The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation concentrates its giving on long-term, place-based revitalization of Flint and Genesee County while also supporting national policy and field-building efforts in afterschool programming and water equity. Grants target neighborhood stabilization and housing, early childhood and K–12 supports (including afterschool and career academies), postsecondary and workforce pathways, and infrastructure and public-health responses stemming from the Flint water crisis. The foundation mixes large multi-year investments in local institutions with targeted national grants to strengthen networks and policy capacity in water affordability and expanded learning.
The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation’s largest recent grants show a clear pattern of place-based investment in Flint: $18,000,000 to the Community Foundation of Greater Flint for long-term operations and maintenance of the first state park in Genesee County, and $15,541,792 to the same foundation to support organizations that have a positive impact on Flint residents. That local focus extends across housing, education, community facilities, and public health, with major commitments to the School District of the City of Flint for a K-8 campus renovation and to the Foundation for the Uptown Reinvestment Corporation for downtown Flint expansion tied to the Health and Wellness District. The foundation also backs institutions that anchor civic life, including the Flint Cultural Center and Michigan State University’s downtown Flint campus footprint. Alongside those hometown investments, it funds national policy and field-building work in water infrastructure and expanded learning, including grants to support afterschool systems and water affordability efforts. The result is a portfolio that combines large, multi-year local grants with targeted support for systems, research, and capacity building.
Education runs through several parts of the portfolio. In Flint, the foundation gave $14,000,000 to the School District of the City of Flint to renovate a K-8 campus with early childhood and community-based supports, and $6,680,000 to the Community Foundation of Greater Flint for a full-service community schools strategy that includes afterschool programming. It also awarded $7,000,000 to Beecher Community School District for a career academy high school renovation. Beyond K-12, the foundation supports higher education and workforce pathways, including $8,000,000 to Kettering University for ongoing operations and $9,500,000 to Mott Community College for student services renovations. In public health and family economic stability, it provided $15,000,000 to Michigan State University to implement and research a prenatal and infant cash allowance initiative.
Typical grants cluster around a median of $25,000, with a lower quartile of $3,600 and an upper quartile of $130,152, showing a mix of small awards and major institutional commitments. The recent grants list includes multiple repeated recipients across different years, including the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, Foundation for the Uptown Reinvestment Corporation, Regents of the University of Michigan, Kettering University, Mott Community College, and Genesee Area Focus Fund Inc., indicating recurring support rather than one-off giving. The foundation is a regular funder and also makes program-related investments. It funds individuals and uses both program grants and larger operating or facilities awards. One listed program, the Mott Million Dollar Challenge, accepts unsolicited applications.
$515.9M
$3.8B
$228.3M
$201.8M
Most grants fall between $4K and $130K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$130K
About 48% of grants go to recipients in DC.
Top 10 recipient countries by grant volume for Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 2,518 | $492.6M | 83.1% |
| 2 | South Africa | 80 | $12.9M |
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Concentrated, place-based giving with repeated, large multi-year commitments to local anchor institutions and intermediaries in Flint (many repeat grantees), complemented by selective national grants to field-builders in afterschool and water policy. Grants skew toward sizable awards rather than many small one-offs.
Notable grantees: Community Foundation of Greater Flint, Foundation for the Uptown Reinvestment Corporation, Mott Community College, Afterschool Alliance / After-School All-Stars, Water Foundation
Grantmaking is heavily concentrated in Michigan, especially Flint and Genesee County, with 48% of grants going to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state. Flint appears repeatedly as the recipient city, alongside East Lansing, Ann Arbor, and Los Angeles. Outside the United States, the recipient distribution includes Brazil, the United Kingdom, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Colombia among the top locations shown, reflecting some international grantmaking alongside the foundation’s strong domestic focus. The top state by grant count is DC, which points to a national policy and field-building footprint in addition to local giving.
The foundation’s recent grants emphasize Flint neighborhood stabilization, education from birth through college, housing and blight elimination, community vitality, child poverty solutions, water infrastructure, and public-health capacity tied to the Flint water crisis. It also supports national work in afterschool programming and water equity.
