About Song Foundation
The Song Foundation concentrates on civil liberties and civic advocacy, channeling significant, targeted funding to organizations engaged in public affairs and rights work. Its largest direct beneficiary is the ACLU (Michigan), and it also routes sizable funds through a donor-advised vehicle to support anonymous or pass-through grants. Overall, the foundation makes a small number of large, strategic gifts rather than many modest grants.
Focus Areas
Civil liberties and legal defense in state-level ACLU affiliates (e.g., ACLU of Michigan)Pass-through/anonymous philanthropy via donor-advised fundsTargeted civic advocacy and public affairs organizations at the state level
Who They Fund
Black and other communities of colorlow-income and unhoused individuals/familiesrefugees and resettled familiesyouth and students (including HBCU‑bound students)artists (seeking affordable housing or arts support)
About Song Foundation
A defining feature of Song Foundation’s grantmaking is its repeated support for civil liberties and civic advocacy in Michigan, paired with trust-based general grants that often reach the $100,000 to $250,000 range. The foundation’s largest recent direct award went to the ACLU Fund of Michigan, and it also made a substantial pass-through grant to Schwab Donor Advisor Fund for anonymous grants. That combination shows a funder willing to use both direct operating support and donor-advised vehicles to move money into public affairs, rights work, and related civic infrastructure. Recent grants also point to a focus on Detroit-centered organizations and state-level advocacy groups. Freedom House received general-purpose support, while Outlier Media was funded for operational work in two consecutive years. The foundation has also backed organizations tied to democracy, racial justice, and public information, including the Detroit Regional Chamber, ProPublica’s Michigan beat, and the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. Across the portfolio, Song Foundation appears to favor sizable, targeted gifts rather than broad, high-volume grantmaking.
What Song Foundation Funds
Civil liberties and legal defense are central to the portfolio. Song Foundation gave $250,000 to ACLU Fund of Michigan for multiple programs, and another $125,000 to Detroit Justice Center for human services, showing support for rights-oriented legal work as well as community-facing services. The foundation also funds civic information and advocacy infrastructure. ProPublica Inc. received $100,000 to support the MI beat, and Michigan League of Conservation Voters received $75,000 to support the operations of the Democracy for All program. In racial justice and economic equity, the foundation gave $150,000 to Detroit Regional Chamber for a racial justice and economic equity grant. Its portfolio further extends to housing-adjacent and community support work. Jewish Family Services received $75,000 for its resettlement program, and Freedom House received $175,000 for general purpose support.
How Song Foundation Gives
Song Foundation’s recent grants cluster around a median size of $42,500, with a lower quartile of $15,000 and an upper quartile of $100,000; several awards also reach well above that range, including $250,000 grants. The foundation uses both direct grants and a donor-advised vehicle, as shown by the Schwab Donor Advisor Fund award for anonymous grants. Grantmaking appears recurring rather than one-off in several cases: ACLU Fund of Michigan, Outlier Media, Michigan Founders Fund, Detroit Justice Center, and Michigan League of Conservation Voters each appear in multiple years. The foundation’s application process is open and trust-based, with three annual grantmaking windows and brief online applications for general grants.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$2.5M
Total Assets
$25.2M
Total Revenue
$872K
Total Expenses
$3.6M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $15K and $100K, with a median of $43K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$43K
75th Percentile
$100K
Geographic Reach
National6 states funded
About 0% of grants go to recipients in MI.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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