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The Samuel And Jean Frankel Fine Arts Foundation

Annual Giving
$9.3M

The Samuel And Jean Frankel Fine Arts Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $9.28 million (2024)
  • Total Assets: $139.3 million (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: Varies significantly (6 grants totaling ~$11 million in 2023)
  • Geographic Focus: Michigan, primarily Detroit metropolitan area
  • Application Method: No public application process

Contact Details

Address: Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302

Note: This is a private family foundation that does not have a public website or published contact information for grant inquiries. The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Overview

The Samuel And Jean Frankel Fine Arts Foundation (EIN 30-0095026) is a private family foundation established in the legacy of Samuel and Jean Frankel, longtime Detroit-area philanthropists who passed away in 2008 and 2010 respectively. The foundation is currently governed by their son Stuart Frankel and his wife Maxine Frankel as trustees. With total assets of $139.3 million and annual charitable disbursements of approximately $9.28 million (2024), the foundation continues the Frankel family's distinguished heritage of supporting the visual and performing arts, particularly in the Detroit metropolitan area. The foundation operates without a public application process, making grants at the discretion of its trustees to preselected organizations that align with the family's long-standing commitment to arts and culture. The Frankel family's philanthropic reach has sustained major institutions including the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Detroit Institute of Arts, Cranbrook Academy of Art and Art Museum, and the University of Michigan Museum of Art.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

This foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines. Instead, it makes discretionary grants to preselected organizations. Based on the family's documented philanthropic history, the foundation has supported:

Visual Arts Institutions

  • Major art museums and galleries
  • Educational institutions with visual arts programs
  • Art collection preservation and renovation projects

Performing Arts Organizations

  • Symphony orchestras
  • Theater and performance venues
  • Arts education programs

Higher Education Arts Programs

  • University art museums and galleries
  • Arts academies and schools
  • Endowed arts positions and fellowships

Priority Areas

Based on the Frankel family's documented giving patterns:

  • Visual Arts: Contemporary and modern art collections, museum infrastructure, exhibition spaces
  • Performing Arts: Orchestra support, musical performance venues
  • Arts Education: Academic arts programs, student fellowships, arts training institutions
  • Arts Infrastructure: Museum renovations, collection storage and preservation, facility upgrades
  • Jewish Arts & Culture: Support for Jewish educational and cultural institutions

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications, so there is no public list of exclusions. However, the foundation's focus is specifically on fine arts rather than broader cultural or social service programs.

Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

  • Stuart Frankel (President): Son of Samuel and Jean Frankel; University of Michigan alumnus (BBA '61); longtime Detroit-area real estate developer and philanthropist
  • Maxine Frankel (Vice President): Daughter-in-law of Samuel and Jean Frankel; University of Michigan alumna (BA Dearborn '66); Chair of the Board of Governors of Cranbrook Academy of Art and Art Museum; serves on boards of The Noguchi Museum, Socrates Sculpture Park, and the Sphinx Organization

Family Background:

Samuel and Jean Frankel were major benefactors who had a long and distinguished history of involvement with Detroit-area universities, cultural organizations, hospitals, and Jewish schools. Their philanthropic legacy includes:

  • Detroit Symphony Orchestra
  • Detroit Institute of Arts
  • University of Michigan (multiple major gifts including $50 million for the Cardiovascular Center)
  • Cranbrook Academy of Art and Art Museum
  • Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
  • Jewish schools in metro Detroit and Jerusalem

Stuart and Maxine Frankel continue this legacy through multiple family foundations, including the Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation and the Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation for Art, in addition to the Samuel and Jean Frankel Fine Arts Foundation.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Samuel And Jean Frankel Fine Arts Foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Grant decisions are made at the discretion of the trustees, Stuart and Maxine Frankel, based on the family's longstanding philanthropic relationships and strategic interests in the arts.

Getting on Their Radar

Given the Frankel family's deep involvement in Michigan's arts community, organizations seeking to develop a relationship with the foundation should focus on:

Board Connections:

  • Maxine Frankel chairs the Board of Governors of Cranbrook Academy of Art and Art Museum and serves as a trustee of Cranbrook Educational Community
  • She also serves on boards of The Noguchi Museum, Socrates Sculpture Park, and the Sphinx Organization
  • Organizations affiliated with these institutions may have existing channels for relationship building

Regional Focus:

  • The family has historically concentrated giving in the Detroit metropolitan area and broader Michigan
  • Organizations with strong ties to University of Michigan or Cranbrook may be better positioned

Arts Leadership Events:

  • The Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation for Art hosts receptions and displays art to promote local artists and engage the community
  • Major museum openings, exhibitions, and arts galas in Detroit may provide networking opportunities

Note: Even with these connections, there is no guarantee of funding, as the foundation operates on a highly selective, invitation-only basis.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Given the private nature of the foundation, decision timelines are determined by the trustees on a case-by-case basis.

Success Rates

Not applicable. The foundation makes grants only to organizations selected by the trustees.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as there is no public application process.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, based on the foundation's documented giving patterns, organizations most likely to receive support share these characteristics:

Established Institutional Relationships:

  • Organizations with existing connections to the Frankel family or their foundation trustees
  • Major cultural institutions in the Detroit metropolitan area with whom the family has historical ties

Significant Impact Opportunities:

  • Major capital projects (museum wings, renovation projects, endowments)
  • Transformational gifts that create naming opportunities or lasting legacy
  • High-profile initiatives that advance the visual or performing arts in Michigan

Arts Excellence and Innovation:

  • Contemporary and modern art focus (the Frankels are collectors of minimal, abstract, and new media art)
  • Educational initiatives that engage students and the public in visual arts
  • Programs that promote and support visual and performing artists

Jewish Arts and Culture:

  • The foundation continues the family's support for Jewish educational and cultural institutions
  • Organizations that combine arts with Jewish heritage may align with funding interests

Examples of Funded Projects:

  • $10 million pledge to Cranbrook Academy of Art and Art Museum for endowment, preservation, renovation, and collection storage
  • $10 million to University of Michigan Museum of Art for a new wing (the Maxine and Stuart Frankel and the Frankel Family Wing)
  • Sustained support for Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Detroit Institute of Arts

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: This foundation operates on an invitation-only basis through trustee discretion. Unsolicited proposals are not accepted.
  • Relationship-driven: Funding flows to organizations with established connections to the Frankel family, particularly through Maxine Frankel's board service.
  • Major gifts focus: The foundation appears to make a small number of large grants rather than numerous small grants (6 grants totaling ~$11 million in 2023).
  • Michigan arts institutions: Geographic focus is strongly concentrated in the Detroit metropolitan area and University of Michigan.
  • Visual arts emphasis: While the foundation supports both visual and performing arts, the family's personal collection and board service suggests particular passion for contemporary visual arts.
  • Multi-generational legacy: Understanding the philanthropic history of Samuel and Jean Frankel provides insight into the foundation's values and priorities.
  • Multiple Frankel foundations: Organizations should be aware that Stuart and Maxine operate several foundations; funding may come through different family entities depending on the project.

References

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