Yes. Several recipients appear more than once in the recent grants list, including the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, Foundation for the Uptown Reinvestment Corporation, Regents of the University of Michigan, Kettering University, Mott Community College, and Genesee Area Focus Fund Inc.
The grant-size distribution is $3,600 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $130,152 at the 75th percentile. That range sits alongside a portfolio that also includes very large institutional grants in the millions.
One listed program does: the Mott Million Dollar Challenge, a national pitch competition for K–12 students, is marked as accepting unsolicited applications. The other active programs shown are marked as not accepting unsolicited requests.
Most grants go to recipients in Michigan, especially Flint and Genesee County, and 48% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state of Michigan. The top state by grant count is DC, showing that the foundation also supports national policy and field-building work.
RIDGWAY H WHITE
PRESIDENT, CEO & TRUSTEE-CHAIRMAN
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
2.6% |
| 3 | Brazil | 64 | $9.5M | 2.1% |
| 4 | United Kingdom | 34 | $3.8M | 1.1% |
| 5 | Kenya | 29 | $4.1M | 1.0% |
| 6 | Ukraine | 26 | $4.3M | 0.9% |
| 7 | Uganda | 26 | $4.1M | 0.9% |
| 8 | Tanzania | 19 | $4.1M | 0.6% |
| 9 | Malawi | 17 | $1.5M | 0.6% |
| 10 | Colombia | 15 | $2.4M | 0.5% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community Foundation of Greater Flint | Flint, MI | $15,541,792 | 2025 | To support organizations that have a positive impact on Flint residents. |
| Regents of the University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | $10,000,000 | 2025 | To support the expansion of critical care programs at a hospital with expertise in innovative and patient-centered pediatric care. |
| Kettering University | Flint, MI | $8,000,000 | 2025 | To support the ongoing operations of a higher education university that prepares students for in-demand fields and contributes to the economic stability of its hometown. |
| Beecher Community School District | Flint, MI | $7,000,000 | 2025 | To support the renovation of a career academy high school in Beecher. |
| Foundation for the Uptown Reinvestment Corporation | Flint, MI | $6,000,000 | 2025 | To support revitalization efforts and community vitality in downtown Flint. |
| Friends of Berston | Flint, MI | $5,000,000 | 2025 | To support the renovation and construction of new facilities at a community center to enhance the health, recreational and educational programming for Flint residents. |
| Genesee Intermediate School District | Flint, MI | $5,000,000 | 2025 | To support renovations and upgrades for an early childhood education center to improve the learning experiences of young children and their families. |
| Regents of the University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | $3,652,544 | 2025 | To strengthen the capacity of a children's hospital. |
| Community Foundation of Greater Flint | Flint, MI | $3,340,000 | 2025 | To support the delivery of a full-service community schools strategy, including an afterschool program, to ensure Flint kids have opportunities to thrive. |
| Mott Community College | Flint, MI | $3,000,000 | 2025 | To support renovations of the college's student services building to improve students success while enhancing campus assets. |
| Mizzen Education Inc | Marina del Rey, CA | $2,500,000 | 2025 | To support the development of Mizzen Education, Inc. to provide high-quality curricula and resources for afterschool educators and programs. |
| Afterschool Alliance | Washington, DC | $2,400,000 | 2025 | To support a coalition of organizations dedicated to raising awareness of, and public support for, afterschool and expanded learning programs. |
| Fund for Global Human Rights | Washington, DC | $2,000,000 | 2025 | To support development of the legal empowerment field to ensure access to justice for marginalized and vulnerable communities around the world. |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | Newark, DE | $1,542,417 | 2025 | For the general purposes or other charitable purposes of the organization. |
| Uptown Reinvestment Corporation Inc | Flint, MI | $1,300,000 | 2025 | To support the acquisition of property to prevent blight and position the space for future development, contributing to economic development and community revitalization. |
| Genesee County | Flint, MI | $1,180,687 | 2025 | To provide support for increased public safety efforts in the densely populated greater downtown area. |
| Communities First Inc | Flint, MI | $1,000,000 | 2025 | To support the acquisition and redevelopment of the Baker College Flint campus which will lead to enhanced social and educational services and additional safe and affordable housing opportunities for area residents. |
