The Collver Family Foundation concentrates philanthropic support on student scholarships in its local region, funding both K–12 scholarship programs and postsecondary/technical training tied to workforce pathways. Grants are targeted and programmatic—aimed at enabling access to college and specialized training (notably aviation)—rather than broad operating support or diverse charitable causes. The foundation’s giving reflects a strong local focus in Battle Creek/Calhoun County area and an interest in practical education-to-career transitions.
Highly concentrated: few, moderately large grants directed to a small number of repeat local grantees (two organizations received all grants), focused on scholarship programs rather than broad grantmaking across sectors.
Two scholarship programs define the Collver Family Foundation’s recent giving: a $150,000 grant in 2025 and another $150,000 grant in 2024 to the Climax Scotts Comm School Fnd for school scholarships, plus repeated support for Western Michigan University’s College of Aviation Flight Science program. That combination points to a funder built around education access and workforce pathways, with giving that moves from K–12 school scholarships into postsecondary aviation training. Recent awards also show programmatic support for local organizations, including Music Moves Me and Binder Park Zoo, alongside smaller grants to civic and historical institutions. The foundation’s grant sizes range widely, from $2,500 disaster relief support to six-figure scholarship commitments, but the pattern is not broad-based across many issue areas. Instead, the Collver Family Foundation concentrates on specific education uses and a small set of local recipients. Its recent grants show continuity as well as selectivity, with several organizations appearing in multiple years and scholarship funding recurring at the center of the portfolio.
In school-based scholarship support, the foundation gave $150,000 in 2025 to Climax Scotts Comm School Fnd for school scholarships, matching a $150,000 grant in 2024 for the same purpose. That makes K–12 access the clearest anchor in the portfolio. Postsecondary support is similarly specific: Western Michigan University received $48,000 in both 2024 and 2025 for scholarships tied to the College of Aviation Flight Science program. Beyond education, the foundation has made general operating grants to Music Moves Me in Arcadia, including $15,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025. It also gave $10,000 in 2025 to Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek for general operations, showing that some support extends to local community organizations outside the scholarship theme.
The typical grant size is $8,312 at the 25th percentile, $15,000 at the median, and $48,000 at the 75th percentile, which shows a mix of modest local awards and larger restricted scholarship grants. The recent record also shows repeat giving: Climax Scotts Comm School Fnd, Western Michigan University, and Music Moves Me each received grants in multiple years. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards. The foundation appears to use a family foundation structure, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Available records do not show an application process, so the giving pattern is best understood through repeated, purpose-specific grants.
$233K
$7.4M
$989K
$306K
Most grants fall between $8K and $48K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$48K
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Notable grantees: Climax Scotts Community School Foundation, Western Michigan University
The foundation gives locally, with 83% of grants going to recipients in Michigan. Its most frequent giving state is Indiana, driven by awards such as American Huey History Museum in Peru, while Michigan still accounts for the majority of recipient locations. Recent grants cluster in Battle Creek, Scotts, Kalamazoo, Arcadia, and Climax. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 12 grants to U.S. organizations and no non-U.S. awards in the recent record.
The recent record centers on education access and workforce-oriented training. Grants support K–12 school scholarships in the Climax-Scotts community and scholarships for Western Michigan University’s College of Aviation Flight Science program. The foundation also makes some general operating grants to local organizations and occasional disaster relief support.
The grant-size distribution is $8,312 at the 25th percentile, $15,000 at the median, and $48,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards range from $2,500 for disaster relief to $150,000 scholarship grants, so the portfolio includes both smaller local gifts and much larger restricted education awards.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years in the recent record. Climax Scotts Comm School Fnd received $150,000 in both 2024 and 2025, Western Michigan University received $48,000 in both years, and Music Moves Me received $15,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Its grants are primarily local, and 83% of grants go to recipients in Michigan. The recent recipient list also includes Indiana, where American Huey History Museum in Peru received grants in 2024 and 2025. All recorded recent grants are to U.S. organizations.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climax Scotts Comm School Fnd | Scotts, MI | $150,000 | 2026 | School scholarships fund |
| Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo, MI | $48,000 | 2026 | Scholarships for College of Aviation Flight Science program |
| Binder Park Zoo | Battle Creek, MI | $20,000 | 2026 | general operations |
| Music Moves Me | Arcadia, MI | $15,000 | 2026 | general operations |
| Climax Scotts Comm School Fnd | Scotts, MI | $150,000 | 2025 | School scholarships fund |
| Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo, MI | $48,000 | 2025 | Scholarships for College of Aviation Flight Science program |
| Music Moves Me | Arcadia, MI | $15,000 | 2025 | general operations |
| Binder Park Zoo | Battle Creek, MI | $10,000 | 2025 | general operations |
| American Huey History Museum | Peru, IN | $3,000 | 2025 | general operations |
| Climax Scotts Comm School Fnd | Scotts, MI | $150,000 | 2024 | School scholarships fund |
| Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo, MI | $48,000 | 2024 | Scholarships for College of Aviation Flight Science program |
| Music Moves Me | Arcadia, MI | $15,000 | 2024 | general operations |
| American Huey History Museum | Peru, IN | $3,250 | 2024 | general operations |
| Music Moves Me | Arcadia, MI | $15,000 | 2023 | general operations |
| Village of Climax | Climax, MI | $10,688 | 2023 | general operations |
| Rotary Club of Battle Creek | Battle Creek, MI | $2,500 | 2023 | disaster relief fund |
Climax Scotts Comm School Fnd
$150,000School scholarships fund
Western Michigan University
$48,000Scholarships for College of Aviation Flight Science program
Music Moves Me
$15,000general operations
Climax Scotts Comm School Fnd
$150,000School scholarships fund
Western Michigan University
$48,000Scholarships for College of Aviation Flight Science program
Music Moves Me
$15,000general operations
American Huey History Museum
$3,000general operations
Climax Scotts Comm School Fnd
$150,000School scholarships fund
Western Michigan University
$48,000Scholarships for College of Aviation Flight Science program
Music Moves Me
$15,000general operations
American Huey History Museum
$3,250general operations
Music Moves Me
$15,000general operations
Village of Climax
$10,688general operations
Rotary Club of Battle Creek
$2,500disaster relief fund