Gilbert Family Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 35-7294609 · since 2021gilbertfamilyfoundation.org·Detroit·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$113M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$5,000 to $1.6M

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$162k

Typical grant (median)

140 grants in the latest filing

Invitation only

Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.

Key takeaways

The Gilbert Family Foundation's priority is Detroit, where it funds housing stability, economic mobility, public spaces and arts & culture, alongside work accelerating a cure for neurofibromatosis.
It does not accept unsolicited applications, working by invitation only, so the main way in is to watch its RFP page for any open requests for proposal it posts.
Grants typically range from $5,000 to $1,550,000, with a median of $160,000, so a modest request in that range is realistic for most organisations, though it does make much larger grants, such as its roughly $19,000,000 gift to the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, which it funds every year as a regranting partner.
The large majority of its grant dollars go to organisations it has also funded in recent years, suggesting a relationship-led pattern rather than an open competitive process for newcomers.
Anyone approaching the foundation should do so only in response to an invitation or a posted RFP rather than by sending an unsolicited proposal.

Overview

Gilbert Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in Detroit, MI.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Gilbert Family Foundation works to build opportunity for Detroiters facing systemic barriers to economic and social mobility, while accelerating a cure for neurofibromatosis. Its Detroit work includes housing stability, protecting residents from tax foreclosure and eviction, home repair and affordable housing; economic mobility through support for entrepreneurs, job opportunities and workforce development; and community-wide investment in public spaces and arts and culture. On NF, it supports bold research initiatives, with NF1 its primary research focus, including vision restoration, brain tumour research, gene therapy and next-generation models. It works through partners and says it collaborates deeply to make transformative investments focused on complex problems. Its approach includes backing bold ideas and addressing barriers by connecting people with opportunities to build wealth.

Themes

Housing stability
Economic mobility
Public spaces
Arts & culture
NF research

Geographic Focus

Priority: Detroit.

How to apply

The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications. It sometimes issues requests for proposal and posts open RFP information on its RFP page.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 81% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 350 grants to organisations were $160,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

The foundation seeks to partner with organisations that align with its mission and share its passion for curing NF and building opportunity in Detroit.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

Michigan63%

Maryland11%

Ohio5%

Illinois4%

Pennsylvania3%

Massachusetts3%

6 other states: 8%

Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 5%

The largest single recipient received 13% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 81% of grant dollars went to organisations Gilbert Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
<1% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Austria, Australia, Italy, France).
13% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

140 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $162k

How much do they typically give?

Share of 140 grants in tax year 2024 by size

Under $1k1%

$1k–$2.5k5%

$2.5k–$5k2%

$5k–$10k4%

$10k–$25k7%

$25k–$50k9%

$50k–$100k11%

$100k–$250k17%

$250k–$500k16%

$500k–$1M9%

$1M and over19%

Median $162k (tax year 2024)

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

Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan · Arts & culture
$19,200,0002024 tax year
Henry Ford Health System · Next generation models
$16,515,0002024 tax year
Enterprise Community Partners · Economic mobility
$8,164,4082024 tax year
Invest Detroit · Detroit community initiatives
$6,880,8802024 tax year
Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency · Discretionary grants
$3,893,5682024 tax year
CHN Housing Partners · Detroit community initiatives
$2,907,5002024 tax year
Michigan State University · Economic mobility
$2,625,0002024 tax year
Johns Hopkins University · Detroit community initiatives
$2,621,9312024 tax year

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

Officers and directors

Laura Grannemann — Executive Director
Matthew Rizik — Treasurer
Jeffrey Morganroth — Secretary
Jennifer Gilbert — President

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$77,737,179	$45,390,132	$92,102,982	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$109,765,692	$94,266,226	$36,991,538	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$96,724,194	$112,876,372	$53,066,194	Filing for 2024 tax year

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.