| Flint Institute of Arts | Flint, MI | $1,000,000 | 2025 | To provide general purposes support for the institute and enhance visual arts experiences for residents of the region. |
| Heifer Project International | Little Rock, AR | $1,000,000 | 2025 | To expand access to productive use of solar energy services while improving the livelihoods of underserved farmers, women and youth in Uganda. |
| World Wildlife Fund Inc | Washington, DC | $1,000,000 | 2025 | To improve access to productive use of solar energy services within selected agricultural value chains using a distributed renewable energy ecosystem model comprised of a hub secretariat and a strong network of partner spoke organizations. |
| Collaborative Communications Group Inc | Falls Church, VA | $900,000 | 2025 | To support a national network and learning community of statewide afterschool networks. |
| Communities First Inc | Flint, MI | $900,000 | 2025 | To support the development of new and affordable diverse housing options for Flint residents, including those who are among the most vulnerable. |
| Genesee Area Focus Fund Inc | Flint, MI | $825,000 | 2025 | To support preemployment training and summer job placement for Flint area youth ages 14 to 18. |
| People in Need | Prague | $800,000 | 2025 | To support a leading nongovernmental organization to promote sustainable development and an active civil society in the Czech Republic, regionally and globally. |
| Michigan Association of United Ways Inc | Lansing, MI | $750,000 | 2025 | To advance equitable access to afterschool programs for Michigan's youth. |
| The Children's Hospital of Michigan Foundation | Detroit, MI | $750,000 | 2025 | To support long-term implementation and sustainability of youth-serving organizations in the Detroit area. |
| National Summer Learning Association Inc | Washington, DC | $750,000 | 2025 | To provide technical assistance to field and the statewide afterschool networks. |
| Kenya Climate Innovation Center | Madaraka | $750,000 | 2025 | To expand access to productive use of solar energy services while improving the livelihoods of underserved farmers and entrepreneurs in Kenya. |
| United Way of Genesee County | Flint, MI | $750,000 | 2025 | To support a National Service Fund to bring more national service participants to the Flint area by providing matching grant funds to eligible organizations. |
| Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen | Berlin | $700,000 | 2025 | To develop the community foundation field and strengthen infrastructure for community foundations in Europe. |
| National Summer Learning Association Inc | Washington, DC | $610,000 | 2025 | To support efforts to improve quality, expand access and increase the demand for summer learning programs across the country. |
| Communities First Inc | Flint, MI | $600,000 | 2025 | To build organizational capacity for low-income housing development. |
| National Wildlife Federation | Reston, VA | $550,000 | 2025 | To build and lead coalitions, increase public understanding, and conduct research on the water quality, water quantity and other challenges facing the Great Lakes ecosystem. |
| Community Foundation of Greater Flint | Flint, MI | $550,000 | 2025 | To support the research and evaluation of initiatives to ensure they best serve Flint kids. |
| Flint Institute of Science History | Flint, MI | $540,000 | 2025 | To provide general purposes support for the institute and enhance science and history programming for the community. |
| Community Foundation of Greater Flint | Flint, MI | $537,000 | 2025 | To increase educational outcomes and support Flint kids thriving. |
| University School | Hunting Valley, OH | $525,000 | 2025 | To support an organization that will expand opportunities for young people to participate in entrepreneurial activities and increase engagement of regional ecosystems in youth entrepreneurship within under-served and under-resourced communities. |
| ASOCIACION ESPANOLA DE FUNDACIONES | Madrid | $500,000 | 2025 | To develop community foundations in Spain. |
| Hispanics in Philanthropy | San Francisco, CA | $500,000 | 2025 | To expand awareness on migration issues while building stronger networks that facilitate collaboration throughout the Americas. |
| State of California | Sacramento, CA | $500,000 | 2025 | To raise awareness of and participation in California's statewide children's savings accounts initiative. |
| Foundation for the Uptown Reinvestment Corporation | Flint, MI | $500,000 | 2025 | To support efforts that stimulate job growth and promote safety and security in downtown Flint. |
| Water Foundation | Sacramento, CA | $500,000 | 2025 | To enhance coordination and impact of organizations in the United States working to improve water infrastructure and restore freshwater ecosystems. |
