Open nowCloses Sep 30, 2026
James A. and Faith Knight Foundation Grant
community grantmaking
Who can apply: 501(c)(3) nonprofits providing services in Washtenaw County, Michigan.
Deadline: Open until September 30, 2026
Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation
ActivePhilanthropy & VoluntarismMakes PRIs
About Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation
The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation enriches the quality of life in our region through its knowledgeable leadership, engaged grantmaking, and creative partnerships with donors to make philanthropic investments and build endowment.
Focus Areas
Youth & EducationAging JusticeHuman ServicesRacial EquityArts & CultureCommunity (geographic funds such as Ypsilanti)
Who They Fund
low-income and vulnerable community residentsseniors / older adultsyouth and adolescentspeople experiencing homelessness or housing insecurityindividuals with mental health or substance use needslocal arts organizations and artists
About Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation
A $1.025 million grant to Veterans Connected in 2023 signals how the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation uses large local awards to support community services across Washtenaw County. The foundation’s recent grants show a mix of education, housing, human services, aging support, arts, and animal welfare, with multiple seven-figure and mid-six-figure awards concentrated in Ann Arbor and nearby communities. Education is one of the clearest through-lines. The Regents of the University of Michigan received major support in 2023, 2024, and 2025, including a $646,204 grant in 2024 and a $295,026 grant in 2025. Human services and housing are also prominent, with repeated support to organizations such as Washtenaw Housing Alliance, Peace Neighborhood Center, Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, and Community Action Network. The foundation also backs place-based work through Ypsilanti-area community funding and scholarship administration, indicating a grantmaking model that combines broad regional support with programs tied to specific local needs.
What Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation Funds
Youth and education appears across both institutional and direct-service grants. In 2023, the foundation gave $211,773 to Community Action Network for youth development, and it also supported Washtenaw Intermediate School District with $202,000 for education. Housing and shelter are another recurring area. Washtenaw Housing Alliance received $243,760 in 2025 and $204,924 in 2024, while Shelter Association of Washtenaw County received $154,391 in 2025. Arts and culture is supported through named local institutions as well. Ann Arbor Art Association Dba Ann Arbor Art Center received $197,926 in 2024 for arts and culture, and the Regents of the University of Michigan also received a 2023 grant tied in part to arts, culture, and humanities. Aging-focused work is visible in the $358,010 grant to Dexter Senior Center in 2024.
How Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation Gives
Typical grants cluster around a median of $20,837, with the 25th percentile at $10,000 and the 75th percentile at $48,431. That distribution sits alongside a small number of much larger awards, including six-figure grants and several recurring awards to the same organizations across 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation is a mixed community foundation, and it also makes program-related investments. Its programs include competitive grants, scholarships, and donor-designated or place-based funds, and several programs accept unsolicited requests.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$8.1M
Total Assets
$227.2M
Total Revenue
$22.7M
Total Expenses
$14.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $48K, with a median of $21K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$21K
75th Percentile
$48K
Geographic Reach
Local23 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
SHANNON E POLK
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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