The Serra Foundation concentrates its giving in Michigan higher education and local community philanthropic activities, favoring unrestricted operating support. The foundation made a single very large commitment to a private liberal arts college and smaller, repeat gifts to a regional charitable sports event and a state university, indicating a preference for supporting institutions that serve the Michigan community.
Highly concentrated giving: one very large, multi-hundred-thousand dollar commitment to a single college, plus a few smaller/repeat grants. Grants are predominantly general operating support rather than project-restricted funding and focus on a small number of institutional recipients within Michigan.
The Serra Foundation made a $1,000,000 general-use grant to Albion College in 2023, the largest grant in the recent record. That single award sits alongside a pattern of unrestricted support for Michigan institutions and community groups, including repeated funding for Michigan State University, The Ally Challenge Presented by Mcl, and local nonprofit and civic organizations. The foundation’s giving is mostly tied to higher education and community benefit, with general-use grants appearing across colleges, schools, museums, health-related organizations, and local service providers. General-use funding is the clearest thread running through the grant list. The foundation supported Michigan private and public colleges, while also backing institutions such as The Sloan Museum, the Flint Institute of Music, and the Farmington Family YMCA. It also made grants to community-focused organizations and local public entities, showing a preference for flexible support rather than narrowly defined program awards. In the recent record, several grantees received multiple gifts over two years, which points to ongoing relationships rather than isolated transactions.
In higher education, The Serra Foundation funded both private and public institutions. It gave $1,000,000 to Albion College for general use and $60,000 in 2024 to Michigan State University, plus another $10,000 to Michigan State University in 2023. Community and youth-serving organizations also appear in the record. The foundation awarded $25,000 to Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan for general use, and $25,000 to the City of Rochester Hills, indicating support for civic and educational activity beyond campus settings. Arts, culture, and local services make up another part of the portfolio. Grants went to The Sloan Museum for $20,000, the Flint Institute of Music for $10,000, and the Mclaren Flint Foundation for $5,500, all on a general-use basis. The foundation also supported local youth and family organizations such as Orchards Children's Services, Farmington Family YMCA, and Community Partners for Affordable Housing.
Typical grants are small to moderate, with a p25 of $500, a median of $1,500, and a p75 of $10,000. The distribution includes a few much larger awards, including the $1,000,000 grant to Albion College, which stands far above the usual size. Several recipients appear in more than one year, including The Ally Challenge Presented by Mcl, Miami University Foundation, Michigan State University, Orchards Children's Services, Kirk Gibson Foundation, Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, and Ascension Genesys Foundation. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The recent grants are all general-use awards, which suggests flexible support rather than restricted project funding.
$2.4M
$9.5M
$9.8M
$2.5M
Most grants fall between $500 and $10K, with a median of $2K.
25th Percentile
$500
Median
$2K
75th Percentile
$10K
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Notable grantees: Albion College, The Ally Challenge presented by MCL, Michigan State University
Grants are overwhelmingly local: 91% of grants went to recipients in Michigan. The heaviest concentration is in Michigan cities such as Flint, East Lansing, Grand Blanc, Southfield, Ann Arbor, Rochester Hills, and Farmington Hills. Outside Michigan, the record includes grants to Oxford, Ohio; Villanova, Pennsylvania; Chicago, Illinois; and Libertyville, Illinois. All recorded grants went to U.S. recipients.
The recent record shows general-use support for colleges and universities, local community organizations, and civic or cultural groups. Recipients include Albion College, Michigan State University, Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan, The Sloan Museum, the Flint Institute of Music, and the Farmington Family YMCA.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including The Ally Challenge Presented by Mcl, Miami University Foundation, Michigan State University, Orchards Children's Services, Kirk Gibson Foundation, Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, and Ascension Genesys Foundation.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is small to moderate: p25 is $500, median is $1,500, and p75 is $10,000. The record also includes a much larger outlier, with a $1,000,000 general-use grant to Albion College in 2023.
