The Edwin J. and Ruth M. Shoemaker Foundation concentrates its giving on conservative religious and pro-life causes in Michigan, with large unrestricted grants to faith-based education and anti-abortion advocacy. Its support skews toward a small number of repeat recipients—religious schooling and conservative legal/public-policy organizations—suggesting a focused, values-driven philanthropy centered in the Detroit area. The foundation prefers general operating support rather than project-specific funding.
Concentrated, high-value grants to a very small set of repeat grantees; primarily general operating support rather than many small or varied awards.
A recurring pattern in the Edwin J and Ruth M Shoemaker Foundation’s recent giving is large general-support grants to a small circle of faith-based and conservative advocacy organizations. Trinity Lutheran School in Monroe received $100,000 in both 2024 and 2025, while the Right to Life Education Fund in Grand Rapids received $100,000 in 2024 and 2025 after a $150,000 grant in 2023. Those awards point to a funder that backs institutions over one-time projects and favors unrestricted support. The foundation’s grant list also shows sustained support for Thomas More Law Center, which received $105,000 in 2023, $80,000 in 2024, and $60,000 in 2025, along with other recurring recipients such as Lutheran Special Education Ministries and Heartbeat of Monroe. Alongside these Michigan-based grantees, the foundation has also supported Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, and Mission to North America in Charlotte, North Carolina. The overall picture is of a regional foundation making concentrated grants to religious education, pro-life advocacy, and aligned legal and church-based organizations.
Faith-based education is a major thread in the foundation’s grantmaking. Trinity Lutheran School in Monroe received $100,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and St John Lutheran School in Grand Haven received $53,400 in 2023 and $50,000 in 2025. Its support for pro-life and anti-abortion work is equally direct. Right to Life Education Fund in Grand Rapids received $150,000 in 2023 and $100,000 in both 2024 and 2025, while Heartbeat of Monroe received $45,000 in 2023 and $40,000 in 2024 and 2025. The foundation also backed Care Net of Puget Sound in Tacoma with $35,000 in 2023 and $30,000 in 2024. A third area is conservative legal and policy advocacy. Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor received grants of $105,000, $80,000, and $60,000 across 2023-2025, showing a continuing relationship.
Typical grants cluster around $15,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $50,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also includes a handful of much larger awards, including $150,000, $105,000, and multiple $100,000 grants, showing that the foundation can make substantial general-support commitments to core recipients. The pattern is strongly recurring rather than one-off: several organizations appear in multiple years, including education, legal, and pro-life grantees. Grants are generally listed as general support. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
$895K
$12.3M
$568K
$1M
Most grants fall between $15K and $50K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$50K
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Edwin J and Ruth M Shoemaker Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 71 | $2.5M | 98.6% |
| 2 | Canada |
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Notable grantees: Right to Life Education Fund, Trinity Lutheran School, Thomas More Law Center
Most grants go to Michigan recipients, which account for 70% of grants in the HQ state distribution. The recipient map is still regional, but the grants concentrate heavily in Detroit-area and other Michigan cities such as Monroe, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Grand Haven, and Interlochen. Outside Michigan, the foundation has given to organizations in Georgia and North Carolina, and there is one Canadian recipient in Squamish.
The recent grants show repeated support for faith-based education, pro-life advocacy, and conservative legal and church-based organizations. Examples include Trinity Lutheran School in Monroe, the Right to Life Education Fund in Grand Rapids, and Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor, each receiving multiple general-support grants across 2023-2025.
It favors recurring support. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Trinity Lutheran School, Right to Life Education Fund, Thomas More Law Center, Lutheran Special Education Ministries, and Heartbeat of Monroe. The repeated awards suggest ongoing relationships rather than isolated gifts.
The grant-size distribution centers on $15,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $50,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards also include larger general-support grants such as $100,000 and $150,000 to core recipients.
Michigan receives the bulk of grants, with 70% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Recent Michigan recipients include Monroe, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Grand Haven, Interlochen, and Detroit-area organizations.
