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Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$17.7M
Grant Range
$90K - $7.5M
Decision Time
5mo

Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $17.7 million (2024)
  • Decision Time: 4-6 months from initial conversation
  • Grant Range: $90,000 - $7,500,000 (most grants $250,000-$1,000,000)
  • Geographic Focus: Southeast Michigan and Great Lakes basin
  • Board Review: Three times per year (January, May, September)
  • Total Assets: ~$350 million (in 10-year spend-down through 2034)

Contact Details

Website: https://www.erbff.org/

Phone: 248.498.2503

Email: info@erbff.org

Mailing Address: PO Box 2568 Birmingham, MI 48012-9998

Grants Portal: https://goapply2.akoyago.com/erbff

Program Officers by Area:

Leadership:

Overview

Founded in 2008 by Fred and Barbara Erb with an initial investment of $100 million, the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation has awarded over $180 million to date supporting environmental protection, arts and culture, jazz education, sustainable business, and Alzheimer's research in Southeast Michigan and the Great Lakes region. Fred Erb founded Erb Lumber Co., a multi-state enterprise, and lived with Alzheimer's disease for the final 12 years of his life.

In 2022, the Foundation made the transformational decision to spend down all its assets by 2034, committing to distribute approximately $400 million over the decade to address urgent community needs with greater immediacy and impact. Chairman John Erb explained: "I asked myself for many years how the foundation [can] have the most impact — by spending 5% in perpetuity or spending it all in a short timeframe. And the answer is now — and over 10 years." Annual grantmaking, currently around $16-17 million, will ramp up to $60-70 million at the spend-down's peak.

The Foundation's work is guided by core values: make a lasting transformative difference, embrace possibility, work and learn in partnership, and pursue fairness and respect. They prioritize multi-year support, capacity-building, and strategic partnerships to "future-proof" grantee organizations beyond the Foundation's sunset.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Great Lakes Environment

  • Focus: Ensuring a flourishing, healthy, and resilient Great Lakes ecosystem including natural systems and the people and economies that depend on them
  • Recent Examples:
    • $3.6 million in general operating support to five watershed organizations (February 2025)
    • National Wildlife Federation support for Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition
    • Alliance for the Great Lakes: $200,000 for Lake Erie phosphorus reduction strategy
    • Detroit Riverfront Conservancy: $3,000,000 for watershed stewardship
  • Application: Rolling basis through program officer contact

Arts and Culture

  • Focus: Strengthening resilience and development of arts and culture organizations in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties; preserving and promoting Detroit's jazz culture
  • Recent Examples:
    • Detroit Institute of Arts: $300,000 (general operating support)
    • Detroit Symphony Orchestra: $1,394,000 in jazz education-related grants (2024)
    • Detroit Public Media: $7.5 million challenge grant
    • Cranbrook Institute of Science: $1.3 million
    • Motown Museum: $1 million
  • Application: Rolling basis through program officer contact

Sustainable Business

  • Focus: Promoting growth of the sustainable small business sector in Southeast Michigan through technical assistance and financial resources supporting triple-bottom-line practices
  • Recent Examples: Multi-year grants to Inforum, Lawrence Technological University, and People First Economy (February 2025)
  • Application: Rolling basis through program officer contact

Democracy/Voting Rights

  • Focus: Promoting fair election administration, voter engagement, and access to the ballot in Southeast Michigan, particularly for historically marginalized communities
  • Recent Examples: $2 million combined to ACLU of Michigan, Michigan Voices, Mothering Justice, Promote the Vote, States United Democracy Center, and Voting Rights Lab (January 2024)
  • Application: Rolling basis through program officer contact

Alzheimer's Research

  • Focus: Targeted research aimed at finding a cure, honoring Fred Erb's experience with the disease
  • Recent Example: $3,275,000 to Alzheimer's Disease Association for dementia scientist support programs
  • Application: Does NOT accept unsolicited requests - invitation only

Legacy Giving

  • Focus: Co-developed transformational projects aligned with Fred and Barbara's personal passions that could not happen without Foundation support
  • Recent Example: Southeast Michigan Foundation for Public Spaces to complete Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park
  • Application: Does NOT accept unsolicited proposals - invitation only

Priority Areas

  • Great Lakes watershed protection and restoration
  • Climate resilience and environmental justice
  • Arts organizations serving Southeast Michigan communities
  • Jazz education and cultural preservation
  • Triple-bottom-line business practices and sustainable entrepreneurship
  • Democratic participation and voting access
  • Alzheimer's disease research breakthroughs
  • Organizational capacity-building and long-term sustainability

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations with annual revenue below $100,000
  • Projects outside the Great Lakes region (for environmental grants)
  • Projects outside Southeast Michigan (for arts, sustainable business, and democracy grants)
  • Unsolicited Alzheimer's research proposals
  • Unsolicited Legacy Giving proposals

Governance and Leadership

John M. Erb serves as Board Chair and son of founders Fred and Barbara Erb. He explained the spend-down decision: "When the foundation started, the landscape in the United States was a lot different than it is now. So we felt it would be important to recognize my parents' legacy to add democracy as one of our program areas." On Legacy Giving, he noted: "These gifts will be codeveloped alongside recipient organizations so they can undertake transformational projects that would not otherwise happen without our support."

