The DeRoy Testamentary Foundation is a Michigan-focused funder whose giving is dominated by large investments in K–12 educational initiatives (primarily through its own DeRoy Education Partners). Outside of that flagship education commitment, it makes selective mid-size grants to regional institutions in higher education, Jewish cultural memory, health care, child welfare, and animal welfare. Grants are few but sizable and oriented toward local impact in the Detroit/Southfield area.
Deroy Testamentary Foundation’s giving is anchored by a $14.4 million grant to Deroy Education Partners in 2023, followed by another $500,000 in 2024. That repeated support signals how central K–12 education is to the foundation’s grantmaking in metropolitan Detroit. Beyond that flagship education commitment, the foundation has made mid-size grants to Michigan institutions in higher education, Holocaust education, child welfare, health care, and animal welfare. Recent grants show a pattern of local institutional support rather than broad dispersion. Wayne State University received $335,000 in 2024, and the Zekelman Holocaust Center received $250,000 that same year. Other sizable awards went to Detroit-area and southeast Michigan organizations serving students, families, patients, and cultural institutions. The foundation’s portfolio also includes support for Cranbrook Educational Community, Detroit Zoological Society, Vista Maria, Trinity Health Oakland, and Michigan Humane, each appearing among its recent grants. The foundation’s structure is selective and concentrated. It gives through a small number of grants relative to its annual grant budget, and its recent activity is dominated by Michigan recipients. The recurring support for Deroy Education Partners, together with grants to established regional nonprofits, suggests a local strategy centered on specific institutions and service providers in Metro Detroit.
Education is the clearest focus. In 2024, Deroy Testamentary Foundation gave $335,000 to Wayne State University, and in 2023 it awarded $157,500 to Cranbrook Educational Community. These grants sit alongside the foundation’s separate education operator support through Deroy Education Partners. Jewish cultural memory and Holocaust education also appear in the recent record. The Zekelman Holocaust Center received $250,000 in 2024, and Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit received $50,000 in both 2023 and 2024. Health care is another recurring area. The foundation gave $200,000 to Trinity Health Oakland in 2023 and $71,500 to Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in 2024. Its child and family-oriented giving includes $200,000 to Vista Maria and $50,000 to Oakland Family Services, both in 2023.
$16.4M
$24.8M
$1.3M
$17.3M
Most grants fall between $10K and $50K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$50K
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Highly concentrated giving: very large, repeat support to a single flagship education entity (DeRoy Education Partners) combined with a small number of one-off or occasional mid-size grants to local nonprofits across education, culture, health, child welfare, and animal welfare.
Notable grantees: DeRoy Education Partners, Wayne State University, Zekelman Holocaust Center, Vista Maria, Michigan Humane
Typical grants cluster in the mid-size range: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $25,000, and the 75th percentile is $50,000. The distribution is pulled upward by a few much larger awards, including the $14.4 million grant to Deroy Education Partners. Recent grants show repeat support for several recipients across multiple years, including Deroy Education Partners, Detroit Zoological Society, Cranbrook Educational Community, Racquet Up Detroit, Walsh College, and Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its grantmaking is concentrated and locally oriented rather than broadly solicited.
Grant recipients are overwhelmingly in Michigan, with 85% of grants going to recipients in the state and all recent-grant recipients located in the United States. Metro Detroit dominates the map: Detroit, Bloomfield Hills, Royal Oak, Pontiac, Dearborn Heights, Dearborn, Birmingham, Farmington Hills, Novi, and Troy all appear in the recent grants list. West Bloomfield also appears through Deroy Education Partners. The distribution points to a strong southeast Michigan focus rather than a national footprint.
Its clearest priority is K–12 education in metropolitan Detroit, centered on Deroy Education Partners. In the recent grants list, Deroy Education Partners received $14.4 million in 2023 and $500,000 in 2024, far larger than any other recipient.
The grant-size distribution is $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $50,000 at the 75th percentile. That means most awards are in the tens of thousands, with a few much larger grants at the top end.
Yes. Several recipients appear in more than one year, including Deroy Education Partners, Detroit Zoological Society, Cranbrook Educational Community, Racquet Up Detroit, Walsh College, and Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. That pattern suggests repeat support rather than one-time-only giving.
Recent grants include support for Jewish cultural and Holocaust education, health care, child welfare, and animal welfare. Examples include the Zekelman Holocaust Center, Trinity Health Oakland, Vista Maria, Michigan Humane, and the Detroit Zoological Society.
