What kinds of projects does the Margaret Dunning Foundation support?

Its recent grants focus on automotive and transportation education, especially equipment for school programs, plus facility and equipment improvements for community organizations. Examples include automotive technology programs in schools, electric vehicle tools, and building-system upgrades for recreation and civic facilities.

Does the foundation accept unsolicited applications?

Yes. Both active grant programs listed for the foundation accept unsolicited requests, and they are described as direct grantmaking programs for nonprofit organizations.

Where does the foundation give most often?

Michigan is the clear center of its grantmaking: 93% of grants go to recipients in the headquarters state, and the top state by grant count is also Michigan. Recent awards are concentrated in western Wayne County and nearby Michigan cities.

What is a typical grant size?

The stated grant-size distribution centers on mid-five-figure awards: p25 is $25,000, median is $35,000, and p75 is $50,000. The recent list also includes larger projects at $80,000 to $100,000.

Does the foundation support only education?

No. Education is a major theme, but the foundation also funds community facilities and services. Recent examples include recreation infrastructure, library technology updates, youth services, cultural facility upgrades, and substance use recovery center improvements.

Margaret Dunning Foundation

Name: Margaret Dunning Foundation — grants, 990 financials & funding data
Creator: Kindora

ActivePhilanthropy & Voluntarism

TRAVERSE CITY, MIWebsite3135689000

About Margaret Dunning Foundation

The Margaret Dunning Foundation focuses its giving on practical, facility- and equipment-focused support for local educational institutions and community recreation providers in Michigan. Grants are targeted toward career/technical education (notably automotive technology programs) and essential building systems for community amenities, emphasizing hands-on workforce training and maintained public facilities. The foundation tends to fund school districts and regional education agencies with tangible capital needs rather than general operating support.

Focus Areas

K–12 Automotive/Trade Technology Programs (equipment and shop upgrades)Regional education agencies supporting career-technical curricula (e.g., Oakland Schools)Community recreation facility infrastructure (pool HVAC and building systems)Capital/equipment grants for school-based workforce-preparation programs

Who They Fund

high school students and career/technical centersadult learners in automotive/technical trainingyouth experiencing trauma (including girls' recovery programs)

About Margaret Dunning Foundation

The Margaret Dunning Foundation’s recent giving is shaped by a clear preference for hands-on automotive and transportation education, paired with capital support for local community facilities. In the latest grant list, that shows up in repeated support for school-based training programs and technical campuses, including a $100,000 grant to South Redford School District for equipment for a new automotive program at Thurston High School and a $90,000 grant to Oakland Schools for equipment upgrades to automotive technology programs in 10 schools. The foundation also backs advanced training and career pathways beyond the classroom, such as $80,000 to the College for Creative Studies for an advanced summer school program in auto design and $66,000 to Oakland Schools for a master-level automotive training program at the Oakland Schools Technical Campus Northeast. Alongside education, it funds facility and equipment projects for civic organizations, libraries, recreation providers, and youth-serving nonprofits. Grants to Plymouth Parc, Redford Interfaith Relief, and Growth Works show a pattern of supporting tangible improvements that keep local spaces and services functioning. The overall profile is practical and project-specific, with an emphasis on physical assets that directly support learning, access, or public use.

What Margaret Dunning Foundation Funds

Automotive and transportation education is the foundation’s most visible theme. It gave $60,000 to Kettering University for equipment to study autonomous vehicles and $44,000 to Macomb Community College Foundation for electric vehicle tools and equipment. Skill-building for younger learners also appears in a $38,000 grant to Eastern Michigan University Foundation for a statewide high school automotive and transportation skills competition. Facility and equipment support extends into community infrastructure. Plymouth Parc received $100,000 for a swimming pool HVAC system replacement, while Plymouth District Library received $50,000 for technology updates in its community meeting rooms. The foundation also funds youth and family support settings: Growth Works received $80,000 for two passenger vans, and Vista Maria received $35,000 for facility renovations.

How Margaret Dunning Foundation Gives

Typical grant sizes cluster in the mid-five-figure range, with a p25 of $25,000, a median of $35,000, and a p75 of $50,000. Recent awards also include several larger capital grants at $80,000 to $100,000, showing that the foundation will scale up for equipment and facility projects. The grant program is direct and open to unsolicited requests, with published grantmaking programs covering western Wayne County and selected education and transportation projects in Michigan. The recent record suggests repeat support for some recipients across years, including South Redford School District, Oakland Schools, College for Creative Studies, Plymouth District Library, and Arc of Northwest Wayne County.

Financial Snapshot

Annual Giving

$1.2M

Total Assets

$25.2M

Total Revenue

$1.9M

Total Expenses

$1.6M

Typical Grant Size

Most grants fall between $25K and $50K, with a median of $35K.

25th Percentile

$25K

Median

$35K

75th Percentile

$50K

Geographic Reach

Local2 states funded

Funding intensity

Low

High

Headquarters

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Recipient	Location	Amount	Year	Purpose
HARTLAND CONSOLIDATED SCHOOLS	HOWELL, MI	$70,000	2026	AUTOMOTIVE EQUIPMENT FOR HARTLAND HIGH SCHOOL
SOUTH REDFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT	REDFORD, MI	$55,000	2026	EQUIPMENT AND FACILITY RENOVATIONS AT THE AUTO SHOP AT THURSTON HIGH SCHOOL
FIRST STEP	PLYMOUTH, MI	$50,000	2026	FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS AT ITS WAYNE SHELTER
MI WORK MATTERS	LIVONIA, MI	$50,000	2026	EQUIPMENT FOR A NEW LIVONIA-BASED VOCATIONAL TRAINING CAF FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL OR DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Margaret Dunning Foundation

About Margaret Dunning Foundation

Focus Areas

Who They Fund

About Margaret Dunning Foundation

What Margaret Dunning Foundation Funds

How Margaret Dunning Foundation Gives

Financial Snapshot

Typical Grant Size

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Frequently Asked Questions About Margaret Dunning Foundation

What kinds of projects does the Margaret Dunning Foundation support?

Does the foundation accept unsolicited applications?

Where does the foundation give most often?

What is a typical grant size?

Does the foundation support only education?

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