The James and Kimberly Currie Foundation concentrates its charitable giving on museum support, with a clear emphasis on science and children’s museums in Michigan. Most of its dollars go to a single recurring partner for general operating support, while smaller gifts fund exhibit construction at another regional children’s museum. The foundation appears focused, local, and project-oriented within the museum sector.
Highly concentrated and local: few grants total, with the majority of funding directed repeatedly to one core museum grantee and occasional smaller, project-specific awards to other regional museums.
The James and Kimberly Currie Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by repeated support for Impression 5 Science Museum in Lansing, including three consecutive $25,000 grants from 2023 through 2025 for general museum funding and unrestricted support. That recurring pattern signals a focused approach: the foundation favors a small set of Michigan-based museum and community partners, often returning to the same organizations across multiple years. Alongside museum operating support, the foundation has also funded exhibit and capital work at The Soo Locks Children's Museum in Sault Ste Marie and children’s museum-related projects in the Upper Peninsula, showing a preference for facilities, exhibits, and institutional stability rather than broad, one-time philanthropy. The grant list also includes support for local community organizations serving children and families, such as the Boys and Girls Club of Lansing and Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan. Across the grants on file, the foundation’s philanthropy is local to Michigan and centered on organizations that serve children, families, and community visitors through museums, youth programs, and related public-serving spaces.
Museum support is the clearest throughline in the foundation’s grantmaking. In 2025 it gave $20,000 to The Soo Locks Children's Museum for exhibit construction, and in 2024 it made a $15,000 grant to the same museum for general construction. The Upper Peninsula Children's Museum in Marquette received $10,000 in 2024 for underserved population admission and another $7,500 in 2023 for unrestricted support. Outside the museum sector, the foundation has also backed youth-serving and family-facing programs. Boys and Girls Club of Lansing received $7,500 in 2025 for a coding computer lab and $5,000 in 2024 for a stay-connected learning lab. The grant list also includes support for Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan for summer camp assistance and summer camp.
Typical grants cluster tightly around a small-dollar range: the 25th percentile is $7,500, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is $14,375. The foundation shows repeat giving across multiple years to several recipients, especially museum and youth-serving groups, which suggests an ongoing, relationship-based pattern rather than isolated awards. Its structure looks like a private family foundation making direct grants; it does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The grants file also shows a preference for straightforward operating, unrestricted, and project-specific support.
$149K
$1.4M
$152K
$160K
Most grants fall between $8K and $14K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$14K
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Notable grantees: Impression 5 Science Museum, The Soo Locks Children's Museum
All grants on file go to recipients in Michigan, matching the foundation’s local giving scope. Lansing appears repeatedly, including grants to Impression 5 Science Museum, Boys and Girls Club of Lansing, and Lansing Food Bank. Other recurring recipient cities include Marquette, Sault Ste Marie, Grand Rapids, and Onondaga. The grant list also reaches Grand Ledge, Eagle, Grand Marais, and Comstock Park. No non-US recipient countries appear in the data.
The grant list centers on museums and child- and family-serving organizations in Michigan. Recent recipients include science and children’s museums, a food bank network, a community foundation funding a playground project, and youth organizations such as Boys and Girls Club of Lansing, Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, and Boy Scouts MI Crossroads Council.
The foundation’s typical grant size is fairly compact: the 25th percentile is $7,500, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is $14,375. Recent grants also show repeated awards at $10,000 and $25,000.
Yes. Every grant in the file goes to a Michigan recipient, and the recipient-country distribution is entirely US-based. Cities appearing in the grants include Lansing, Marquette, Sault Ste Marie, Grand Rapids, Onondaga, Grand Ledge, Eagle, Grand Marais, and Comstock Park.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Impression 5 Science Museum, The Soo Locks Children's Museum, Lansing Food Bank, Highfields Inc, Boys and Girls Club of Lansing, Upper Peninsula Children's Museum, and Community Foundation of Marquette Co. The repeat pattern is strongest with museum support.