| Catholic Charities of Shiawassee and Genesee Counties | Flint, MI | $500,000 | 2025 | To support the construction of transitional housing community for homeless military veterans. |
| Native Americans in Philanthropy | Washington, DC | $500,000 | 2025 | To support the development of a program that facilitates better United States community foundation engagement with Native American communities. |
| Regents of the University of Michigan | Flint, MI | $500,000 | 2025 | To provide support for increased public safety efforts in the densely populated greater downtown area, including the University of Michigan-Flint campus. |
| Trustees of Boston University | Boston, MA | $500,000 | 2025 | To support research and increased transparency on the impacts of Chinese-backed development finance in the global economy. |
| Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund Inc | Petoskey, MI | $500,000 | 2025 | To ensure the health of the Great Lakes and the people who depend on them by providing financial resources and consulting services to grassroots groups seeking to ensure access to clean, safe water. |
| Water Foundation | Sacramento, CA | $500,000 | 2025 | To monitor and improve implementation of federal water infrastructure investments across the United States. |
| Foundation for Detroit's Future | Detroit, MI | $500,000 | 2025 | To provide support to protect and preserve the City of Detroit's rich cultural heritage, foster and promote the economic revitalization and fiscal health of the City, and enable the City to fulfill its municipal financial and civic obligations. |
| Water Foundation | Sacramento, CA | $500,000 | 2025 | To assess the feasibility of a multi-year effort to promote water affordability at the national level. |
Community Foundation of Greater Flint
$15,541,792To support organizations that have a positive impact on Flint residents.
Regents of the University of Michigan
$10,000,000To support the expansion of critical care programs at a hospital with expertise in innovative and patient-centered pediatric care.
Kettering University
$8,000,000To support the ongoing operations of a higher education university that prepares students for in-demand fields and contributes to the economic stability of its hometown.
Beecher Community School District
$7,000,000To support the renovation of a career academy high school in Beecher.
Foundation for the Uptown Reinvestment Corporation
$6,000,000To support revitalization efforts and community vitality in downtown Flint.
Friends of Berston
To support the renovation and construction of new facilities at a community center to enhance the health, recreational and educational programming for Flint residents.
Genesee Intermediate School District
$5,000,000To support renovations and upgrades for an early childhood education center to improve the learning experiences of young children and their families.
Regents of the University of Michigan
$3,652,544To strengthen the capacity of a children's hospital.
Community Foundation of Greater Flint
$3,340,000To support the delivery of a full-service community schools strategy, including an afterschool program, to ensure Flint kids have opportunities to thrive.
Mott Community College
$3,000,000To support renovations of the college's student services building to improve students success while enhancing campus assets.
Mizzen Education Inc
$2,500,000To support the development of Mizzen Education, Inc. to provide high-quality curricula and resources for afterschool educators and programs.
Afterschool Alliance
$2,400,000To support a coalition of organizations dedicated to raising awareness of, and public support for, afterschool and expanded learning programs.
Fund for Global Human Rights
$2,000,000To support development of the legal empowerment field to ensure access to justice for marginalized and vulnerable communities around the world.
American Online Giving Foundation Inc
$1,542,417For the general purposes or other charitable purposes of the organization.
Uptown Reinvestment Corporation Inc
$1,300,000To support the acquisition of property to prevent blight and position the space for future development, contributing to economic development and community revitalization.
Genesee County
$1,180,687To provide support for increased public safety efforts in the densely populated greater downtown area.
Communities First Inc
$1,000,000To support the acquisition and redevelopment of the Baker College Flint campus which will lead to enhanced social and educational services and additional safe and affordable housing opportunities for area residents.
Flint Institute of Arts
$1,000,000To provide general purposes support for the institute and enhance visual arts experiences for residents of the region.
