The Edward C. and Linda Dresner Levy Foundation concentrates its philanthropy in the Detroit metropolitan area, with large, targeted gifts supporting medical research and clinical care (notably pancreatic cancer), children’s health programs, K–12 school expansion in Detroit, and cultural institutions. Grants are often multi-year or repeat awards to a small set of institutional partners, and they also fund capacity-building and endowed positions in arts and design education. The foundation favors institution-level investments that create durable programs, facilities, or endowed leadership roles.
An $8 million grant to Henry Ford Health System for a pancreatic cancer center is the clearest signal in the Edward C and Linda Dresner Levy Foundation’s recent giving. The foundation pairs that kind of large medical investment with support for children’s health, Detroit school expansion, and cultural institutions, using grants that often fund facilities, endowments, research, and program infrastructure. Its recent awards include repeated support for Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, plus major backing for The Children’s Foundation and The Henry Ford in Dearborn. The foundation also uses large institution-level grants to help launch or expand durable programs. In Detroit, it has funded KIPP Michigan for land acquisition for KIPP Detroit: Imani Academy K-8 Facility, and it has supported arts and design education through College for Creative Studies with an endowed chair in fashion design. Cultural support extends to Detroit Opera and the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit through general support grants. Across these awards, the pattern is one of concentrated, targeted commitments to a limited set of partners rather than broad, one-off philanthropy.
In medical research and care, the foundation has backed Henry Ford Health System with $2 million for the Lung Cancer Research Innovation Fund and $2 million for the Pancreatic Cancer Center. Those grants show a willingness to support both clinical infrastructure and research innovation. Children’s health is another clear thread. The Children’s Foundation received $2,601,000 for the Healthy Body-Healthy Minds endowment and program, followed by $1,600,000 for related endowment support and programs for children coping with illness, and another $1,100,000 for the Healthy Body - Healthy Minds endowment. For education, the foundation gave $1,428,341 and $1,175,064 to Kipp Whole Child Center dba KIPP Michigan for land acquisition for KIPP Detroit: Imani Academy K-8 Facility, and earlier gave $600,000 to KIPP Detroit to support launch operations. In the arts, it has funded Detroit Opera and the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit with general support.
Recent grants cluster around a few large awards rather than evenly sized checks. The typical grant size is $2,500 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $47,500 at the 75th percentile, while recent outliers reach into the millions. The foundation also gives repeated awards to the same organizations across multiple years, including Henry Ford Health System, The Henry Ford, The Children’s Foundation, Detroit Opera, Pilot Light Foundation, and Brilliant Detroit. It funds individuals and makes program-related investments. The grant data show a largely institutional, multiyear pattern rather than a one-time relationship model.
$8.9M
$20.9M
$12.8M
$9.1M
Most grants fall between $3K and $48K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$48K
About 1% of grants go to recipients in MI.
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Concentrated, high-dollar philanthropy: a small number of large grants and repeat awards to a core set of institutional grantees, focused on capacity-building (endowments, facilities, endowed chairs) and program launches rather than many small grants.
Notable grantees: Henry Ford Health System, The Henry Ford (Edison Institute), The Children’s Foundation, KIPP Michigan / KIPP Detroit, College for Creative Studies
The foundation gives nationally, but the recipient map is heavily concentrated in Michigan, especially Detroit and Dearborn. Detroit recipients include Henry Ford Health System, The Children’s Foundation, KIPP Michigan, Detroit Opera, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, and Brilliant Detroit. Dearborn appears through The Henry Ford (Edison Institute). Outside Michigan, recent grants include Pilot Light Foundation in Los Angeles, Green Light Fund in Boston, and MIT in Boston. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
Its grant size distribution centers on relatively small awards, with a 25th percentile of $2,500, a median of $10,000, and a 75th percentile of $47,500. The recent record also includes multimillion-dollar grants, so the foundation combines routine operating-scale support with much larger project and endowment commitments.
Recent grants show strong support for medical research and care, children’s health, education and school facilities in Detroit, and arts and cultural institutions. The named purposes include pancreatic cancer, lung cancer research innovation, children coping with illness, K-8 facility acquisition, and general support for cultural organizations.
Yes. The recent record shows repeated awards to several organizations across multiple years, including Henry Ford Health System, The Henry Ford, The Children’s Foundation, Detroit Opera, Pilot Light Foundation, and Brilliant Detroit. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated grants.
