The Shirley K Schlafter Foundation concentrates its giving on large, strategic awards to higher education and research at the University of Michigan while also supporting Michigan-based health, arts, and family-service organizations. Though a majority of dollars flow to university research and professorships (including COVID-19-related support), the foundation also funds reproductive health access, Detroit cultural institutions, and a small number of national relief and science-education organizations. Grants are a mix of multi-grant relationships and single large commitments that reflect both local community priorities and broader charitable causes.
A $1.5 million grant to the University of Michigan in 2024 stands out in Shirley K Schlafer Foundation’s recent record, alongside another $1.44 million award to the same university in 2023. Those gifts show a foundation that makes large, program-specific commitments rather than many small awards. The university support is tied to professorships, emerging scholars, research, and women’s health innovation, making higher education a central part of its grantmaking. The foundation also gives to Michigan-based health, arts, and family-service organizations. Planned Parenthood in Ann Arbor received multiple grants for reproductive health care, while Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southeastern Michigan in Detroit received support in two years. Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit and Cranbrook Schools also appear more than once, reflecting ongoing relationships in the arts and education. National grants are present too, including support for World Central Kitchen, Doctors Without Borders, World Wildlife Fund, and National Geographic Society. Across these awards, Shirley K Schlafer Foundation uses a mix of large institutional commitments and repeat support for a small set of recipients.
Higher education and research are the clearest theme in the foundation’s recent giving. The University of Michigan received $1,503,250 in 2024 for professorship, emerging scholar, and women’s health innovation work, plus $193,500 in 2025 for an emerging scholars and women’s health innovation fund. Health access is another recurring area. Planned Parenthood received $100,000 in 2024 and $50,000 in 2025 for reproductive health care, following a $60,000 grant in 2023 for the same purpose. The foundation also backs arts and cultural organizations in Michigan. Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit received $50,000 in 2024 for museum maintenance and education, and $10,000 in 2025 for the same category. Cranbrook Schools appears with scholarship support and visiting artist sponsorship, showing an education-and-arts blend. Environmental and animal-related work also appears through grants to National Geographic Society and World Wildlife Fund.
Typical grants cluster around a midpoint that is relatively high for a family foundation: the p25 is $10,000, the median is $25,000, and the p75 is $50,000. At the same time, the recent record includes several six- and seven-figure awards, indicating that a few institutional commitments account for a large share of dollars. The pattern is not one-off only: University of Michigan, Planned Parenthood, National Geographic Society, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, North Star Reach, Cranbrook Schools, World Wildlife Fund, and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southeastern Michigan all appear more than once across the list. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
$314K
$1.9M
$372K
$364K
Most grants fall between $10K and $50K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$50K
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Highly concentrated: a few large grants dominate total giving (University of Michigan receives the bulk), with repeated multi-grant relationships and selective support for local Michigan nonprofits alongside occasional national grantees.
Notable grantees: University of Michigan, Planned Parenthood, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, National Geographic Society, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southeastern Michigan
Grantmaking is concentrated in Michigan, which accounts for 58% of grants and is also the top state by grant count. Ann Arbor and Detroit appear frequently, with additional Michigan recipients in Pinckney and Bloomfield Hills. The foundation also gives nationally to organizations in Washington, DC; New York, NY; Carmel, CA; Boulder, CO; and Hudson, NY. All recent grants in the dataset went to U.S. recipients.
Recent grants go to universities, health organizations, museums, schools, and environmental groups. Examples include the University of Michigan for professorships and research, Planned Parenthood for reproductive health care, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit for museum maintenance and education, and World Wildlife Fund for general charitable support.
The grant-size distribution centers on $10,000 at the 25th percentile, a $25,000 median, and $50,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also includes much larger commitments, including seven-figure awards to the University of Michigan.
Yes. Michigan receives the most grants, and 58% of grants go to recipients in the state. Recent Michigan recipients include organizations in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Pinckney, and Bloomfield Hills.
It has several repeat recipients. The University of Michigan appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Planned Parenthood appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Cranbrook Schools, North Star Reach, World Wildlife Fund, and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southeastern Michigan also appear more than once.
No. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN | ANN ARBOR, MI | $193,500 | 2026 | EMERGING SCHOLARS AND WOMEN'S HEALTH INNOVATION FUND |
| NORTH STAR REACH | PINCKNEY, MI | $50,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD | ANN ARBOR, MI | $50,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE; REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE |
| CRANBROOK SCHOOLS | BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI | $10,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE; SCHOLARSHIPS |
| MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART DETROIT | DETROIT, MI | $10,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE; MUSEUM MAINTENANCE & EDUCATION |
| NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY | WASHINGTON, DC | $125,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE; ANIMAL EDUCATION & HEALTHCARE |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN | ANN ARBOR, MI | $90,000 | 2025 | EMERGING SCHOLARS AND WOMEN'S HEALTH INNOVATION FUND |
| NORTH STAR REACH | PINCKNEY, MI | $60,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART DETROIT | DETROIT, MI | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE; MUSEUM MAINTENANCE & EDUCATION |
| NROC | CARMEL, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ANN ARBOR ART CENTER | ANN ARBOR, MI | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| CRANBROOK SCHOOLS | BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE; SCHOLARSHIPS |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD | ANN ARBOR, MI | $1,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE; REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE |
| PEWABIC POTTERY SOCIETY | DETROIT, MI | $150 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN | ANN ARBOR, MI | $1,503,250 | 2024 | CHARITABLE; ; PROFESSORSHIP; EMERGING SCHOLAR; WOMEN'S HEALTH INNOVATION FUND |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD | ANN ARBOR, MI | $100,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE; REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE |
| RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES OF SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN | DETROIT, MI | $100,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE; ANIMAL EDUCATION & HEALTHCARE |
| MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART DETROIT | DETROIT, MI | $50,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE; MUSEUM MAINTENANCE & EDUCATION |
| NROC | CARMEL, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| NORTH STAR REACH | PINCKNEY, MI | $20,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| WORLD WILDLIFE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| CRANBROOK SCHOOLS | BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE; SCHOLARSHIPS |
| TOMORROW TOMORROW | HUDSON, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| PEWABIC POTTERY SOCIETY | DETROIT, MI | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN | ANN ARBOR, MI | $1,440,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE; RESEARCH; PROFESSORSHIP; EMERGING SCHOLAR; COVID-19 PPE |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD | ANN ARBOR, MI | $60,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE; REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE |
| MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART DETROIT | DETROIT, MI | $50,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE; MUSEUM MAINTENANCE & EDUCATION |
| NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE; ANIMAL EDUCATION & HEALTHCARE |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE; OPERATIONS AND SUPPLIES |
| NROC | CARMEL, CA | $25,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| WILD FOUNDATION | BOULDER, CO | $25,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE; SUPPORT AND EDUCATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES |
| ANN ARBOR ART CENTER | ANN ARBOR, MI | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| CRANBROOK SCHOOLS | BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE; VISITING ARTIST SPONSORSHIP |
| WORLD WILDLIFE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| PEWABIC POTTERY SOCIETY | DETROIT, MI | $2,500 | 2023 | CHARITABLE; ART & ARTIST SPONSORSHIP |
| RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES OF SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN | DETROIT, MI | $1,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
$193,500EMERGING SCHOLARS AND WOMEN'S HEALTH INNOVATION FUND
PLANNED PARENTHOOD
$50,000CHARITABLE; REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE
CRANBROOK SCHOOLS
$10,000CHARITABLE; SCHOLARSHIPS
CHARITABLE; ANIMAL EDUCATION & HEALTHCARE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
$90,000EMERGING SCHOLARS AND WOMEN'S HEALTH INNOVATION FUND
NROC
$25,000CHARITABLE
ANN ARBOR ART CENTER
$25,000CHARITABLE
CRANBROOK SCHOOLS
$10,000CHARITABLE; SCHOLARSHIPS
PLANNED PARENTHOOD
$1,000CHARITABLE; REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE
PEWABIC POTTERY SOCIETY
$150CHARITABLE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
$1,503,250CHARITABLE; ; PROFESSORSHIP; EMERGING SCHOLAR; WOMEN'S HEALTH INNOVATION FUND
NROC
$25,000CHARITABLE
CRANBROOK SCHOOLS
$10,000CHARITABLE; SCHOLARSHIPS
TOMORROW TOMORROW
$5,000CHARITABLE
PEWABIC POTTERY SOCIETY
$1,000CHARITABLE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
$1,440,000CHARITABLE; RESEARCH; PROFESSORSHIP; EMERGING SCHOLAR; COVID-19 PPE
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
$25,000CHARITABLE; OPERATIONS AND SUPPLIES
NROC
$25,000CHARITABLE
ANN ARBOR ART CENTER
$10,000CHARITABLE
PEWABIC POTTERY SOCIETY
$2,500CHARITABLE; ART & ARTIST SPONSORSHIP