This foundation is a highly place‑based funder focused on strengthening K–12 education and youth development in Benton Harbor and nearby St. Joseph (Berrien County, MI). Its largest commitments go to locally rooted school foundations and out‑of‑school youth organizations, with explicit support for STEM programming and mentoring/athletics. The foundation favors multi‑year, repeat partnerships with a small set of community organizations rather than broad, scattered giving.
Cornerstone Public Asset Fund Inc concentrates its giving on Benton Harbor and nearby communities through large, repeated general-support grants to a small group of local education and youth organizations. One of its clearest patterns is sustained backing for Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton Harbor, which received $1.2 million in 2023 and $1 million in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation also made repeated commitments to school-related intermediaries in the area, including St Joseph Public Schools Foundation, Benton Harbor Education Foundation, and Lakeshore Excellence Foundation, showing a preference for institutions that support K–12 students rather than direct individual awards. The portfolio also includes youth development and enrichment organizations such as First Tee of Benton Harbor and Kinexus Youth Solutions Inc. Beyond general support, the funder has used targeted grants for specific programs, including FIRST Robotics support at St Joseph Public Schools Foundation and classroom-focused support for Pow Educational Foundation and Beyond Basics. Across the recent grants list, the work is tightly place-based and centered on youth development, school support, and STEM-adjacent enrichment in Berrien County.
Education-related support is a core theme. Cornerstone Public Asset Fund Inc gave $350,000 in 2025 to St Joseph Public Schools Foundation for general support, and it backed Benton Harbor Education Foundation with the same amount that year, signaling ongoing support for local school capacity. Youth development is another major line of giving: Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton Harbor received repeated seven-figure general-support grants, while Kinexus Youth Solutions Inc received $93,750 in 2023. The foundation also funds enrichment that blends athletics and mentoring. First Tee of Benton Harbor Inc received $250,000 in both 2024 and 2025, and an earlier $200,000 grant went to First Tee of Benton Harbor in 2023. In classroom and instructional support, Beyond Basics received $100,000 in both 2023 and 2024, and Pow Educational Foundation received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Typical grant size sits at $100,000 at the 25th percentile, $250,000 at the median, and $331,250 at the 75th percentile, which points to a middle tier of sizable institutional grants. The recent record also shows repeated-year support to the same recipients, especially Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton Harbor, First Tee of Benton Harbor Inc, and several school foundations. Cornerstone Public Asset Fund Inc is classified as a regular funder, not a DAF sponsor, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Most awards are general support rather than restricted project grants.
$2.3M
$30.8M
$10.7M
$7.2M
Most grants fall between $100K and $331K, with a median of $250K.
25th Percentile
$100K
Median
$250K
75th Percentile
$331K
CHRISTOPHER J COOK
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Concentrated, local giving with large, repeat grants to a handful of core grantees; funding emphasizes program support and capacity for K–12 and youth organizations rather than one‑off or national grantees.
Notable grantees: Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton Harbor, St Joseph Public Schools Foundation, Benton Harbor Education Foundation, Lakeshore Excellence Foundation, First Tee of Benton Harbor
All recent grants in the dataset went to U.S. recipients, and 100% were awarded to organizations in the foundation’s home state of Michigan. The grant map is concentrated in a small set of local cities: Benton Harbor appears repeatedly, as do St Joseph and Stevensville. Southfield is the only other Michigan city in the recent list, through grants to Beyond Basics. The distribution reflects a strongly local pattern within Berrien County and nearby parts of southwest Michigan.
The recent grants focus on K–12 education, youth development, and enrichment organizations. Recipients include school foundations, Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton Harbor, First Tee of Benton Harbor Inc, Kinexus Youth Solutions Inc, Beyond Basics, and Pow Educational Foundation, most often through general support.
Typical grants are sizable: the 25th percentile is $100,000, the median is $250,000, and the 75th percentile is $331,250. The recent list also includes multiple seven-figure awards, showing that the funder repeatedly makes large institutional grants.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton Harbor, First Tee of Benton Harbor Inc, Pow Educational Foundation, Beyond Basics, and the local school foundations. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-off awards.