No. Michigan recipients dominate the recent list, but the foundation also funded organizations in Los Angeles, Boston, and East Lansing. The geographic scope of giving is national, and the recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HENRY FORD HEALTH SYSTEM | DETROIT, MI | $2,000,000 | 2026 | LUNG CANCER RESEARCH INNOVATION FUND |
| THE CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION | DETROIT, MI | $1,600,000 | 2026 | HEALTHY BODY - HEALTHY MINDS ENDOWMENT, MICHIGAN CENTRAL STATION CHILDREN'S ENDOWMENT, SUPPORT PROGRAMS THAT UTILIZE ALTERNATIVE METHODS WITH CHILDREN COPING WITH THE EFFECTS OF ILLNESS INCLUDING CANCER AND THE TREATMENTS FOR THOSE ILLNESSES |
| KIPP WHOLE CHILD CENTER DBA KIPP MICHIGAN | DETROIT, MI | $1,428,341 | 2026 | FOR THE ACQUISITION OF LAND FOR KIPP DETROIT: IMANI ACADEMY K-8 FACILITY |
| THE HENRY FORD (EDISON INSTITUTE) | DEARBORN, MI | $1,000,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DETROIT OPERA | DETROIT, MI | $500,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART DETROIT | DETROIT, MI | $500,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PILOT LIGHT FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $250,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MSU FOUNDATION | EAST LANSING, MI | $250,000 | 2026 | THE JEWISH STUDIES PROGRAM |
| MIT (MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY) | BOSTON, MA | $240,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BRILLIANT DETROIT | DETROIT, MI | $150,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN ISRAEL EDUCATION FOUNDATION (AIEF) | WASHINGTON, DC | $125,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | DETROIT, MI | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CENTRAL FUND OF ISRAEL | CEDARHURST, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | ISRAEL ADVOCACY |
| ELNET - US | SKOKIE, IL | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MACKINAC CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY | MIDLAND, MI | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| IMPACT ISRAEL | NEEDHAM, MA | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| KARMANOS CANCER INSTITUTE | DETROIT, MI | $60,396 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DETROIT PUBLIC THEATRE | DETROIT, MI | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YAD EZRA | BERKLEY, MI | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| KIDSREAD2KIDS | BINGHAM FARMS, MI | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CARE HOUSE OF OAKLAND COUNTY | PONTIAC, MI | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HILLEL OF METRO DETROIT - WSU | DETROIT, MI | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHILD SAFE MICHIGAN (JUDSON CENTER) | FARMINGTON HILLS, MI | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GLEANERS COMMUNITY FOOD BANK | DETROIT, MI | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MICHIGAN | BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NF FORWARD | DETROIT, MI | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PANCREATIC CANCER ACTION NETWORK | MANHATTAN BEACH, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN TECHNION SOCIETY | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE ZEKELMAN HOLOCAUST CENTER | FARMINGTON HILLS, MI | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN HILLEL | ANN ARBOR, MI | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY HILLEL | EAST LANSING, MI | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BEYOND BASICS | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $8,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL & SCHOOL | ASPEN, CO | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE HEAT AND WARMTH FUND - THAW | DETROIT, MI | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MIT HILLEL | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GREAT LAKES CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $2,800 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH SENIOR LIFE FOUNDATION | WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSH, MI | $2,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE CRANBROOK SCHOOLS FUND | BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI | $2,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FRIENDS OF JEWISH SENIOR LIFE | WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSH, MI | $2,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NORTHWOOD UNIVERSITY | MIDLAND, MI | $2,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JINSA | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FRANKEL JEWISH ACADEMY | WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI | $1,800 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL | MEMPHIS, TN | $1,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE | NEW YORK, NY | $1,250 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER | LOS ANGELES, CA | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE | WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE ENGINEERING SOCIETY OF DETROIT | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THANKS TO SCANDINAVIA INC | NEW YORK, NY | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
THE CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION
$1,600,000HEALTHY BODY - HEALTHY MINDS ENDOWMENT, MICHIGAN CENTRAL STATION CHILDREN'S ENDOWMENT, SUPPORT PROGRAMS THAT UTILIZE ALTERNATIVE METHODS WITH CHILDREN COPING WITH THE EFFECTS OF ILLNESS INCLUDING CANCER AND THE TREATMENTS FOR THOSE ILLNESSES
KIPP WHOLE CHILD CENTER DBA KIPP MICHIGAN
$1,428,341FOR THE ACQUISITION OF LAND FOR KIPP DETROIT: IMANI ACADEMY K-8 FACILITY
THE HENRY FORD (EDISON INSTITUTE)
$1,000,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DETROIT OPERA
$500,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GENERAL SUPPORT
PILOT LIGHT FOUNDATION
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MSU FOUNDATION
$250,000THE JEWISH STUDIES PROGRAM
MIT (MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY)
$240,000GENERAL SUPPORT
AMERICAN ISRAEL EDUCATION FOUNDATION (AIEF)
$125,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ELNET - US
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MACKINAC CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
IMPACT ISRAEL
$75,000GENERAL SUPPORT
KARMANOS CANCER INSTITUTE
$60,396GENERAL SUPPORT
KIDSREAD2KIDS
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HILLEL OF METRO DETROIT - WSU
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CHILD SAFE MICHIGAN (JUDSON CENTER)
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MICHIGAN
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PANCREATIC CANCER ACTION NETWORK
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN HILLEL
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY HILLEL
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BEYOND BASICS
$8,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL & SCHOOL
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE HEAT AND WARMTH FUND - THAW
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MIT HILLEL
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GREAT LAKES CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
$2,800GENERAL SUPPORT
THE CRANBROOK SCHOOLS FUND
$2,500GENERAL SUPPORT
FRIENDS OF JEWISH SENIOR LIFE
$2,500GENERAL SUPPORT
FRANKEL JEWISH ACADEMY
$1,800GENERAL SUPPORT
SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THANKS TO SCANDINAVIA INC
$500GENERAL SUPPORT