Empowerment Foundation concentrates its giving on a very small number of sizable awards, primarily providing general operating support and higher-education scholarship funding. Most dollars in this snapshot went to a single nonprofit (Darsa) with the remainder directed to Indiana University scholarship programs, indicating a preference for direct, mission-flexible support and scholarship-driven philanthropy in the Indiana/Kentucky region.
Highly concentrated: few, large grants with the majority of funding to one grantee; includes repeat support to Indiana University for scholarships and flexible general fund support to a principal nonprofit.
Empowerment Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by a single large general-purpose award: $210,084 to Darsa in Houston for general fund support. That grant sits alongside a pattern of scholarship funding and small unrestricted grants, showing a funder that mixes a major operating gift with a wider set of targeted awards. The scholarship side is especially visible at Indiana University in Bloomington, where the foundation made two separate scholarship grants in consecutive years. Beyond higher education, the foundation also supported community-facing nonprofits such as Big Brothers Big Sisters in Milwaukee and Plymouth Community United Way in Michigan. The grant record includes emergency and humanitarian relief as well, with awards tied to Ukraine support and Western Kentucky tornado relief. Recent grants are all in the United States, but the mix of recipient locations and purposes suggests a national grantmaker that uses both flexible general support and restricted funding for education, community intervention, and crisis response. Its active grant programs also point to a formal interest in education, health, individual and family services, and technology, with unsolicited applications accepted year-round.
Education is a clear theme in the grant record. Empowerment Foundation gave $46,516 in 2024 to Indiana University in Bloomington for scholarships, after a $27,918 scholarship grant there in 2023, and it also supported Michigan State University twice at $5,000 each for scholarships. The foundation’s education-related programs emphasize early childhood, primary, and secondary education, along with enrichment and character development. Community intervention appears in smaller local awards. In Milwaukee, Big Brothers Big Sisters received $3,500 in 2023 and $3,000 in 2024 for general fund support. The recent grants also include $2,500 to Plymouth Community United Way in Plymouth, Michigan, and $2,000 to Shades of Pink in Birmingham, Michigan. Emergency and humanitarian giving is present too. The foundation granted $4,720 to GlobalGiving for Ukraine support/relief and $2,835 to Team Kentucky Fund-Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund for Western Kentucky tornado relief.
Empowerment Foundation gives in a relatively tight band at the small end, with a p25 of $2,000, a median of $3,500, and a p75 of $5,000. The recent record also includes one outsized award that is far above that range, showing a split between a major anchor grant and smaller recurring checks. Several recipients appear in more than one year: Indiana University, Michigan State University, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Shades of Pink each received follow-on support. The foundation also accepts unsolicited applications year-round through open grantmaking and an LOI process, and it funds both unrestricted and project-specific support.
$58K
$6.2M
$482K
$115K
Most grants fall between $2K and $5K, with a median of $4K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$4K
75th Percentile
$5K
About 6% of grants go to recipients in MI.
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Notable grantees: Darsa, Indiana University
Grant recipients are spread across the US, with the heaviest concentration in Michigan. Recent awards went to Birmingham, Farmington, Brighton, Plymouth, East Lansing, and several other Michigan cities, while Bloomington, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Houston, Savannah, and Frankfort also appear in the record. Kentucky accounts for 6% of grants by recipient location, but the foundation’s giving is broader than its headquarters city. The recipient country distribution is entirely domestic in this snapshot.
The foundation’s active programs focus on education, health, individual, family and community intervention, and technology. Its recent grants also show support for scholarships, general operating support, Ukraine relief, and tornado recovery, indicating both programmatic and flexible giving.
Yes. The foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications year-round, and it also offers an optional letter of inquiry process for organizations that are unsure about fit.
Typical recent grants cluster at $2,000 at the 25th percentile, $3,500 at the median, and $5,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record also includes one much larger general fund award of $210,084.
Michigan appears most often in the recent grants, including recipients in Birmingham, Farmington, Brighton, Plymouth, and East Lansing. Other named recipient locations include Bloomington and Indianapolis in Indiana, Milwaukee in Wisconsin, Houston in Texas, Savannah in Georgia, and Frankfort in Kentucky.
