Catholic Foundation of Michigan

About Catholic Foundation of Michigan

A defining feature of Catholic Foundation of Michigan is the scale of its general-support grants to Catholic institutions and related ministries across Michigan. In the recent grants list, its largest award was $2,500,000 to Catholic Foundation of Southwestern Michigan for general support, followed by seven-figure support in 2024 and 2025 to the same recipient. That pattern sits alongside other large unrestricted grants to organizations such as Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor, Ste Anne De Detroit, and Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Detroit. The foundation’s giving centers on Catholic education and formation, parish life, social outreach, scholarships, and endowments. It also administers donor advised funds and scholarship programs, which places it in a dual role as both grantmaker and steward of donor-directed support. Its recent portfolio includes support for schools, parish ministries, Catholic charities, cemeteries, and faith-based service organizations, with several awards directed to institutions in Detroit, Ann Arbor, and other Michigan communities. General support is a consistent feature of the funder’s recent grantmaking, suggesting flexibility in how recipients use the funds. The organization works within a local scope and primarily serves Michigan-based Catholic entities and nonprofit partners.

What Catholic Foundation of Michigan Funds

Catholic education appears repeatedly in the foundation’s recent awards. It gave $150,000 to Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic School in Warren for general support, and $100,000 to Father Gabriel Richard High School in Ann Arbor for general support. Its scholarship programs also reinforce this priority, including competitive scholarship funds for students attending Archdiocese of Detroit Catholic schools. Parish and ministry support is another clear theme. The foundation awarded $630,000 to Ste Anne De Detroit for general support and $120,000 to St Paul on the Lake Catholic Church in Grosse Pointe Farms for general support. It also provided $104,444 to St John Fisher Chapel University Parish in Auburn Hills. Social outreach shows up through grants to service organizations. Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan in Southfield received $276,300 for general support, while Gleaners Community Food Bank in Detroit received $165,000. The foundation also supported Livingston County Catholic Charities in Howell with $306,000.

How Catholic Foundation of Michigan Gives