Irving S. Gilmore Foundation

• The Irving S. Gilmore Foundation funds nonprofit work that benefits Kalamazoo County, with priorities across arts, culture and humanities, human services, education, community development, and health and well-being; it does not generally support athletics, only nominally supports housing and shelter, and it does not fund individuals, academic research, or the core operations and programming of K-12 educational institutions.
• Most grants to organisations are modest: about eight in ten of its 626 grants fall between $500 and $150,000, and half of all grants to organisations are $25,000 or less, so pitching a request in that lower range fits the pattern well, though it has also made larger grants up to $1,700,000.
• Applications are only accepted as a single-sided paper copy, by mail or dropped at the Foundation's lobby drop box, with fixed deadlines recurring six times a year in January, March, May, July, September and November.
• It looks relationship-led rather than a cold-call target: first-time applicants, or organisations without Foundation funding in the past five years, must contact the Executive Director or Program Associate at least four weeks before applying, and a large majority of grant dollars continue to go to organisations it has funded before.
• Make sure the proposal is complete, since incomplete proposals may be declined or simply held over for a later meeting.

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

• Kalamazoo Valley Community College Foundation · Industrial trades complex renovation and expansion
  $1,300,0002025 tax year
• Western Michigan University Foundation · Gilmore theatre complex lighting/technology upgrades
  $1,000,0002025 tax year
• Irving S Gilmore International Keyboard Festival · Operational support
  $1,000,0002025 tax year
• Ecumenical Senior Center · Capital campaign
  $775,0002025 tax year
• Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency · Efa operational support
  $670,0002025 tax year
• Senior Services · Facilities improvements
  $549,0002025 tax year
• Irving S Gilmore International Keyboard Festival · Purchase of three steinway pianos
  $543,5842025 tax year
• Bureau of Services for Blind Persons · Roof replacement for bureau of blind services training center
  $500,0002025 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.