Yes. Scholarship funding is visible in multiple recent grants, including awards to Indiana University and Michigan State University. The foundation’s program descriptions also include education grants and general grantmaking with an education emphasis.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Empowerment Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Applicants must be tax-exempt under Section 501(a), described in Section 501(c)(3), and not a private foundation under Section 509(a); FCRA-compliant organizations in India are also eligible. Grants are not made to individuals.
Deadline: Applications accepted throughout the year; submit at least six months before funding is needed.
Who can apply: Organizations must be tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations or FCRA-compliant organizations in India; grants are not made to individuals.
Deadline: Accepts applications year-round; apply at least six months before funding is needed.
Who can apply: Organizations must be tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations or FCRA-compliant organizations in India; grants are not made to individuals; applicants should submit using the Foundation's application format.
Deadline: Accepts grant applications throughout the year; applicants are advised to apply at least six months before funds are needed.
Who can apply: Organizations must be tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations or FCRA-compliant organizations in India; grants are not made to individuals.
Deadline: Applications accepted year-round; best to apply at least six months before funding is needed.
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Create a free accountDeadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana University | Bloomington, IN | $51,970 | 2026 | Scholarship |
| Divine Will Foundation | Encinitas, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | General Fund |
| Kentucky Humane Society | Louisville, KY | $1,000 | 2026 | General Fund |
| Indiana University | Bloomington, IN | $70,954 | 2025 | Scholarship |
| Shades of Pink | Birmingham, MI | $2,000 | 2025 | General Fund |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters | Milwaukee, WI | $500 | 2025 | General Fund |
| Gilda's Club | Chicago, IL | $500 | 2025 | General Fund |
| Indiana University | Bloomington, IN | $46,516 | 2024 | Scholarship |
| Savanah College of Creative Art and Design | Savannah, GA | $5,000 | 2024 | Scholarship |
| Michigan State University | East Lansing, MI | $5,000 | 2024 | Scholarship |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters | Milwaukee, WI | $3,000 | 2024 | General Fund |
| Plymouth Community United Way | Plymouth, MI | $2,500 | 2024 | General Fund |
| Shades of Pink | Birmingham, MI | $2,000 | 2024 | General Fund |
| Darsa | Houston, TX | $210,084 | 2023 | General Fund |
| Indiana University | Bloomington, IN | $27,918 | 2023 | Scholarship |
| Savanah College of Creative Arts and Design | Savannah, GA | $5,000 | 2023 | Scholarship |
| Michigan State University | East Lansing, MI | $5,000 | 2023 | Scholarship |
| GlobalGiving | Washington, DC | $4,720 | 2023 | Ukraine supportrelief |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters | Milwaukee, WI | $3,500 | 2023 | General Fund |
| Team Kentucky Fund-Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund | Frankfort, KY | $2,835 | 2023 | Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund |
| Shades of Pink | Birmingham, MI | $2,000 | 2023 | General fund |
| The Milk Bank | Indianapolis, IN | $2,000 | 2023 | General Fund |
| Care and Share -Make A Wish | Brighton, MI | $1,500 | 2023 | General Fund |
| Michigan Animal Welfare Foundation | Farmington, MI | $1,000 | 2023 | General Fund |
Indiana University
$51,970Scholarship
Kentucky Humane Society
$1,000General Fund
Indiana University
$70,954Scholarship
Shades of Pink
$2,000General Fund
General Fund
Gilda's Club
$500General Fund
Indiana University
$46,516Scholarship
Savanah College of Creative Art and Design
$5,000Scholarship
Michigan State University
$5,000Scholarship
Shades of Pink
$2,000General Fund
Darsa
$210,084General Fund
Indiana University
$27,918Scholarship
Savanah College of Creative Arts and Design
$5,000Scholarship
Michigan State University
$5,000Scholarship
Team Kentucky Fund-Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund
$2,835Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund
Shades of Pink
$2,000General fund
The Milk Bank
$2,000General Fund
Care and Share -Make A Wish
$1,500General Fund
Michigan Animal Welfare Foundation
$1,000General Fund