Allen Foundation
Midland, MI · EIN 51-0152562. Reported 223 grants totalling $8,321,624 to 151 recipients across tax years 2021-2025. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Allen Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $25,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $15,000 and $50,000; the smallest was $1,000 and the largest $268,700. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Children's Hospital | Boston, MA | $400,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Brigham & Womens Hospital | Boston, MA | $378,078 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| The Bridge Food Center | Midland, MI | $330,856 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Crawford Co Comm on Aging | Grayling, MI | $268,700 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Michigan State University | East Lansing, MI | $240,256 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Regents of the University of Minnesota | Minneapolis, MN | $218,246 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Food Rescue | Traverse City, MI | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Northwest Education Services | Traverse City, MI | $193,398 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Interlochen Center for the Arts | Interlochen, MI | $175,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Inland Seas Education Center | Suttons Bay, MI | $154,500 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Acta Non Verba Urban Youth Farm | Oakland, CA | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Botanical Garden Society of Nw Mi | Traverse City, MI | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| University of Minnesota | Minneapolis, MN | $128,246 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | New York, NY | $118,120 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| University of Maine | Orono, ME | $114,360 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| West Midland Family Center | Midland, MI | $110,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Massachusetts General Hospital | Boston, MA | $109,064 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| University of Queensland | St Lucia | $108,918 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| University of Vienna | Vienna | $108,775 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Tufts University | Boston, MA | $105,356 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Groundworks Center | Traverse City, MI | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Hidden Harvest | Saginaw, MI | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Microbine Hlth Research Institute | Cambridge, MA | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Northwest Mi Comm Action Agency | Traverse City, MI | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Oregon State Univesity Foundation | Corvallis, OR | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Univeristy of Chester | Chester | $93,141 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Macquarie University | Macquarie Park Sw | $91,650 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Mil Milagros Inc | Somerville, MA | $90,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Sagniw Valley State University | University Center, MI | $82,512 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Nemcsa Food Programs | Alpena, MI | $82,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Lundquist Inst UCLA Med Center | Torrance, CA | $80,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Ascension St John Foundation | Dallas, TX | $79,988 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Royal Melbourne Inst of Tech University | Melbourne Victoria | $76,478 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Global Volunteers | Little Canada, MN | $75,530 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Botanical Gardent Soc of Nw Mi | Traverse City, MI | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Mathile Institute | Dayton, OH | $75,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Roscommon Co Food Pantry | Houghton Lake, MI | $74,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Traverse Area Public Schools | Traverse City, MI | $67,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Abundant Harvest Comm Garden Outreach | Colorado Springs, CO | $65,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Flint Cultural Ctr Corp | Flint, MI | $62,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| University of Florida | Gainesville, FL | $62,470 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Celiac Disease Program Boston Child Hosp | Boston, MA | $61,064 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Eagle Village | Hersey, MI | $61,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Friends Grand Traverse Cons Dist | Traverse City, MI | $60,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Friends of Interlochen Public Library | Interlochen, MI | $60,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Grand Traverse Area Children's Gardent | Traverse City, MI | $60,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Nmc Exteded Education & Training | Traverse City, MI | $60,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Sustainable Liberia | Decatur, GA | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Univeristy of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $60,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| University of Rochester | Rochester, NY | $59,854 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Agape Comm Transformation | Midland, MI | $59,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| United Way of Midland County | Midland, MI | $54,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Zion Lutheran Church | Hemlock, MI | $52,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Hearth to Hearth Ministries | Lake Ann, MI | $50,643 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Alima USA Inc | New York, NY | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Food Bank of Central and Eastern Nc | Raleigh, NC | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Lundquist Instituteharbour UCLA | Torrance, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| North County Health Project Inc | San Marcos, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Plant Powered Metro New York | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Starfish Family Services Inc | Inkster, MI | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| The Giving Grove | Kansas City, MO | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| University of Toronto | Toronto Ontario | $48,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Eskenazi Health Foundation | Indianapolis, IN | $47,583 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Agape Community Transformation | Midland, MI | $47,210 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Huntsville Hospital Foundation | Huntsville, AL | $46,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Acta Non Verba | Oakland, CA | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Son of a Saint | New Orleans, LA | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| SR Services Midland Co Council on Aging | Midland, MI | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Viviendas Leon | San Francisco, CA | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Seeds Ecology and Education Ctrs | Traverse City, MI | $39,690 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Seed Programs International | Asheville, NC | $38,870 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Groundwork Ctr for Resiliant Comms | Traverse City, MI | $37,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Greater Flint Health Coalition Inc | Flint, MI | $36,420 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Growing Lives Foundation | Fort Wayne, IN | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Texas A&m Agrilife Research | College Station, TX | $34,680 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy | Traverse City, MI | $34,300 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| HAND2HAND | Jenison, MI | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| More Health Inc | Tampa, FL | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Pheonix Community Farm | Midland, MI | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Westview Presbyterian Church | Watsonville, CA | $25,187 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Food Bank of Eastern Michigan | Flint, MI | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Rise Against Hunger | Raleigh, NC | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| School District of Osceola Co | Cloud, FL | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Second Mile Haiti | Tuscon, AZ | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Southeast Health Foundation | Cape Girardeau, MO | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Inga Foundation | Evington, VA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| The Society of St Andrew | Jackson, MS | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Usana Foundation | West Valley City, UT | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| YWCA Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo, MI | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| YWCA of Asheville & Western Nc | Asheville, NC | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Gladwin Community Services Corp | Gladwin, MI | $23,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Lincoln Memorial University | Harrogate, TN | $22,560 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| American Heart Association Nw Ohio | Maumee, OH | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Common Roots Inc | South Burlington, VT | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Cultivate Food Rescue | South Bend, IN | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| East Side Soup Kitchen | Saginaw, MI | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Feed Your Soul With Comm Resources | Copemish, MI | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Saba Grocers Initiative | Oakland, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Spoon | Portland, OR | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Arc of Midland | Midland, MI | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Wellkind | Marina Del Mar, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Westwoods Elementary School | Traverse City, MI | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| YMCA of Saginaw | Saginaw, MI | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Your Store of the Queen City | Cincinnati, OH | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Flying Kites | Boston, MA | $19,300 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Crawford Co Comm Christian Help Center | Grayling, MI | $18,700 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Wayne State University | Detroit, MI | $18,621 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| FAN4KIDS | Brooklyn, NY | $18,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Basic Needs Inc of South Washington Co | St Paul, MN | $17,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Bastyr University | San Diego, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Benzie Senior Resources | Honor, MI | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Cancer Support Cc New Jersey | Bedminster, NJ | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Chef Ann Foundation | Boulder, CO | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Elk Rapids Schools | Elk Rapids, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Mary's Meals USA | Bloomfield, NJ | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Mpc Rescue | Kaleva, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Salvation Army Augusta Area | Augusta, GA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Savannah College of Art and Design Inc | Savannah, GA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Michigan Hospitality Foundation | Lansing, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Western Carolina Rescue Ministries | Ashville, NC | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Rhode Island Community Food Bank | Providence, RI | $12,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Kindness in a Box | Villa Ridge, MO | $12,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Bemore Caring Inc | Glen Burnie, MD | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Bronx Eats Inc | The Bronx, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Christian Direction Inc | Montral | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| City of Midland | Midland, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Family Network of Wy | Wyoming, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Flow Foundation Inc | Matteson, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Gateway Family & Urgent Care | Midland, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Interfaith Alliance Corporation | Shelby, NC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ishi Odamtten Foundation | Dewitt, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Resurrection Lutheran Church of Alpena | Alpena, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Sanders Second Chance Haven | Sherwood, AR | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Westwoods PTO | Traverse City, MI | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| El Caldito | Las Cruces, NM | $8,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Redwood Empire Food Bank | Santa Rosa, CA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Connections to Independence | Minneapolis, MN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Gladwin Comm Services Corp | Gladwin, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Lee County Diabetes Coalition | Beattyville, KY | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Rolilng Harvest Food Rescue | Lumberville, PA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Ronald Mcdonald Charities of Augusta | Augusta, GA | $5,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Barryton Area Mobile Food Pantry | Barryton, MI | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Crossroads Center for Children | Princetown, NY | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Liberty House | Manchester, NH | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Raise and Relish Inc | Sussex, WI | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Grain Valley School District Pat Program | Grain Valley, MO | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Greater Green Bay YMCA | Green Bay, WI | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Valley Community Center | Clarkston, WA | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Loaves & Fishes Community Services | Naperville, IL | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Youth Garden Project | E Moab, UT | $1,300 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels | Ypsilanti, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
48 of 151 (32%) received money in more than one year over the 5 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 39%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Regents of the University of Minnesota
RESEARCH GACTERIAL INTEST GUT MODIFICATION - University of Vienna
RESEARCH MACRONUTRIENTS RESTRICTION - Food Rescue
LOW INCOME FRUITS AND VEG ACCESS - Boston Children's Hospital
RESEARCH IRON TRANSPORT IN THE PLACENTA - Hidden Harvest
HUNGER SOLUTN CTR EXPANSION - Michigan State University
STR LOCAL FRUIT VEGIE ACCESS
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 95 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 40 | $1,559,202 | $21,895 |
| 2022 | 50 | $1,814,764 | $25,093 |
| 2023 | 45 | $1,611,269 | $25,000 |
| 2024 | 45 | $1,582,941 | $26,000 |
| 2025 | 43 | $1,753,448 | $37,500 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
48% of its giving went to organizations in Michigan. If your organization is based elsewhere, look in the recipient list for grants to your area before writing.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $25,000. A request many times that size asks for something it has rarely or never given.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Michigan.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Allen Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2021-2025). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: Po Box 1606, Midland, MI, 48641. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 51-0152562 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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