The recent grants are listed as general support. That pattern appears across the foundation’s recurring recipients, including schools, advocacy groups, churches, and legal organizations.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
| 1 |
| $60K |
1.4% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Arcadia | Arcadia, MI | $100,000 | 2026 | General |
| RIGHT TO LIFE EDUCATION FUND | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $85,000 | 2026 | General |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN TRANSPLANT CENTER | ANN ARBOR, MI | $80,000 | 2026 | General |
| REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH | INTERLOCHEN, MI | $50,000 | 2026 | General |
| ST JOHN LUTHERAN SCHOOL | GRAND HAVEN, MI | $50,000 | 2026 | General |
| COVENANT COLLEGE FOUNDATION | LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, GA | $50,000 | 2026 | General |
| LUTHERAN SPECIAL EDUCATION MINISTRIES | ANN ARBOR, MI | $40,000 | 2026 | General |
| THOMAS MORE LAW CENTER | ANN ARBOR, MI | $40,000 | 2026 | General |
| HEARTBEAT OF MONROE | MONROE, MI | $40,000 | 2026 | General |
| GABBY'S GRIEF CENTER | MONROE, MI | $35,000 | 2026 | General |
| CARE NET OF PUGET SOUND | TACOMA, WA | $30,000 | 2026 | General |
| Lutheran Hour Ministries | ST LOUIS, MO | $30,000 | 2026 | General |
| St John Amelith Lutheran School | Bay City, MI | $30,000 | 2026 | General |
| St John the Divine Anglican Church | Squamish, Br | $25,000 | 2026 | General |
| MISSION TO NORTH AMERICA | CHARLOTTE, NC | $25,000 | 2026 | General |
| THRIVE MEDICAL CLINIC FKA PREGNANCY CARE CENTER | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $25,000 | 2026 | General |
| 1517 | IRVINE, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | General |
| ARBORWOMAN | ANN ARBOR, MI | $20,000 | 2026 | General |
| CONCORDIA SEMINARY | ST LOUIS, MO | $15,000 | 2026 | General |
| CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY | Fort Wayne, IN | $15,000 | 2026 | General |
| Lutheran Braille Workers | YUCAIPA, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | General |
| Young Life of Canada | St Blaine, WA | $15,000 | 2026 | General |
| BIBLE LEAGUE | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $15,000 | 2026 | General |
| MISSION INDIA GRANT | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $15,000 | 2026 | General |
| Island Christian Academy | Langley, WA | $10,000 | 2026 | General |
| ST BARTHOLOMEW'S ANGLICAN CHURCH | SWARTZ CREEK, MI | $7,500 | 2026 | General |
| Fresh Wind Christian Community | InTERLOCHEN, MI | $5,000 | 2026 | General |
| ST MARY CATHOLIC SCHOOL | LAKE LEEELANAU, MI | $3,500 | 2026 | General |
| HOLY GHOST LUTHERAN CHURCH | MONROE, MI | $3,500 | 2026 | General |
| RIGHT TO LIFE EDUCATION FUND | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| TRINITY LUTHERAN SCHOOL | MONROE, MI | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN TRANSPLANT CENTER | ANN ARBOR, MI | $80,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THOMAS MORE LAW CENTER | ANN ARBOR, MI | $60,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ST JOHN LUTHERAN SCHOOL | GRAND HAVEN, MI | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| COVENANT COLLEGE FOUNDATION | LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, GA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| HEARTBEAT OF MONROE | MONROE, MI | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH | INTERLOCHEN, MI | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| LUTHERAN SPECIAL EDUCATION MINISTRIES | ANN ARBOR, MI | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CARE NET OF PUGET SOUND | TACOMA, WA | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| Samaritan's Purse International | Boone, NC | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| GABBY'S GRIEF CENTER | MONROE, MI | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| Young Life of Canada | St Blaine, WA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| Lutheran Hour Ministries | ST LOUIS, MO | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THRIVE MEDICAL CLINIC FKA PREGNANCY CARE CENTER | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ARBORWOMAN | ANN ARBOR, MI | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY | Fort Wayne, IN | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| 1517 | IRVINE, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CONCORDIA SEMINARY | ST LOUIS, MO | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| Lutheran Braille | YUCAIPA, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| BIBLE LEAGUE | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
Camp Arcadia
$100,000General
RIGHT TO LIFE EDUCATION FUND
$85,000General
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN TRANSPLANT CENTER
$80,000General
REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH
$50,000General
ST JOHN LUTHERAN SCHOOL
$50,000General
General
LUTHERAN SPECIAL EDUCATION MINISTRIES
$40,000General
HEARTBEAT OF MONROE
$40,000General
GABBY'S GRIEF CENTER
$35,000General
Lutheran Hour Ministries
$30,000General
St John Amelith Lutheran School
$30,000General
St John the Divine Anglican Church
$25,000General
MISSION TO NORTH AMERICA
$25,000General
THRIVE MEDICAL CLINIC FKA PREGNANCY CARE CENTER
$25,000General
1517
$20,000General
ARBORWOMAN
$20,000General
CONCORDIA SEMINARY
$15,000General
CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
$15,000General
Young Life of Canada
$15,000General
BIBLE LEAGUE
$15,000General
MISSION INDIA GRANT
$15,000General
Island Christian Academy
$10,000General
ST BARTHOLOMEW'S ANGLICAN CHURCH
$7,500General
Fresh Wind Christian Community
$5,000General
ST MARY CATHOLIC SCHOOL
$3,500General
HOLY GHOST LUTHERAN CHURCH
$3,500General
RIGHT TO LIFE EDUCATION FUND
$100,000GENERAL
TRINITY LUTHERAN SCHOOL
$100,000GENERAL
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN TRANSPLANT CENTER
$80,000GENERAL
ST JOHN LUTHERAN SCHOOL
$50,000GENERAL
HEARTBEAT OF MONROE
$40,000GENERAL
REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH
$40,000GENERAL
LUTHERAN SPECIAL EDUCATION MINISTRIES
$40,000GENERAL
CARE NET OF PUGET SOUND
$30,000GENERAL
GABBY'S GRIEF CENTER
$25,000GENERAL
Young Life of Canada
$25,000GENERAL
Lutheran Hour Ministries
$25,000GENERAL
THRIVE MEDICAL CLINIC FKA PREGNANCY CARE CENTER
$25,000GENERAL
ARBORWOMAN
$20,000GENERAL
CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
$15,000GENERAL
1517
$15,000GENERAL
CONCORDIA SEMINARY
$15,000GENERAL
BIBLE LEAGUE
$15,000GENERAL