Heifer Project International
$1,000,000To expand access to productive use of solar energy services while improving the livelihoods of underserved farmers, women and youth in Uganda.
World Wildlife Fund Inc
$1,000,000To improve access to productive use of solar energy services within selected agricultural value chains using a distributed renewable energy ecosystem model comprised of a hub secretariat and a strong network of partner spoke organizations.
Collaborative Communications Group Inc
$900,000To support a national network and learning community of statewide afterschool networks.
Communities First Inc
$900,000To support the development of new and affordable diverse housing options for Flint residents, including those who are among the most vulnerable.
Genesee Area Focus Fund Inc
$825,000To support preemployment training and summer job placement for Flint area youth ages 14 to 18.
People in Need
$800,000To support a leading nongovernmental organization to promote sustainable development and an active civil society in the Czech Republic, regionally and globally.
Michigan Association of United Ways Inc
$750,000To advance equitable access to afterschool programs for Michigan's youth.
The Children's Hospital of Michigan Foundation
$750,000To support long-term implementation and sustainability of youth-serving organizations in the Detroit area.
National Summer Learning Association Inc
$750,000To provide technical assistance to field and the statewide afterschool networks.
Kenya Climate Innovation Center
$750,000To expand access to productive use of solar energy services while improving the livelihoods of underserved farmers and entrepreneurs in Kenya.
United Way of Genesee County
$750,000To support a National Service Fund to bring more national service participants to the Flint area by providing matching grant funds to eligible organizations.
Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen
$700,000To develop the community foundation field and strengthen infrastructure for community foundations in Europe.
National Summer Learning Association Inc
$610,000To support efforts to improve quality, expand access and increase the demand for summer learning programs across the country.
Communities First Inc
$600,000To build organizational capacity for low-income housing development.
National Wildlife Federation
$550,000To build and lead coalitions, increase public understanding, and conduct research on the water quality, water quantity and other challenges facing the Great Lakes ecosystem.
Community Foundation of Greater Flint
$550,000To support the research and evaluation of initiatives to ensure they best serve Flint kids.
Flint Institute of Science History
$540,000To provide general purposes support for the institute and enhance science and history programming for the community.
Community Foundation of Greater Flint
$537,000To increase educational outcomes and support Flint kids thriving.
University School
$525,000To support an organization that will expand opportunities for young people to participate in entrepreneurial activities and increase engagement of regional ecosystems in youth entrepreneurship within under-served and under-resourced communities.
ASOCIACION ESPANOLA DE FUNDACIONES
$500,000To develop community foundations in Spain.
Hispanics in Philanthropy
$500,000To expand awareness on migration issues while building stronger networks that facilitate collaboration throughout the Americas.
State of California
$500,000To raise awareness of and participation in California's statewide children's savings accounts initiative.
Foundation for the Uptown Reinvestment Corporation
$500,000To support efforts that stimulate job growth and promote safety and security in downtown Flint.
Water Foundation
$500,000To enhance coordination and impact of organizations in the United States working to improve water infrastructure and restore freshwater ecosystems.
Catholic Charities of Shiawassee and Genesee Counties
$500,000To support the construction of transitional housing community for homeless military veterans.
Native Americans in Philanthropy
$500,000To support the development of a program that facilitates better United States community foundation engagement with Native American communities.
Regents of the University of Michigan
$500,000To provide support for increased public safety efforts in the densely populated greater downtown area, including the University of Michigan-Flint campus.
Trustees of Boston University
$500,000To support research and increased transparency on the impacts of Chinese-backed development finance in the global economy.
Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund Inc
$500,000To ensure the health of the Great Lakes and the people who depend on them by providing financial resources and consulting services to grassroots groups seeking to ensure access to clean, safe water.
Water Foundation
$500,000To monitor and improve implementation of federal water infrastructure investments across the United States.
Foundation for Detroit's Future
$500,000To provide support to protect and preserve the City of Detroit's rich cultural heritage, foster and promote the economic revitalization and fiscal health of the City, and enable the City to fulfill its municipal financial and civic obligations.
Water Foundation
$500,000To assess the feasibility of a multi-year effort to promote water affordability at the national level.