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The Steve & Amy Van Andel Foundation

Annual Giving
$7.8M
Grant Range
$10K - $7.2M

The Steve & Amy Van Andel Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $7,833,503 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $102 million (2024)
  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $7,200,000
  • Number of Grants: 81 awards (2023)
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Michigan (Grand Rapids region) with some national initiatives
  • Application Method: No public application process - invitation only

Contact Details

Location: Ada, Michigan
EIN: 20-2110604
Founded: 2005

Note: The foundation does not maintain a public website or accept unsolicited applications.

Overview

The Steve & Amy Van Andel Foundation was established in 2005 as a private independent foundation in Grand Rapids, Michigan. With total assets of $102 million, the foundation distributed $7.8 million in grants in 2023 across 81 awards. Founded by Steve Van Andel, co-chair of Amway Corporation, and his wife Amy Van Andel, a registered nurse and patient advocate, the foundation reflects the couple's personal interests and values. The foundation focuses on conservative educational institutions, healthcare (particularly nursing education), religious organizations, think tanks, and select community service organizations primarily in West Michigan. Since 2014, the foundation has awarded 611 individual grants totaling over $51 million. The foundation operates on a preselected charitable organization model and does not accept unsolicited funding requests.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines. Instead, grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees to preselected organizations. Awards range significantly based on organizational relationship and project scope.

Grant Size Range:

  • Small grants: $10,000 - $50,000
  • Medium grants: $50,000 - $200,000
  • Large strategic grants: $200,000 - $7,200,000

Priority Areas

Based on 2022-2023 grant distributions, the foundation prioritizes:

Education

  • Conservative liberal arts colleges (notably Hillsdale College - $7.2 million in 2022)
  • Christian schools and educational institutions
  • Private preparatory schools
  • Universities in Michigan (Davenport University, Cornerstone University)

Healthcare

  • Nursing education and scholarship programs
  • University of Michigan Health-West initiatives
  • Heart and vascular care programs
  • Medical research institutions

Religious Organizations

  • Christian churches and ministries
  • Faith-based community organizations
  • Religious education institutions

Conservative Think Tanks and Policy Organizations

  • Heritage Foundation ($10,000)
  • American Enterprise Institute ($20,000)
  • George W. Bush Foundation ($4 million in 2022)

Community Services (Grand Rapids area)

  • Family Promise of Grand Rapids ($50,000)
  • Kids Food Basket ($50,000)
  • Baxter Community Center ($30,000)
  • Grand Rapids Public Museum ($100,000)
  • YMCA and arts organizations

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly documented, the foundation's giving pattern suggests they do not fund:

  • Organizations outside their preselected network
  • Progressive or liberal policy organizations
  • Organizations that don't align with conservative Christian values
  • International development projects
  • Environmental advocacy organizations

Governance and Leadership

Amy C. Van Andel - Executive Director
Amy Van Andel is a registered nurse who has worked as a practitioner, mentor to nursing students, and patient advocate. Her passion for nursing is reflected in the foundation's significant investment in nursing education, particularly through the Amy Van Andel Nursing Scholars Program. She receives compensation of $217,654 as Executive Director (2024).

Stephen A. Van Andel - Trustee
Steve Van Andel is the eldest son of Amway Co-Founder Jay Van Andel and serves as co-chair of the board of directors of Amway Corporation. He served as co-CEO from 1995-2018. Van Andel earned a bachelor's degree in economics and business administration from Hillsdale College and an MBA in marketing from Miami University. He has twice served as chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and serves on the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation board. He also serves as chairman of University of Michigan Health-West's board of directors. Van Andel receives no compensation from the foundation.

Foundation Staff
Debrah Rushlo serves as Executive Assistant ($67,677 salary in 2022).

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation has explicitly indicated it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees to organizations they have pre-identified, typically based on:

  • Pre-existing relationships with trustees and their networks
  • Organizations where trustees serve on boards (e.g., UM Health-West, Gerald R. Ford Foundation)
  • Educational institutions with personal connections (e.g., Hillsdale College, Steve Van Andel's alma mater)
  • Grand Rapids area organizations where the Van Andels have community ties

Getting on Their Radar

Connection to UM Health-West: Steve Van Andel serves as chairman of the UM Health-West board of directors. Organizations partnering with UM Health-West on healthcare initiatives, particularly in nursing education or cardiovascular care, may have potential pathways to foundation support through this institutional relationship.

Hillsdale College Network: Given the foundation's major support of Hillsdale College (Steve Van Andel's alma mater), organizations with connections to Hillsdale alumni networks or that share the college's educational philosophy may be within the foundation's sphere of interest.

Grand Rapids Community Presence: The foundation has demonstrated support for established Grand Rapids community organizations such as Kids Food Basket, Family Promise of Grand Rapids, and the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Organizations with strong community standing and board connections to Amway executives or the broader Van Andel family network may be considered.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly documented. As a private foundation making discretionary grants to preselected organizations, decisions are made on the trustees' timeline rather than published cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications from the general public.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept public applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, organizations that have received funding share these characteristics:

Strong Personal Connections

  • Organizations where Steve or Amy Van Andel serve on boards receive significant support
  • Institutions with connections to the Van Andel family or Amway networks
  • Grand Rapids organizations with established community presence

Alignment with Founders' Values

  • Conservative educational institutions emphasizing free enterprise and traditional liberal arts
  • Christian organizations and faith-based initiatives
  • Healthcare institutions, particularly those advancing nursing education (reflecting Amy's nursing background)

Strategic, High-Impact Projects The foundation makes both small community grants ($10,000-$50,000) and very large strategic investments ($4-7 million). The largest grants go to:

  • Institutions of personal significance (Hillsdale College)
  • Major healthcare initiatives (UM Health-West programs)
  • National conservative policy organizations (George W. Bush Foundation)

Michigan Focus with National Reach While many grants support West Michigan organizations, the foundation also funds national conservative institutions and think tanks, suggesting a dual focus on local community impact and broader ideological alignment.

Recent Notable Initiatives

  • The Amy Van Andel Nursing Scholars Program: Provides tuition support and paid work experience for 20-30 nursing students annually at Grand Rapids Community College partnered with UM Health-West
  • Steve and Amy Van Andel Heart & Vascular Center at UM Health-West: $3.1 million in landmark gifts
  • Multi-million dollar investments in conservative educational institutions

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant applications
  • Relationship-driven grantmaking - Funding flows through pre-existing board relationships, alumni networks, and personal connections to the Van Andel family
  • Conservative values alignment is essential - The foundation's giving pattern strongly favors conservative educational institutions, Christian organizations, and right-leaning think tanks
  • Healthcare/nursing education is a passion area - Amy Van Andel's nursing background drives significant investment in nursing scholarships and healthcare programs, particularly through UM Health-West
  • Grant sizes vary dramatically - From $10,000 community grants to $7 million strategic investments, suggesting different decision criteria for community support versus transformational gifts
  • Grand Rapids community ties matter - Local organizations with established reputations and connections to the Van Andel/Amway network receive consistent support
  • Educational institution focus - Hillsdale College receives exceptional support, indicating that educational institutions sharing similar philosophies and with personal connections to the trustees may be priority recipients

References

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