Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation
Detroit, MI · EIN 20-5838578. Reported 367 grants totalling $21.6M to 182 recipients across tax years 2021-2025. This foundation told the IRS it does not accept unsolicited requests: it contributes only to organizations it selects itself.
Does this foundation accept applications?
No -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation to check a box if it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds". Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation checked it on its most recent filing, as 78% of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered did. An unsolicited request is unlikely to go anywhere.
Organizations it funds that make grants of their own
3 of the organizations Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation funded make grants themselves, and it reported 9 grants totalling $293,333 to them. That is 2% of the $14.4M of its giving we could match to a registered organization. Each is classified by the IRS as a philanthropy or grantmaking organization, reported grants to at least 25 organizations of its own, and has at least 10 funders behind it.
All of them file Form 990, which never asks whether an organization funds only groups it picks, so there is no answer on record either way.
What that does not mean. It does not mean an application to any of them reaches this foundation's money. A private foundation's grant to a community foundation or a federated campaign is often a donor-advised fund or a gift designated for a purpose the foundation chose, and has nothing to do with any open programme the receiving organization runs. Its return's purpose text sometimes names a family fund or a designated purpose, which is the plainest case of money no applicant can reach; where it names none, neither return says which. The list is who this foundation paid that also makes grants. Whether any of them would fund you is a question for its own page.
| Grantmaker | Kind | State | Received | Grants | Years | Last | Only funds organizations it picks? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community Foundation for Southeast | community foundation | Michigan | $143,333 | 4 | 3 | 2023 | Its form does not ask |
| Mile High United Way Inc | federated giving programme | Colorado | $95,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 | Its form does not ask |
| Aspen Community Foundation | community foundation | Colorado | $55,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 | Its form does not ask |
A floor, not a full list. A grantmaker appears here only where this foundation's return named it clearly enough for us to match the name to an EIN, which we manage for about two thirds of 990-PF grant rows, and only where that grantmaker has a page on this site. There may be more. Dollars here are summed by EIN across every spelling on its returns, so a figure can differ from the matching row in the full list below, which groups names as written. And the IRS classification cannot tell a grantmaker from a funders' association or a donor-advised fund sponsor, so a payment to one of these may be dues or an account rather than support for a grants programme.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $23,344. Half of everything it gave fell between $5,000 and $77,500; the smallest was $1,000 and the largest $484,348.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gleaners Community Food Bank | Detroit, MI | $1,707,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Forgotten Harvest | Oak Park, MI | $1,403,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Detroit Employment Solutions Corp | Detroit, MI | $736,348 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Midnight Golf Program | Bingham Farms, MI | $604,800 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| The Empowerment Plan | Detroit, MI | $585,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Childrens Hospital Medical Center | Cincinnati, OH | $500,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| City of Hope | Duarte, CA | $500,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Oregon Health and Science Univ Fou | Portland, OR | $500,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $500,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| University of Washington Foundation | Seattle, WA | $500,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Yale University | New Haven, CT | $500,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Gary Burnstein Community Health | Pontiac, MI | $496,828 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| The Friendship Circle | West Bloomfield, MI | $465,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Lighthouse Michigan | Pontiac, MI | $433,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Racquet Up Detroit | Detroit, MI | $405,625 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Michigan Humane Society | Bingham Farms, MI | $402,500 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Dumb Friends League | Denver, CO | $400,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Albert Einstein College of Medicine | Bronx, NY | $375,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research | Seattle, WA | $375,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Detroit Symphony Orchestra | Detroit, MI | $307,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Detroit Food and Entrepreneurship | Detroit, MI | $300,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Vision to Learn | Los Angeles, CA | $300,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Detroit Police Athletic League | Detroit, MI | $289,822 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Food Gatherers | Ann Arbor, MI | $265,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Jewish Family Services of Co | Denver, CO | $264,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer | New York, NY | $251,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| The Brigham and Women's Hospital | Boston, MA | $250,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| The Cleveland Clinic Foundation | Cleveland, OH | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The General Hospital Corp | Boston, MA | $250,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| University of Colorado Denver | Denver, CO | $250,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| University of Rochester | Rochester, NY | $249,954 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| University of Texas MD Anderson Can | Houston, TX | $232,644 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Se Michigan | Farmington, MI | $225,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Wayne Metro Community Assoc | Detroit, MI | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Neighborhood Service Organization | Detroit, MI | $195,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Food Bank of the Rockies | Denver, CO | $193,205 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Winning Futures | Warren, MI | $190,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Give Merit | Detroit, MI | $175,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels | Ypsilanti, MI | $175,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Downtown Youth Boxing Gym | Detroit, MI | $161,993 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Jewish Federation of Detroit | Bloomfield, MI | $155,150 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| The Society of St Vincet Depaul | Detroit, MI | $155,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Detroit Horse Power | Detroit, MI | $150,625 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| 826 Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| St Jude Childrens Research Hosp | Memphis, TN | $148,344 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Community Foundation of Se Michigan | Detroit, MI | $143,333 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD | $125,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Anderson Ranch Arts Center | Snowmass Village, CO | $113,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Denver Art Museum Inc | Denver, CO | $109,780 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Winnings Futures | Warren, MI | $108,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Prodigy Ventures | Denver, CO | $105,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Math Corps | Birmingham, MI | $104,400 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Accounting Aid Society | Detroit, MI | $104,317 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Autism Alliance of Michigan | Bingham Farms, MI | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Make-a-Wish Foundation of Mi | Brighton, MI | $98,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Maurice & Jane Sugar Law Center | Detroit, MI | $97,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Mile High United Way | Denver, CO | $95,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Evans Scholar Foundation | Golf, IL | $91,550 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| The Rocket Giving Fund | Chicago, IL | $90,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Ser Metro Detroit | Detroit, MI | $86,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Atlantic Impact | Detroit, MI | $77,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Colorado Centenial Fund | Denver, CO | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Junior Achievement of Se Michigan | Detroit, MI | $75,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Matrix Human Services | Detroit, MI | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Detroit Public Theater | Detroit, MI | $74,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Detroit Institute of Arts | Detroit, MI | $71,221 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Catholic Charities of Se Michigan | Southfield, MI | $70,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| First Step | Plymouth, MI | $70,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Msu Music Program | East Lansing, MI | $70,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Platteforum | Denver, CO | $69,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Humane Colorado | Denver, CO | $69,200 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Samaritan Center | Detroit, MI | $67,640 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw | Ann Arbor, MI | $65,045 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Macomb County Rotating Emerg Shelt | Mount Clemens, MI | $65,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Michigan Education Excellance Found | Detroit, MI | $62,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Zaman International | Inkster, MI | $62,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| National Kidney Foundation of Mi | Ann Arbor, MI | $56,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Aspen Community Foundation | Aspen, CO | $55,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Brain Injury Association of Michiga | Brighton, MI | $50,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Carbondale Clay Center | Carbondale, CO | $50,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| DETROIT2NEPAL Foundation | West Bloomfield, MI | $50,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Figure Skating Detroit | Detroit, MI | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Florence Crittenton Services of Co | Denver, CO | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Honor Community Health | Pontiac, MI | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Lubavitch Foundation | Oak Park, MI | $50,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Mcrest | Roseville, MI | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Music Hall Center for Performing Ar | Detroit, MI | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Samaritas | Detroit, MI | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Oakland Livingston Human Service | Pontiac, MI | $48,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Prodigy Apprentice Program | Denver, CO | $48,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Chad Tough Foundation | Saline, MI | $47,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Beaumont Health Foundation | Southfield, MI | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | $40,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Growing Hope | Ypsilanti, MI | $33,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Vista Maria | Dearborn Heights, MI | $33,240 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Covenent House Michigan | Detroit, MI | $31,773 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Detroit Childrens Fund | Detroit, MI | $30,763 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Council of Michigan Foundations | Grand Haven, MI | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center | Los Angeles, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Children's Foundation | Detroit, MI | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Detroit Zoological Society | Royal Oak, MI | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Figure Skating in Detroit | Detroit, MI | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Friendship Circle of Colorado | Lone Tree, CO | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Museo De Las Americas | Denver, CO | $23,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Lift-Up | Rifle, CO | $20,150 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Chaldean Community Foundation | Sterling Heights, MI | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Education Excellence Fund | Plymouth, MI | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Erase Ptsd Now | Schaumburg, IL | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Focus Point Family Resource Center | Denver, CO | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Mile High Ministries | Denver, CO | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Starfish Family Services | Inkster, MI | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Ypsilanti District Library | Ypsilanti, MI | $18,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Cascades Humane Society | Jackson, MI | $17,500 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Family Reach Foundation | Boston, MA | $17,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Friends of the Penn | Plymouth, MI | $17,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Auburn Hills Community Foundation | Auburn Hills, MI | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Franklin-Bingham Farms Police Ben | Franklin, MI | $15,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Jewish Colorado | Denver, CO | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Life Inter Faith Team on Unem & Pov | Rifle, CO | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Lucky Day Animal Rescue | Aspen, CO | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| The Buddy Program | Aspen, CO | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Christnet | Taylor, MI | $14,500 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Occ Foundation | Bloomfield Hills, MI | $13,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit | Detroit, MI | $12,700 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Charlevoix Historical Society | Charlevoix, MI | $12,500 