The Lowery Foundation makes modest, targeted grants that emphasize civic innovation, education, and economic opportunity, with a mix of local Michigan investments and selective national/international partners. They favor general operating support and have provided repeat funding to organizations working on cultural or systemic change as well as grants to K–12 STEM initiatives and entrepreneurial ecosystem builders.
A defining feature of the Nate and Elissa Lowery Foundation is its mix of civic and cultural innovation work with practical support for education and opportunity-building organizations. The largest recent grant on file was $34,000 to the Institute for Cultural Evolution for general operating support, followed by a $25,000 general operating grant to Endeavor Detroit. That pairing shows two recurring habits in the foundation’s giving: backing organizations working on systemic change and supporting entrepreneurial or economic opportunity efforts. The foundation also uses general operating support for higher education and nonprofit partners, including Princeton University and Partners Relief & Development, while reserving smaller project grants for specific needs such as holiday gifts for hospital patients. Recipients include both Michigan-based organizations and national partners, and the grant record shows repeat support for several organizations across multiple years. The result is a compact portfolio that blends mission-aligned operating grants, selective capital support, and occasional program-specific gifts.
Civic and cultural innovation is a clear thread in the foundation’s grantmaking. In 2024, it gave $34,000 to Institute for Cultural Evolution for general operating support, and it had already provided $17,000 to the same organization in 2023. The foundation also supports economic opportunity work: Endeavor Detroit received $25,000 in 2023 for general operating support. Education appears in two forms. West Michigan Aviation Academy Foundation received $15,000 for a capital campaign and later another $3,000 in general operating support in 2024, while Princeton University received both a $20,000 general operating grant in 2023 and a $5,000 general operating grant in 2024. The portfolio also includes humanitarian and relief support, such as $15,000 to Partners Relief & Development for general operating support.
Typical grants are modest: the 25th percentile is $2,500, the median is $5,000, and the 75th percentile is $15,000. Most awards are general operating support, with occasional project or capital grants. The record also shows repeat funding patterns: Institute for Cultural Evolution, West Michigan Aviation Academy Foundation, Princeton University, and Helen Devos Children's Hospital Foundation each appear more than once across 2023 and 2024. The foundation is a private family foundation rather than an operating grantmaker, and it does not make program-related investments or grants to individuals.
$0
$72K
$40K
$650
Most grants fall between $3K and $15K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$15K
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Concentrated, mid-sized grants (several in the $15k–$51k range) across 3–5 strategic themes; a mix of repeat funding for preferred national partners and one-off gifts to local educational and international relief organizations, primarily as general operating support.
Notable grantees: Institute for Cultural Evolution, Endeavor Detroit, West Michigan Aviation Academy Foundation, Princeton University, Partners Relief & Development
Giving is national, but the concentration is in Michigan: 59% of grants went to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Recent Michigan recipients include Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, and Ann Arbor again through the University of Michigan. Outside Michigan, grants went to Boulder, Princeton, Fairfield, New York, and Cambridge. The full recent record shown is entirely U.S.-based, with 17 grants in the United States.
The foundation supports organizations working in civic and cultural innovation, entrepreneurship and economic opportunity, K–12 STEM and aviation education, higher education, and international relief and development. The recent grant list also includes a small project grant for holiday gifts for hospital patients.
The 25th percentile grant size is $2,500, the median is $5,000, and the 75th percentile is $15,000. The recent record includes both larger operating grants and smaller project gifts.
Yes. The recent grants show repeat support for Institute for Cultural Evolution, West Michigan Aviation Academy Foundation, Princeton University, and Helen Devos Children's Hospital Foundation across 2023 and 2024.
Michigan receives the largest share of grants, with 59% going to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Recent Michigan recipients include organizations in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ypsilanti, and Ann Arbor.
General operating support is the most common form, appearing alongside a capital campaign grant and a small project/program grant for Christmas gifts for patients.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INSTITUTE FOR CULTURAL EVOLUTION | BOULDER, CO | $34,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| PARTNERS RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| GROWING HOPE INC | YPSILANTI, MI | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| UNITED WAY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY | ANN ARBOR, MI | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| PRINCETON UNIVERSITY | PRINCETON, NJ | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WEST MICHIGAN AVIATION ACADEMY FOUNDATION | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $3,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| FRACTURED ATLAS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| HELEN DEVOS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $1,000 | 2024 | PROJECT/PROGRAM - CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR PATIENTS |
| PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| ENDEAVOR DETROIT | DETROIT, MI | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| PRINCETON UNIVERSITY | PRINCETON, NJ | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| INSTITUTE FOR CULTURAL EVOLUTION | BOULDER, CO | $17,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WEST MICHIGAN AVIATION ACADEMY FOUNDATION | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $15,000 | 2023 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| INADCURE FOUNDATION | FAIRFIELD, NJ | $5,250 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WEST MICHIGAN AVIATION ACADEMY FOUNDATION | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $3,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| HELEN DEVOS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $1,000 | 2023 | PROJECT/PROGRAM - CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR PATIENTS |
| REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN | ANN ARBOR, MI | $250 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
INSTITUTE FOR CULTURAL EVOLUTION
$34,000GENERAL OPERATING
UNITED WAY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING
WEST MICHIGAN AVIATION ACADEMY FOUNDATION
GENERAL OPERATING
PROJECT/PROGRAM - CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR PATIENTS
INSTITUTE FOR CULTURAL EVOLUTION
$17,000GENERAL OPERATING
WEST MICHIGAN AVIATION ACADEMY FOUNDATION
$15,000CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
WEST MICHIGAN AVIATION ACADEMY FOUNDATION
$3,000GENERAL OPERATING
PROJECT/PROGRAM - CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR PATIENTS
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
$250GENERAL OPERATING