Its grantmaking is concentrated in Michigan, with 91% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Within the grant list, Michigan cities such as Flint, East Lansing, Grand Blanc, Southfield, Ann Arbor, Rochester Hills, and Farmington Hills appear repeatedly.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLaren Flint Foundation | Flint, MI | $1,202,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Loyola University Chicago | Chicago, IL | $420,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Albion College | Albion, MI | $205,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Play Right Sports Academy | Albion, MI | $153,602 | 2026 | General Use |
| Michigan State University | East Lansing, MI | $60,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Friends of Berston Field House | Flint, MI | $60,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| The Ally Challenge Presented by McL | Ann Arbor, MI | $45,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Miami University Foundation | Oxford, OH | $30,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | $25,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan | Detroit, MI | $25,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Community Foundation of Greater Rochester | Rochester Hills, MI | $25,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Grand Blanc Community School | Grand Blanc, MI | $20,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Holy Family | Grand Blanc, MI | $20,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Kirk Gibson Foundation | Grosse Pointe, MI | $10,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| McLaren Northern MI Foundation | Petoskey, MI | $10,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Community Partners for Affordable Housing | Libertyville, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| East Lake Community Development | Eastlake, MI | $10,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Flint Institute of Music | Flint, MI | $10,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Vehicle City Gridiron Sports | Flint, MI | $6,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Greater Flint Area Sports Hall of Fame | Flint, MI | $5,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Grand Blanc Youth Arts | Swartz Creek, MI | $5,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce | Flint, MI | $4,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Family Assistance for Renaissance Men | Detroit, MI | $3,500 | 2026 | General Use |
| Powers Catholic High School | Flint, MI | $3,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| City of Grand Blanc Police Association | Grand Blanc, MI | $3,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| TrendSettas Corvette Club | Flint, MI | $2,500 | 2026 | General Use |
| Sloan Museum | Flint, MI | $2,500 | 2026 | General Use |
| Shelter Animal Donations | Fenton, MI | $2,500 | 2026 | General Use |
| Flint Institute of Art | Flint, MI | $2,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Catholic Charities | Flint, MI | $1,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Camp Daggett | Petoskey, MI | $1,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Fenton Festival Inc | Fenton, MI | $1,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Voice for Children Advocacy Center | Flint, MI | $1,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Flint Jewish Federation | Flint, MI | $1,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| The Disability Network | Flint, MI | $1,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Food Bank of Eastern Michigan | Flint, MI | $1,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Fenton Education Foundation | Fenton, MI | $1,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Communities First | Flint, MI | $1,000 | 2026 | General Use |
| Michigan Ballet Academy | Grand Rapids, MI | $500 | 2026 | General Use |
| Our Lady Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church | Flint, MI | $500 | 2026 | General Use |
| Greater Flint Youth Development | Flint, MI | $500 | 2026 | General Use |
| Haven Oakland | Pontiac, MI | $500 | 2026 | General Use |
| DADS of Southeast Michigan | Sterling Heights, MI | $500 | 2026 | General Use |
| Xceptional Heroes | Grand Blanc, MI | $300 | 2026 | General Use |
| Salvation Army | Flint, MI | $250 | 2026 | General Use |
| Grand Blanc High School | Grand Blanc, MI | $250 | 2026 | General Use |
| Greater Flint Area Baseball Softball | Fenton, MI | $250 | 2026 | General Use |
| Gamma Delta Chapter - NSPSK Inc | Flint, MI | $250 | 2026 | General Use |
| Team Buddy Forever Foundation | Grand Blanc, MI | $250 | 2026 | General Use |
| Kiwanis Health Camp Foundation | Flint, MI | $200 | 2026 | General Use |
Albion College
$205,000General Use
Play Right Sports Academy
$153,602General Use
Michigan State University
$60,000General Use
Friends of Berston Field House
$60,000General Use
The Ally Challenge Presented by McL
$45,000General Use
Community Foundation of Greater Rochester
$25,000General Use
Grand Blanc Community School
$20,000General Use
Holy Family
$20,000General Use
Kirk Gibson Foundation
$10,000General Use
McLaren Northern MI Foundation
$10,000General Use
East Lake Community Development
$10,000General Use
Vehicle City Gridiron Sports
$6,000General Use
Greater Flint Area Sports Hall of Fame
$5,000General Use
Grand Blanc Youth Arts
$5,000General Use
Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce
$4,000General Use
Family Assistance for Renaissance Men
$3,500General Use
Powers Catholic High School
$3,000General Use
City of Grand Blanc Police Association
$3,000General Use
TrendSettas Corvette Club
$2,500General Use
Sloan Museum
$2,500General Use
Shelter Animal Donations
$2,500General Use
Camp Daggett
$1,000General Use
Fenton Festival Inc
$1,000General Use
Voice for Children Advocacy Center
$1,000General Use
Flint Jewish Federation
$1,000General Use
The Disability Network
$1,000General Use
Fenton Education Foundation
$1,000General Use
Communities First
$1,000General Use
Michigan Ballet Academy
$500General Use
Our Lady Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church
$500General Use
Greater Flint Youth Development
$500General Use
Haven Oakland
$500General Use
DADS of Southeast Michigan
$500General Use
Xceptional Heroes
$300General Use
Salvation Army
$250General Use
Grand Blanc High School
$250General Use
Greater Flint Area Baseball Softball
$250General Use
Gamma Delta Chapter - NSPSK Inc
$250General Use
Team Buddy Forever Foundation
$250General Use
Kiwanis Health Camp Foundation
$200General Use