The foundation funds a mix of unrestricted and project-specific support. Examples in the file include exhibit construction, general construction, capital improvements, mobile food pantry support, a coding computer lab, a stay-connected learning lab, summer camp assistance, and playground-related funding.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IMPRESSION 5 SCIENCE MUSEUM | LANSING, MI | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL MUSEUM FNDG |
| THE SOO LOCKS CHILDREN'S MUSEUM | SAULT STE MARIE, MI | $20,000 | 2026 | MUSEUM EXHIBIT DEVELPMT |
| FEEDING AMERICA WEST MI FOOD BANK | COMSTOCK PARK, MI | $15,000 | 2026 | MOBIL FOOD PANTRY |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MARQUETTE CO | MARQUETTE, MI | $15,000 | 2026 | UTILITY DOME KIDS COVE |
| GRAND MARAIS HISTORICAL SOC INC | GRAND MARAIS, MI | $15,000 | 2026 | OLD POST OFFICE RESTORATN PROJECT |
| LANSING FOOD BANK | LANSING, MI | $12,500 | 2026 | MID MI MOBIL FOOD PANTRY |
| HIGHFIELDS INC | ONONDAGA, MI | $11,150 | 2026 | MUSIC THERAPY PROGRAM |
| UPPER PENINSULA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM | MARQUETTE, MI | $10,000 | 2026 | PLAYMAKERS PROGRAM |
| MARY FREE BED HOSPITAL AND REHAB | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $10,000 | 2026 | WHEELCHAIR SPORTS CAMP |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF LANSING | LANSING, MI | $7,500 | 2026 | CODING PROGRAM |
| GIRL SCOUTS HEART OF MICHIGAN | GRAND LEDGE, MI | $5,000 | 2026 | GIRL SCOUTS OUTREACH |
| SCOUTING OF AMERICA CROSSROADS CNCIL | EAGLE, MI | $2,500 | 2026 | SCOUTREACH |
| IMPRESSION 5 SCIENCE MUSEUM | LANSING, MI | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL MUSEUM FNDG |
| THE SOO LOCKS CHILDREN'S MUSEUM | SAULT STE MARIE, MI | $20,000 | 2025 | EXHIBIT CONSTRUCTN |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MARQUETTE CO | MARQUETTE, MI | $15,000 | 2025 | INCLUSIVE PLAY EQUIP |
| FEEDING AMERICA WEST MI FOOD BANK | COMSTOCK PARK, MI | $12,500 | 2025 | MOBILE FOOD PANTRY |
| HIGHFIELDS INC | ONONDAGA, MI | $12,000 | 2025 | SPECIALIZED RES FRNTURE |
| LANSING FOOD BANK | LANSING, MI | $10,500 | 2025 | MOBILE FOOD PANTRY |
| UPPER PENINSULA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM | MARQUETTE, MI | $10,000 | 2025 | UNDERSRVD POPLTN ADMIS |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF LANSING | LANSING, MI | $7,500 | 2025 | CODING COMPUTER LAB |
| GRAND MARAIS HISTORICAL SOC INC | GRAND MARAIS, MI | $5,000 | 2025 | OLD POST OFFICE MUSEUM |
| GIRL SCOUTS HEART OF MICHIGAN | GRAND LEDGE, MI | $5,000 | 2025 | SUMMER CAMP ASSIST |
| BOY SCOUTS MI CROSSROADS CNCIL | EAGLE, MI | $2,500 | 2025 | SCOUTREACH SUPPLIES |
| IMPRESSION 5 SCIENCE MUSEUM | LANSING, MI | $25,000 | 2024 | LBAS |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MARQUETTE CO | MARQUETTE, MI | $15,000 | 2024 | KIDS COVE PLAYGROUND |
| THE SOO LOCKS CHILDREN'S MUSEUM | SAULT STE MARIE, MI | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CONSTRUCTION |