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinso | Birmingham, MI | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Avalon Healing Center | Detroit, MI | $12,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Colorado Pet Pantry | Boulder, CO | $12,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Aspen Strong Foundation | Aspen, CO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Bloomfield Hills Schools Foundation | Bloomfield Hills, MI | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Clothes to Kids Denver | Denver, CO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Crossroads of Michigan | Detroit, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Detroit Dog Rescue | St Clair Shores, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Folds of Honor | Toledo, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Groundwork Denver | Denver, CO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Defeat the Label | Farmington Hills, MI | $8,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Urban Peak Denver | Denver, CO | $8,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Corewell Health Southeast Mi | Southfield, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Pink Fund | Southfield, MI | $7,500 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Spark Ventures | Chicago, IL | $7,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| The Henry Ford | Dearborn, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Mercy High School | Farmington Hills, MI | $6,296 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Detroit Catholic Central | Novi, MI | $6,250 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Center for Success Network | Detroit, MI | $6,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Mosiac Youth Theater Detroit | Detroit, MI | $5,625 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Youth Zone | Glenwood Springs, CO | $5,200 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Aspen Hope Center | Basalt, CO | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Folds of Honor | Grand Haven, MI | $5,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Friends of the Aspen Animal Shelte | Aspen, CO | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Habic - Csu Foundation | Fort Collins, CO | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Higher Hopes | Commerce, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Lukemia and Lymphoma Society | New York, NY | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Madonna University | Livonia, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Michigan Crossroads Council | Detroit, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ohanaone | Los Angeles, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Ort America | Bloomfield Hills, MI | $5,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Planned Parenthood of Rocky Mount | Denver, CO | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Capuchin Soup Kitchen | Detroit, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Yoga Moves Ms | Franklin, MI | $4,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| The Ferris Foundation | Big Rapids, MI | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Bound Together | Pontiac, MI | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Henry Ford Health System | Detroit, MI | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Jewish Cmty Ct of Metro Detroit | West Bloomfield, MI | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Metavivor Research and Support | Annapolis, MD | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Michigan Central Center for Mobilit | Detroit, MI | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Stephen Silver Tunnel to Towers Fou | Statan Island, NY | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Childrens Foundation | Detroit, MI | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| American Heart Assoc | Southfield, MI | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Firebird Community Arts | Chicago, IL | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Hurley Foundation | Flint, MI | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Golf Association of Michigan | Farmington Hills, MI | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Afp Greater Detroit Chapter | Lake Orion, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Detroit Crime Commission | Southfield, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Gam Foundation | Farmington Hills, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Jdrf | Southfield, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Orlando Health Foundation | Orlando, FL | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Paint a Miracle | Rochester, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Rose Hill Foundation | Holly, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Cath | Detroit, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Marfan Foiundation | Port Washington, NY | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Urban Renewal Initiative Foundation | Gross Pointe, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Wayne State University | Detroit, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
90 of 182 (49%) 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 47%, 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, and this foundation told the IRS it does not.
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.
- Downtown Youth Boxing Gym
PROGRAM SUPPORT - TRANSPORTATION
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 192 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 | 82 | $5,849,805 | $29,605 |
| 2022 | 88 | $5,336,008 | $20,000 |
| 2023 | 69 | $3,516,014 | $25,000 |
| 2024 | 71 | $3,037,070 | $12,500 |
| 2025 | 57 | $3,853,924 | $27,500 |
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.
Already committed for future years
Form 990-PF has a separate schedule for grants approved but not yet paid. Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation has 35 of them, worth $4,218,310. This is the one part of the filing that looks forward rather than back.
| Organization | Location | Approved |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan Humane | Bingham Farms, MI | $300,000 |
| Michigan Humane Society | Bingham Farms, MI | $300,000 |
| The Friendship Circle | West Bloomfield, MI | $250,000 |
| The Friendship Circle | West Bloomfield, MI | $250,000 |
| University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $250,000 |
| Yale University | New Haven, CT | $250,000 |
| Forgotten Harvest | Oak Park, MI | $240,000 |
| Forgotten Harvest | Oak Park, MI | $240,000 |
| Forgotten Harvest | Oak Park, MI | $225,000 |
| Vision to Learn | Los Angeles, CA | $150,000 |
| Gary Burnstein Community Health | Pontiac, MI | $129,328 |
| Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research | Seattle, WA | $125,000 |
| John Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD | $125,000 |
| St Jude Childrens Research Hosp | Memphis, TN | $125,000 |
| Racquet Up Detroit | Detroit, MI | $120,000 |
Where its money goes
62% of its giving went to organizations in Michigan.
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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. Unlike this foundation, none of them is on record as funding only organizations it picks, and each page says what its filings show.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Vera and Joseph Dresner 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: 7066 Mcgraw, Detroit, MI, 48210. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS.
EIN 20-5838578 · 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.