The David And Carol Van Andel Family Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $8,710,000 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: $25,000 - $8,000,000
• Geographic Focus: Primarily Grand Rapids, MI and West Michigan; some national grants

Contact Details

The foundation does not have a public website or published contact information. The foundation is a private family foundation that appears to operate primarily through trustee-directed grantmaking rather than accepting unsolicited applications.

Mailing Address: Grand Rapids, MI EIN: 20-2110420

Overview

The David and Carol Van Andel Family Foundation was established in October 2005 by David and Carol Van Andel, son and daughter-in-law of Amway co-founder Jay Van Andel. With assets of approximately $112 million and annual giving of $8.71 million (2024), the foundation focuses on supporting Christian religious organizations, education (particularly Christian schools and theological institutions), arts and culture, and healthcare initiatives primarily in West Michigan. Carol Van Andel serves as Executive Director with compensation of $214,000, while David Van Andel serves as President without compensation. The foundation made 83 grants in 2023, demonstrating active and consistent grantmaking. In 2024, the foundation made its largest gift in Pine Rest's 114-year history with an $8 million donation to the Pine Rest Pediatric Center of Behavioral Health, bringing their total support to Pine Rest to $14 million over three decades.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines. Grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees and range significantly in size:

• Major Gifts: $1,000,000 - $8,000,000 (healthcare, education capital projects)
• Significant Grants: $100,000 - $500,000 (established organizational partners)
• Standard Grants: $25,000 - $100,000 (arts, education, social services)

Recent major grants include:

• Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services: $8,000,000 (Pediatric Center of Behavioral Health)
• Western Theological Seminary: $1,876,000
• Bethany Christian Services: $1,100,000
• Ada Christian School Education Foundation: $1,000,000
• Grand Action Foundation: $1,000,000
• Mel Trotter Ministries: $1,500,000
• Grand Rapids Christian Schools: $300,000
• Opera Grand Rapids: $165,000

Priority Areas

Religion and Faith-Based Organizations: The foundation's primary focus, supporting Christian religious institutions, theological seminaries, Christian schools, and faith-based social service organizations. Recipients include churches, theological seminaries (Calvin, Western), and Christian organizations (Cascade Fellowship CRC, Inner City Christian Federation).

Education: Strong emphasis on Christian K-12 education and theological education. Supports Ada Christian School, Grand Rapids Christian Schools, Hope College, Calvin Theological Seminary, and Western Theological Seminary.

Arts and Culture: Performing arts organizations and museums, particularly in Grand Rapids. Recent support to Opera Grand Rapids.

Healthcare and Social Services: Major investments in mental health and pediatric behavioral health (Pine Rest), child welfare (Bethany Christian Services), food security (Kids Food Basket), homeless services (Mel Trotter Ministries, Salvation Army), and nature education (Blandford Nature Center).

Community Development: Support for initiatives that strengthen the Grand Rapids community infrastructure and quality of life.

What They Don't Fund

While the foundation does not publish explicit exclusions, their funding pattern shows a clear focus on:

• Christian and conservative organizations
• Established West Michigan institutions
• Organizations aligned with traditional Christian values

Based on their grantmaking history, they appear unlikely to fund:

• Secular organizations without religious affiliation
• Organizations outside their geographic focus area (except for national Christian organizations)
• Political advocacy groups (though they support think tanks like Acton Institute)
• Individual requests or scholarships

Governance and Leadership

David Van Andel, President: Son of Amway co-founder Jay Van Andel, David serves as chairman and CEO of Van Andel Institute, a biomedical research facility founded by his parents. He serves as President of the family foundation without compensation, indicating his voluntary stewardship of the family's philanthropic legacy.

Carol Van Andel, Executive Director: Carol has dedicated her adult life to community service through volunteer roles with numerous nonprofit organizations. She is passionate about education, children's issues, the arts, and health and human services. Carol Van Andel has articulated her philosophy of giving: "Give without any expectation of getting. It will surprise you, what you get. Some of the best things in life are unexpected. It's not about you... It's not about me. It's about the world." She emphasizes her commitment to Grand Rapids: "You'd be hard-pressed to find a city our size with the same amount of verve. That's demonstrated by an uncommon partnership between public and private sectors who work together for the common good." She strives to "create an impact—to improve our community and help it provide a better quality of life, so all children and families might have robust opportunities."

Other Family Members: Associate Directors include Aaron Van Andel, Kyle Van Andel, and Christian Van Andel, indicating multi-generational family involvement in the foundation's work.