Melissa Damaschke, President, guides the foundation in strengthening operations, building staff capacity, and executing the strategic plan for its final decade. On the spend-down response: "Grantee partners were excited about the spend-down — especially our environmental partners who were concerned about the urgency of the issue." She emphasizes the Foundation's "future-proofing" strategy: "We know we won't be able to solve any one issue over the next 10 years, so how do we strengthen the organizations doing the work? We'll future-proof our grantee partners' work by encouraging others to care about the same things we do, so once the foundation is gone, there will be individual communities and philanthropic entities to take up the causes that we've cared so much about."

Tara Tuomaala, Vice President of Programs, oversees the program staff and grantmaking strategy.

The Foundation employs dedicated program officers with deep expertise in each funding area, and values staff development: "When staff is no longer needed here, we want them to be the most desirable people in philanthropy," noted Damaschke.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation operates primarily on an invitation-only basis for full proposals. The application process follows these steps:

  1. Initial Contact: Prospective applicants should email the appropriate Program Officer(s) for their area of work to initiate a conversation about potential alignment with Foundation priorities. Contact information is listed above by program area, or use info@erbff.org for general inquiries.

  2. Letter of Inquiry (LOI): If program staff determine there is potential alignment, they may invite an LOI. Applicants should be notified within 2-4 weeks whether the Foundation will invite a full proposal based on the LOI.

  3. Full Proposal: Only applicants invited based on their LOI will receive a link to the online application portal at https://goapply2.akoyago.com/erbff.

Special Restrictions:

  • Alzheimer's Research: Does NOT accept unsolicited requests; grants are invitation-only
  • Legacy Giving: Does NOT accept unsolicited proposals; initiatives are co-developed with invited partners

Eligibility: Organizations must have total revenue of at least $100,000 in the previous year.

Decision Timeline

  • Board Review Cycle: Three times per year (January, May, September)
  • Total Timeline: Grant requests typically take 4-6 months from initial conversation to board consideration
  • LOI Response: 2-4 weeks notification on whether a full proposal will be invited
  • Board decisions are communicated to applicants following each review cycle

Success Rates

The Foundation made 146 grants totaling $17,696,127 in 2024. Specific acceptance rates are not publicly disclosed, but the Foundation prioritizes deep partnerships with established organizations over broad distribution of funds.

Reapplication Policy

Organizations that have received funding may continue conversations with program officers about ongoing or new initiatives. The Foundation emphasizes multi-year relationships and capacity-building support. Unsuccessful applicants may reconnect with program officers to explore future alignment, particularly as priorities may evolve during the spend-down period.

Application Success Factors

Foundation-Specific Insights

1. Alignment with Spend-Down Urgency The Foundation is operating with heightened urgency given its 2034 sunset. President Damaschke notes: "The funding we could provide is urgently needed now, not spending 5% into perpetuity." Projects that address pressing environmental and social challenges with transformative potential are prioritized.

2. Capacity for Multi-Year Impact The Foundation seeks organizations capable of sustaining impact beyond the funding period. As Damaschke explains: "How do we strengthen the organizations doing the work?" Applications should demonstrate organizational readiness for capacity-building support, strategic communications, and partnership development.

3. Geographic Specificity

  • Great Lakes grants focus on basin-wide ecosystem health
  • Arts, culture, sustainable business, and democracy grants concentrate on Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties in Southeast Michigan
  • Clearly demonstrate your work's connection to these geographies

4. Partnership Orientation The Foundation's core values emphasize working "in partnership" with grantees. Successful applications demonstrate openness to co-development, learning, and collaboration. As one staff job posting noted, the Foundation values "moving money with intentionality, humility, and in deep partnership."

5. Values Alignment Applications should reflect the Foundation's values:

  • Making a lasting transformative difference
  • Embracing possibility and innovation
  • Working collaboratively
  • Pursuing fairness, respect, and equity

6. Long-term Sustainability Planning Given the spend-down timeline, the Foundation values organizations with diversified funding strategies and plans for sustainability beyond Erb support. Show how Erb funding will catalyze broader community investment.

7. General Operating vs. Project Support The Foundation frequently provides multi-year general operating support (as evidenced by recent grants to Detroit Institute of Arts, watershed organizations, and others). Don't feel restricted to project-specific proposals; demonstrate your organization's overall strategic value.

Recent Grant Examples to Study:

  • Detroit Public Media's $7.5M challenge grant demonstrates support for transformational, catalytic investments
  • $3.6M in general operating support to watershed organizations shows commitment to organizational sustainability
  • Multi-year sustainable business grants reflect trust in intermediary organizations
  • Democracy grants to advocacy organizations indicate willingness to fund systems-change work

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Start with a conversation: The Foundation requires initial contact with program officers before formal proposals. Research the appropriate officer for your area and craft a compelling introductory email demonstrating mission alignment.

  • Emphasize urgency and scale: With the spend-down accelerating, the Foundation is interested in bold, transformational work that addresses urgent environmental and social challenges in Southeast Michigan and the Great Lakes.

  • Demonstrate organizational strength: The Foundation wants to invest in organizations that can sustain impact beyond their support. Highlight your capacity, track record, and diversified funding base.

  • Think beyond project grants: The Foundation regularly provides multi-year general operating support. Consider applying for organizational capacity-building rather than limiting requests to specific projects.

  • Show partnership readiness: Articulate how you'll collaborate with the Foundation on co-development, learning, and strategic communications to "future-proof" your work.

  • Geographic precision matters: Clearly demonstrate how your work serves Southeast Michigan (for most programs) or the Great Lakes basin (for environmental work). Vague or broad geographic claims will not succeed.

  • Be patient with timeline: With 4-6 months from initial conversation to board decision and only three board cycles per year, plan your outreach well in advance of funding needs.

References

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