Petoskey ClubPetoskey, MI$15,000112020
Institute for Field ResearchLos Angeles, CA$15,000112023
Philanthropy Roundtable theWashington, DC$15,000332022
Visiting Christian Science Nursing Services for Los Angeles County IncGlendale, CA$15,000332022
Northmen Den Youth Pantries IncPetoskey, MI$13,000332024
Alaska Association for Christian Science NursingAnchorage, AK$10,000112023
HymnstreamPetaluma, CA$10,000112023
Artsconnection IncNew York, NY$7,500332022
Christian Science Nursing Network IncTulsa, OK$7,000112021
North Central Michigan College FoundationPetoskey, MI$6,000222021
Christian Science Joint Media Partnership of Greater St LouisCreve Coeur, MO$5,000112024
Heal the BaySanta Monica, CA$5,000112022
La Room & BoardLos Angeles, CA$5,000112022
Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI$5,000112020
Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community FoundationPetoskey, MI$5,000112022
World Central Kitchen IncWashington, DC$5,000112021
New Hampshire Home for Christian ScientistsConcord, NH$4,000112020
Chubby's Project theHopewell, NJ$500112024

68 of 86 (79%) 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 89%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is unusually consistent. A high number means its list is close to settled and a newcomer has to displace someone; a low one means it is still moving money around, which is where an opening is.

Plus 5 grants to individuals totalling $41,000 -- scholarships, hardship and emergency assistance. We deliberately do not publish the names of people who received them, even though the filings do.

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.

What kind of organizations it funds

By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 194 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.

Health Care
63 grants
Religion
28 grants
Education
23 grants
Recreation & Sports
21 grants
Human Services
17 grants
Arts & Culture
17 grants
Philanthropy & Grantmaking
9 grants
Housing & Shelter
7 grants

Giving by year

Tax yearGrantsTotalMedian grant
202065$2,481,600$30,000
202168$2,473,700$25,000
202283$2,585,000$20,000
202368$2,922,200$30,000
202482$3,292,000$25,000

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

Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 18% of this one's giving went to organizations in Michigan. If you are outside its footprint, that matters more than how well your programme fits.

Michigan
$2.5M
California
$2.4M
Missouri
$1.8M
Colorado
$1.8M
Massachusetts
$1.5M
Pennsylvania
$455K
Texas
$410K
Florida
$392K

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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 the strongest available signal that two funders have overlapping priorities, and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.

Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund34 shared recipientsDonor Advised Charitable Giving Inc30 shared recipientsAmerican Online Giving Foundation Inc16 shared recipientsVanguard Charitable Endowment Program16 shared recipientsMorgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc15 shared recipientsNational Philanthropic Trust13 shared recipients

How to approach this foundation

  1. Check you are its size. The median grant is $25,000. Asking for ten times that is the most common way small organizations waste a submission.
  2. Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Michigan.
  3. 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.
  4. 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

Foundations funding education in MichiganEvery funder in this group, rankedFoundations funding health care in CaliforniaEvery funder in this group, rankedFoundations funding religion in CaliforniaEvery funder in this group, rankedFoundations funding education in CaliforniaEvery funder in this group, ranked

Where these numbers come from

Everything above is taken from The Isabel Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2020-2024). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.

Address of record on the latest return: 111 E Court Street 3D, Flint, MI, 48502. 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 38-2853004 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this

This is history, not an open call. Foundation returns are published about a year after the tax year ends. Nothing on this page is a deadline. It is a record of who this foundation has actually funded, which is the best available predictor of who it will fund next -- and a much better basis for deciding whether to write to them than a mission statement.

Is something here wrong about your foundation? Email hello@funderscope.com and we will correct it.