The Cullen Family Foundation makes relatively large, place-based investments in Detroit-focused civic infrastructure and direct services. Their recent grants prioritize housing/homelessness solutions, urban economic development and entrepreneurship, and public green space, while also strengthening local philanthropic infrastructure through the community foundation. They favor a small number of sizable, often multi-year commitments that combine capital, program, and general operating support.
The Matthew and Karen Cullen Family Foundation’s recent giving is shaped by large, place-based commitments to Detroit institutions, especially a four-year $100,000 grant to Pope Francis Center for the Bridge Housing Campus capital campaign and a $100,000 grant to Detroit Riverfront Conservancy for general operations. Those gifts sit alongside support for urban and community economic development, local philanthropic infrastructure, and public-space stewardship. The foundation’s profile suggests a preference for fewer, larger awards rather than broad, high-volume grantmaking, with several grants structured over multiple years. Detroit organizations appear repeatedly in the recent record, including Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, which received three separate general-operations grants over 2023, 2024, and 2025. That pattern points to sustained support for local intermediaries as well as direct service and civic projects. The foundation also made a $100,000, four-year commitment to Greenlight Fund Inc. for urban and community economic development, showing interest in initiatives that launch or scale local nonprofit capacity. Across the recent grants, the foundation backs housing-related infrastructure, economic development, and urban amenities. The mix of capital campaign support, general operating support, and multi-year awards indicates a grantmaker that uses flexible funding as well as project-specific commitments.
Housing and homelessness are a central theme. In 2024, the foundation gave $100,000 to Pope Francis Center for the Bridge Housing Campus capital campaign over four years, linking its giving to transitional housing infrastructure in Detroit. Urban economic development is another focus. Greenlight Fund Inc. received $100,000 in 2023 to support urban and community economic development over four years, suggesting interest in nonprofit models that can expand neighborhood-level opportunity. The foundation also supports civic and environmental public space work. In 2025, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy received $100,000 for general operations, tying the foundation to riverfront stewardship and urban public space. A separate set of grants to Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan for general operations shows attention to regional philanthropic infrastructure and flexible support.
$140K
$7.8M
$1.2M
$195K
Most grants fall between $33K and $100K, with a median of $68K.
25th Percentile
$33K
Median
$68K
75th Percentile
$100K
RICHARD L DEVORE
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Concentrated giving: few high-dollar grants (around $100k each), including multi-year commitments and a mix of capital, program, and general operating support; repeat funding through the regional community foundation suggests preference for pooled/local grantmaking.
Notable grantees: Pope Francis Center, GreenLight Fund, Inc., Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
Typical grant size is relatively large: the 25th percentile is $33,072, the median is $68,271, and the 75th percentile is $100,000. That distribution matches the recent record, which includes several six-figure awards and a smaller cluster of mid-sized general-operations grants. The foundation also shows repetition across years rather than one-off giving. Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025, all for general operations. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its recent grants are framed as operating support, capital campaign support, or multi-year commitments, indicating a family foundation structure that uses both flexible and project-based funding.
Giving is concentrated in Michigan, which accounts for 75% of grants in the recent record. Detroit is the main recipient city, with grants to Pope Francis Center, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, and Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. Outside Michigan, the recent record includes Boston through Greenlight Fund Inc. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 6 grants in the United States.
The recent grants point to Detroit-based organizations working in supportive housing, urban economic development, riverfront and public-space stewardship, and philanthropic infrastructure. Examples include Pope Francis Center, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, and Greenlight Fund Inc.
Yes. The recent record includes four-year commitments to Greenlight Fund Inc. and Pope Francis Center, each at $100,000, showing that the foundation uses multi-year support for both economic development and housing infrastructure.
The grant-size distribution is fairly large: the 25th percentile is $33,072, the median is $68,271, and the 75th percentile is $100,000. Recent awards include several grants at or near the six-figure level.
Most grants go to Michigan, but the recent record also includes a $100,000 grant to Greenlight Fund Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
Both appear in the recent record. Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and Detroit Riverfront Conservancy received general-operations grants, while Pope Francis Center received support for the Bridge Housing Campus capital campaign and Greenlight Fund Inc. received support for urban and community economic development over four years.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DETROIT RIVERFRONT CONSERVANCY | DETROIT, MI | $100,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN | DETROIT, MI | $40,484 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| POPE FRANCIS CENTER | DETROIT, MI | $100,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR THE BRIDGE HOUSING CAMPUS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN OVER FOUR YEARS |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN | DETROIT, MI | $36,542 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| GREENLIGHT FUND INC | BOSTON, MA | $100,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT URBAN AND COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OVER FOUR YEARS |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN | DETROIT, MI | $22,660 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
SUPPORT FOR THE BRIDGE HOUSING CAMPUS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN OVER FOUR YEARS
SUPPORT URBAN AND COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OVER FOUR YEARS