Its giving is concentrated in Michigan, with 85% of grants going to recipients in the state. Recent recipients include organizations in Detroit, Bloomfield Hills, Royal Oak, Pontiac, Dearborn Heights, and other Metro Detroit communities.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INSPIRATIONAL FUTURES FOUNDATION INC | N PALM BEACH, FL | $15,000,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| DEROY EDUCATION PARTNERS | WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI | $500,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ZEKELMAN HOLOCAUST CENTER | FARMINGTON HILLS, MI | $180,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| GESHER HUMAN SERVICES | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $125,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| CRANBROOK EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY | BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI | $116,680 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| MICHIGAN HUMANE SOCIETY | DETROIT, MI | $100,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| SHAW FESTIVAL FOUNDATION | BUFFALO, NY | $75,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| FRESH AIR SOCIETY | BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI | $75,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| BARBARA ANN KARMANOS CANCER INSTITUTE | DETROIT, MI | $71,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| COLLEGE FOR CREATIVE STUDIES | DETROIT, MI | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| COMMUNITY HOUSE | BIRMINGHAM, MI | $45,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| JARC | BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI | $30,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL AND ACADEMY | DETROIT, MI | $20,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ORCHARDS CHILDREN'S SERVICES | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $20,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY HILLEL | EAST LANSING, MI | $15,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| TRINITY HEALTH - MICHIGAN | PONTIAC, MI | $15,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| COUNCIL OF MICHIGAN FOUNDATIONS | DETROIT, MI | $8,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| HADASSAH | NEW YORK, NY | $258 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| DEROY EDUCATION PARTNERS | WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI | $500,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY | DETROIT, MI | $335,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| ZEKELMAN HOLOCAUST CENTER | FARMINGTON HILLS, MI | $250,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| ASCENSION PROVIDENCE FOUNDATION | NOVI, MI | $150,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| DETROIT ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY | ROYAL OAK, MI | $125,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| CRANBROOK EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY | BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI | $90,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| BARBARA ANN KARMANOS CANCER INSTITUTE | DETROIT, MI | $71,500 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| WALSH COLLEGE | TROY, MI | $56,021 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| LOYOLA HIGH SCHOOL OF DETROIT | DETROIT, MI | $50,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT | BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI | $50,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| HILLSDALE COLLEGE | HILLSDALE, MI | $50,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| COMMUNITY HOUSE | BIRMINGHAM, MI | $45,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| INTERLOCHEN CENTER FOR THE ARTS | INTERLOCHEN, MI | $42,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| MICHIGAN COLLEGES ALLIANCE | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $42,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| COVENANT HOUSE MICHIGAN | DETROIT, MI | $40,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| JARC | BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI | $40,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| GESHER HUMAN SERVICES | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $40,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| CARE HOUSE OF OAKLAND COUNTY INC | PONTIAC, MI | $35,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN MICHIGAN | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $30,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| MIDNIGHT GOLF PROGRAM | BINGHAM FARMS, MI | $30,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| COLLEGE FOR CREATIVE STUDIES | DETROIT, MI | $25,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| COLLEGE FOR CREATIVE STUDIES | DETROIT, MI | $25,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT | BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI | $25,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| ORCHARDS CHILDREN'S SERVICES | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $20,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL AND ACADEMY | DETROIT, MI | $20,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| BLUE LAKE FINE ARTS CAMP | TWIN LAKE, MI | $20,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY HILLEL | EAST LANSING, MI | $15,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| INSIDEOUT LITERARY ARTS | DETROIT, MI | $15,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| LOGGERHEAD MARINELIFE CENTER | JUNO BEACH, FL | $10,855 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| CENTER FOR DISASTER PHILANTHROPY INC (HAWAII WILDFIRES) | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| FURNITURE BANK OF SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN | PONTIAC, MI | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| HAVEN | PONTIAC, MI | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
INSPIRATIONAL FUTURES FOUNDATION INC
$15,000,000CHARITABLE
DEROY EDUCATION PARTNERS
$500,000CHARITABLE
ZEKELMAN HOLOCAUST CENTER
$180,000CHARITABLE
CHARITABLE
FRESH AIR SOCIETY
$75,000CHARITABLE
COLLEGE FOR CREATIVE STUDIES
$50,000CHARITABLE
COMMUNITY HOUSE
$45,000CHARITABLE
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY HILLEL
$15,000CHARITABLE
TRINITY HEALTH - MICHIGAN
$15,000CHARITABLE
HADASSAH
$258CHARITABLE
DEROY EDUCATION PARTNERS
$500,000CHARITABLE
WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY
$335,000CHARITABLE
ZEKELMAN HOLOCAUST CENTER
$250,000CHARITABLE
ASCENSION PROVIDENCE FOUNDATION
$150,000CHARITABLE
WALSH COLLEGE
$56,021CHARITABLE
LOYOLA HIGH SCHOOL OF DETROIT
$50,000CHARITABLE
COMMUNITY HOUSE
$45,000CHARITABLE
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN MICHIGAN
$30,000CHARITABLE
MIDNIGHT GOLF PROGRAM
$30,000CHARITABLE
COLLEGE FOR CREATIVE STUDIES
$25,000CHARITABLE
COLLEGE FOR CREATIVE STUDIES
$25,000CHARITABLE
UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL AND ACADEMY
$20,000CHARITABLE
BLUE LAKE FINE ARTS CAMP
$20,000CHARITABLE
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY HILLEL
$15,000CHARITABLE
INSIDEOUT LITERARY ARTS
$15,000CHARITABLE
LOGGERHEAD MARINELIFE CENTER
$10,855CHARITABLE
FURNITURE BANK OF SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN
$10,000CHARITABLE