The foundation operates as a private independent foundation under section 501(c)(3) of the tax code, with grants awarded at the discretion of the trustees.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The David and Carol Van Andel Family Foundation operates as a private family foundation that awards grants primarily through trustee discretion and invitation. There is no published application portal, deadline schedule, or formal application guidelines available to the public.

Grants appear to be awarded to:

• Organizations with which the family has existing relationships
• Established institutions in the Grand Rapids/West Michigan community
• Organizations personally known to the trustees
• Institutions aligned with the family's Christian faith and values

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available. As a private family foundation, the trustees make decisions on their own timeline without published review cycles.

Success Rates

Not publicly available. The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, so traditional success rate metrics do not apply.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as the foundation does not have a public application process.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation operates through trustee-directed grantmaking rather than competitive applications, success factors are different from traditional funders:

Strong Alignment with Christian Values: The foundation's grantmaking consistently prioritizes Christian organizations and institutions. Organizations should have a clear Christian mission and demonstrate how their work advances faith-based values.

West Michigan Presence and Impact: The vast majority of grants support Grand Rapids and West Michigan organizations. Geographic proximity and demonstrated community impact in the region are essential.

Established Organizational Reputation: The foundation tends to support well-established institutions with proven track records (theological seminaries, established schools, major healthcare institutions, recognized arts organizations). They favor stability and organizational maturity.

Long-term Relationships: Analysis of their grantmaking shows repeat funding to many organizations, suggesting the foundation values ongoing partnerships over one-time requests. Organizations like Pine Rest have received support for over 30 years.

Alignment with Carol Van Andel's Stated Priorities: Given her role as Executive Director, organizations focused on education, children's issues, the arts, and health and human services may resonate with the foundation's priorities, particularly when these align with Christian values.

Major Gift Readiness: The foundation has demonstrated capacity for very large gifts ($1 million+) to organizations with compelling capital or program needs. Organizations should be prepared to articulate transformational opportunities.

Conservative and Traditional Values: The foundation supports organizations aligned with traditional Christian conservative perspectives, as evidenced by support to institutions like Acton Institute and Christian schools.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• This is a private family foundation without a public application process - relationship building and connections to the family or their networks are essential for consideration
• Christian mission is non-negotiable - the foundation exclusively or nearly exclusively funds Christian organizations and faith-based initiatives
• Think long-term partnerships, not one-time asks - the foundation supports organizations repeatedly over many years, as evidenced by 30+ years of support to Pine Rest
• West Michigan focus is strong but not absolute - while Grand Rapids area organizations dominate the portfolio, they do support some national Christian organizations
• Capital campaigns and transformational gifts are within scope - the foundation has demonstrated capacity for $1-8 million gifts for major initiatives
• Carol Van Andel's vision emphasizes community impact and children - align proposals with her stated commitment to improving quality of life for children and families in the community
• Multi-generational family engagement - with multiple Van Andel family members involved as directors, relationship building may occur across generations

References

• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - The David and Carol Van Andel Family Foundation (EIN 20-2110420), Form 990-PF filings, accessed January 2026. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/202110420
• CauseIQ - David and Carol Van Andel Family Foundation profile, accessed January 2026. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/the-david-and-carol-van-andel-family-foundation,202110420/
• Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy, "West Michigan Foundation Watch: The David and Carol Van Andel Foundation," July 2025, accessed January 2026. https://griid.org/2025/07/07/west-michigan-foundation-watch-the-david-and-carol-van-andel-foundation/
• Pine Rest Newsroom, "David & Carol Van Andel Family Foundation Donates $8 Million to Pine Rest Pediatric Center of Behavioral Health," October 2024, accessed January 2026. https://www.pinerest.org/newsroom/announcement-items/david-carol-van-andel-family-foundation-donates-8-million-to-pine-rest-pediatric-center-of-behavioral-health/
• Crain's Grand Rapids Business, "Van Andel family pledges $8M to support Pine Rest pediatric center," October 2024, accessed January 2026.
• Crain's Grand Rapids Business, "Carol Van Andel | Grand Rapids 200 2024," accessed January 2026. https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/carol-van-andel-grand-rapids-200-2024/
• West Michigan Woman, "Carol Van Andel: Bringing Hope and Joy to the Family, the Workplace and Others," accessed January 2026. https://westmichiganwoman.com/profile/2486-carol-van-andel-bringing-hope-and-joy-to-the-family-the-workplace-and-others
• Instrumentl 990 Report - The David And Carol Van Andel Family Foundation, accessed January 2026. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/the-david-and-carol-van-andel-family-foundation