| LANSING FOOD BANK | LANSING, MI | $10,000 | 2024 | MOBIL PANTRY FD BANK |
| UPPER PENINSULA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM | MARQUETTE, MI | $10,000 | 2024 | UNDERSRVD POPULATION ADM |
| HIGHFIELDS INC | ONONDAGA, MI | $10,000 | 2024 | CAPITAL IMPRIOVEMTS |
| FEEDING AMERICA WEST FOOD BANK | COMSTOCK PARK, MI | $10,000 | 2024 | MOBIL PANTRY FD BANK |
| MARY FREE BED HOSPITAL AND REHAB | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $7,000 | 2024 | SPORTS CAMP WHLCHR BD |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF LANSING | LANSING, MI | $5,000 | 2024 | STAY CONNCTD LEARNING LAB |
| GIRL SCOUTS HEART OF MICHIGAN | GRAND LEDGE, MI | $3,000 | 2024 | SUMMER CAMP |
| IMPRESSION 5 SCIENCE MUSEUM | LANSING, MI | $25,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MARQUETTE CO | MARQUETTE, MI | $15,000 | 2023 | KIDS COVE PLAYGROUND |
| LANSING FOOD BANK | LANSING, MI | $10,000 | 2023 | MOBILE FOOD PANTRY |
| THE SOO LOCKS CHILDREN'S MUSEUM | SAULT STE MARIE, MI | $10,000 | 2023 | CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT |
| FEEDING AMERICA WEST FOOD BANK | COMSTOCK PARK, MI | $10,000 | 2023 | MOBILE FOOD PANTRIES |
| MARY FREE BED HOSPITAL AND REHAB | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $10,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| HIGHFIELDS INC | ONONDAGA, MI | $7,500 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| UPPER PENINSULA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM | MARQUETTE, MI | $7,500 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF LANSING | LANSING, MI | $5,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
IMPRESSION 5 SCIENCE MUSEUM
$25,000GENERAL MUSEUM FNDG
THE SOO LOCKS CHILDREN'S MUSEUM
$20,000MUSEUM EXHIBIT DEVELPMT
FEEDING AMERICA WEST MI FOOD BANK
$15,000MOBIL FOOD PANTRY
GRAND MARAIS HISTORICAL SOC INC
$15,000OLD POST OFFICE RESTORATN PROJECT
LANSING FOOD BANK
$12,500MID MI MOBIL FOOD PANTRY
UPPER PENINSULA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM
$10,000PLAYMAKERS PROGRAM
SCOUTING OF AMERICA CROSSROADS CNCIL
$2,500SCOUTREACH
IMPRESSION 5 SCIENCE MUSEUM
$25,000GENERAL MUSEUM FNDG
THE SOO LOCKS CHILDREN'S MUSEUM
$20,000EXHIBIT CONSTRUCTN
LANSING FOOD BANK
$10,500MOBILE FOOD PANTRY
UPPER PENINSULA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM
$10,000UNDERSRVD POPLTN ADMIS
GRAND MARAIS HISTORICAL SOC INC
$5,000OLD POST OFFICE MUSEUM
BOY SCOUTS MI CROSSROADS CNCIL
$2,500SCOUTREACH SUPPLIES
THE SOO LOCKS CHILDREN'S MUSEUM
$15,000GENERAL CONSTRUCTION
LANSING FOOD BANK
$10,000MOBIL PANTRY FD BANK
UPPER PENINSULA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM
$10,000UNDERSRVD POPULATION ADM
FEEDING AMERICA WEST FOOD BANK
$10,000MOBIL PANTRY FD BANK
LANSING FOOD BANK
$10,000MOBILE FOOD PANTRY
THE SOO LOCKS CHILDREN'S MUSEUM
$10,000CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT
FEEDING AMERICA WEST FOOD BANK
$10,000MOBILE FOOD PANTRIES
UPPER PENINSULA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM
$7,500UNRESTRICTED