Its recent giving is entirely in Michigan, with 100% of grants going to recipients in the state. The strongest concentration is in Benton Harbor, along with St Joseph and Stevensville, plus one recipient in Southfield.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF BENTON HARBOR | BENTON HARBOR, MI | $1,000,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BENTON HARBOR EDUCATION FOUNDATION | ST JOSEPH, MI | $350,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST JOSEPH PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION | ST JOSEPH, MI | $350,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LAKESHORE EXCELLENCE FOUNDATION | STEVENSVILLE, MI | $350,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FIRST TEE OF BENTON HARBOR INC | BENTON HARBOR, MI | $250,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF BENTON HARBOR | BENTON HARBOR, MI | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST JOSEPH PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION | ST JOSEPH, MI | $350,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BENTON HARBOR EDUCATION FOUNDATION | ST JOSEPH, MI | $350,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LAKESHORE EXCELLENCE FOUNDATION | STEVENSVILLE, MI | $350,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FIRST TEE OF BENTON HARBOR INC | BENTON HARBOR, MI | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| POW EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | BENTON HARBOR, MI | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF BENTON HARBOR | BENTON HARBOR, MI | $1,000,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST JOSEPH PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION | ST JOSEPH, MI | $325,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BENTON HARBOR EDUCATION FOUNDATION | ST JOSEPH, MI | $325,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LAKESHORE EXCELLENCE FOUNDATION | STEVENSVILLE, MI | $325,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FIRST TEE OF BENTON HARBOR INC | BENTON HARBOR, MI | $250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BEYOND BASICS | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| POW EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | BENTON HARBOR, MI | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF BENTON HARBOR | BENTON HARBOR, MI | $1,200,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF BENTON HARBOR | BENTON HARBOR, MI | $1,000,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LAKESHORE EXCELLENCE FOUNDATION | STEVENSVILLE, MI | $250,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST JOSEPH PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION | ST JOSEPH, MI | $250,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LAKESHORE EXCELLENCE FOUNDATION | STEVENSVILLE, MI | $250,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST JOSEPH PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION | ST JOSEPH, MI | $250,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BENTON HARBOR EDUCATION FOUNDATION | ST JOSEPH, MI | $250,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BENTON HARBOR EDUCATION FOUNDATION | ST JOSEPH, MI | $250,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FIRST TEE OF BENTON HARBOR INC | BENTON HARBOR, MI | $200,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FIRST TEE OF BENTON HARBOR | BENTON HARBOR, MI | $200,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BEYOND BASICS | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| KINEXUS YOUTH SOLUTIONS INC | BENTON HARBOR, MI | $93,750 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CORNERSTONE PUBLIC ASSET FUND INC | BENTON HARBOR, MI | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST JOSEPH PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION | ST JOSEPH, MI | $33,000 | 2023 | FIRST ROBOTICS |
| POW EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | BENTON HARBOR, MI | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
BENTON HARBOR EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$350,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LAKESHORE EXCELLENCE FOUNDATION
$350,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FIRST TEE OF BENTON HARBOR INC
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GENERAL SUPPORT
BENTON HARBOR EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$350,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LAKESHORE EXCELLENCE FOUNDATION
$350,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FIRST TEE OF BENTON HARBOR INC
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
POW EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BENTON HARBOR EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$325,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LAKESHORE EXCELLENCE FOUNDATION
$325,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FIRST TEE OF BENTON HARBOR INC
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
POW EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LAKESHORE EXCELLENCE FOUNDATION
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LAKESHORE EXCELLENCE FOUNDATION
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BENTON HARBOR EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BENTON HARBOR EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FIRST TEE OF BENTON HARBOR INC
$200,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FIRST TEE OF BENTON HARBOR
$200,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CORNERSTONE PUBLIC ASSET FUND INC
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
POW EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT