The Serra Foundation
Fenton, MI · EIN 26-1675789. Reported 254 grants totalling $6,493,760 to 123 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. The Serra 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 $1,500. Half of everything it gave fell between $500 and $10,000; the smallest was $100 and the largest $1,202,000. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albion College | Albion, MI | $2,410,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Mclaren Flint Foundation | Flint, MI | $1,221,000 | 7 | 5 | 2025 |
| Loyola University Chicago | Chicago, IL | $880,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| The Ally Challenge Presented By Mcl | Ann Arbor, MI | $381,800 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Michigan State University | East Lansing, MI | $190,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Play Right Sports Academy | Albion, MI | $167,940 | 6 | 5 | 2025 |
| Miami University Foundation | Oxford, OH | $150,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Holy Family Church | Grand Blanc, MI | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan | Detroit, MI | $75,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Friends of Berston Field House | Flint, MI | $60,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Grand Blanc Community School | Grand Blanc, MI | $60,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Community Foundation of Greater Rochester | Rochester Hills, MI | $51,750 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Kirk Gibson Gold Classic | Grosse Pointe, MI | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Sloan Museum | Flint, MI | $44,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Holy Family | Grand Blanc, MI | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Kirk Gibson Foundation | Grosse Pointe, MI | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Orchards Children's Services | Southfield, MI | $38,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Community Partners for Affordable Housing | Libertyville, IL | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Farmington Family YMCA | Farmington Hills, MI | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Flint Institute of Music | Flint, MI | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| City of Rochester Hills | Rochester Hills, MI | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Ascension Genesys Foundation | Grand Blanc, MI | $22,475 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce | Flint, MI | $21,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Everest Academy | Clarkston, MI | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Holy Family School | Grand Blanc, MI | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Villanova University | Villanova, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Vehicle City Gridiron Sports | Flint, MI | $18,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Powers Catholic High School | Flint, MI | $15,300 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| St John Fenton School | Fenton, MI | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| The Karing Home Youth Project | Gaylord, MI | $12,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Grand Blanc Education Foundation | Grand Blanc, MI | $11,100 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| East Lake Community Development | Eastlake, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Faith Lutheran Church | Grand Blanc, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Flint Institute of Art | Flint, MI | $10,000 | 6 | 5 | 2025 |
| Grand Blanc Youth Arts | Swartz Creek, MI | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Greater Flint Area Sports Hall of Fame | Flint, MI | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Long Island Falcons Travel Baseball | Ronkonkoma, NY | $10,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Mclaren Northern Mi Foundation | Petoskey, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| United Way of Genesee County | Flint, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Vehicle City Gridiron Sports Commit | Flint, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Communities First | Flint, MI | $8,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Shelter Animal Donations | Fenton, MI | $7,500 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| The Disability Network | Flint, MI | $6,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Nw Mi | Flint, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Capital Area Down Syndrome Associat | East Lansing, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Catholic Charities | Flint, MI | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Flint Rotary Charitable Foundation | Davison, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Neighborhood House | Rochester Hills, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Vechile City Gridiron Sports Commit | Flint, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Voice for Children Advocacy Center | Flint, MI | $5,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Flint & Genesee Chamber Foundation | Flint, MI | $3,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Family Assistance for Renaissance Men | Detroit, MI | $3,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| City of Grand Blanc Police Association | Grand Blanc, MI | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Food Bank of Eastern Michigan | Flint, MI | $3,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Gottagetit | Burton, MI | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Hurley Foundation | Flint, MI | $3,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Grand Blanc High School | Grand Blanc, MI | $2,500 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Trendsettas Corvette Club | Flint, MI | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Fenton Regional Chamber of Commerce Foundation | Fenton, MI | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Flint & Genesee Group Foundation | Flint, MI | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Greater Flint Area Baseball Softbal | Fenton, MI | $2,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| St Thomas More Academy | Burton, MI | $2,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Dads of Southeast Michigan | Sterling Heights, MI | $1,570 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Far | Birmingham, MI | $1,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Leader Dogs for the Blind | Rochester Hills, MI | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Our Lady Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church | Flint, MI | $1,500 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Salvation Army | Flint, MI | $1,250 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Voices for Children Advocacy Center | Flint, MI | $1,250 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| Team Buddy Forever Foundation | Grand Blanc, MI | $1,050 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Can Council | Saginaw, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Camp Daggett | Petoskey, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Elga Credit Union Foundation for Impact | Grand Blanc, MI | $1,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Eton Academy | Birmingham, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Fenton Education Foundation | Fenton, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Fenton Festival Inc | Fenton, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Flint Diaper Bank Inc | Flint, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Flint Jewish Federation | Flint, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Gigi's Playhouse Detroit | Southfield, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Jack & Jill Center in Ft Lauderdale | Ft Lauderdale, FL | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Kiwanis Health Camp Foundation | Flint, MI | $1,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Knights of Columbus Council 6742 | Grand Blanc, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Maroone Cancer Center Cleveland C | Weston, FL | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Michigan Ballet Academy | Grand Rapids, MI | $1,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Sylvester Broome Empowerment Villag | Flint, MI | $1,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Special Olympics of Michigan | Mt Pleasant, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Xceptional Heros | Grand Blanc, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Fenton Area Public Schools | Fenton, MI | $700 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Boy Scouts of America | Burton, MI | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Crime Stoppers of Flint & Genesee C | Flint, MI | $500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Dads of Southest Michigan | Sterling Heights, MI | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Ele's Place | Burton, MI | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Family Promise of Genesee County | Flint, MI | $500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| First Book | Washington, DC | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Food for the Poor | Coconut Creek, FL | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Greater Flint Youth Development | Flint, MI | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Harbor Springs Chamber Foundation | Harbor Springs, MI | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Haven Oakland | Pontiac, MI | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Old Newsboys of Flint | Flint, MI | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Patterson Elementary School | Holly, MI | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Pink Par-Tee of Warwick Hills | Grand Blanc, MI | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Spill the Honey Foundation | Southfield, MI | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Spred Ministry Visitation Parish | Elmhurst, IL | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| St Jude Hospital for Children | Royal Oak, MI | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Anti-Cruelty Society | Chicago, IL | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michiga | Detroit, MI | $450 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Fenton Community Orchestra | Fenton, MI | $375 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Foutch Baseball | Flint, MI | $300 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Xceptional Heroes | Grand Blanc, MI | $300 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| American Red Cross | Flint, MI | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Center for Hope | Flint, MI | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Genesee County Habitat for Humanity | Flint, MI | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Gamma Delta Chapter - Nspsk Inc | Flint, MI | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Greater Flint Area Baseball Softball | Fenton, MI | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Inter-Faith Food Shuttle | Raleigh, NC | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Miracle League of Plymouth | Plymouth, MI | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Fish of Grand Blanc | Flint, MI | $200 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Shelter of Flint | Flint, MI | $200 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| City Church | Traverse City, MI | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ken & Jane Rogers Cmu Scholarship E | Mt Pleasant, MI | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Michigan Crossroads Council | Eagle, MI | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Shiawassee Humane Society | Owosso, MI | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Einstein Method | Bloomfield Hills, MI | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
56 of 123 (46%) 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 67%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is about typical. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one.
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 107 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 | 57 | $1,423,073 | $1,000 |
| 2022 | 38 | $1,270,978 | $1,500 |
| 2023 | 50 | $407,233 | $1,625 |
| 2024 | 56 | $999,299 | $1,750 |
| 2025 | 53 | $2,393,177 | $2,500 |
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
83% 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 $1,500. 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 The Serra 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: 13338 Wenwood Drive, Fenton, MI, 48430. 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 26-1675789 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
Is something here wrong about your foundation? Email [email protected] and we will correct it.