DTE Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Your work is most likely to fit if it sits within one of its six areas (human needs, education and employment, community transformation, economic progress, environment, or arts and culture), since it primarily supports established organisations and ongoing programmes.
- It invites proposals only after a relationship is established and strategic alignment is confirmed, so contact with its staff should come before any request.
- About 8 in 10 of its grants fall between $5,000 and $100,000, and half of its grants to organisations are about $10,500 or less, so a modest, specific request matches its usual pattern; the Critical Repairs Program is reported at up to $30,000 in other published sources.
- Repeat giving is strong, with 91% of its grant dollars to organisations in the filing going to groups it had also funded in earlier filings, and quarterly deadlines follow its board meeting dates.
- Do not apply if your request is for a capital campaign or project, hospital building or equipment, medical research or medical service delivery, energy-related projects, individuals or scholarships, or a conference unless DTE Energy has a business presence there, or if you are a private foundation rather than a 501(c)(3) organisation.
Overview
DTE 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 and other web pages about the foundation (dteenergy.com), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
DTE Foundation primarily supports established organisations and ongoing programmes aligned with its strategy. Its giving spans human needs, education and employment, community transformation, economic progress, environment, and arts and culture. Human-needs work addresses essential needs for vulnerable communities. Education and employment prioritises support for underserved young people and adults. Community transformation focuses on placemaking and community safety; economic progress supports charitable community development and small-business resiliency. Environmental funding prioritises underserved and environmentally overburdened communities, while arts and culture work expands access and elevates culturally representative programming. The grants criteria require applicants to be 501(c)(3) non-profit organisations and not private foundations. Foundation staff build relationships with nonprofit organisations and invite proposals when strategic alignment is confirmed.
Themes
- Human needs
- Education & employment
- Community transformation
- Economic progress
- Environment
- Arts & culture
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Michigan.
What They Don't Fund
- Projects that may result in undue personal benefit to a member of the DTE Energy Foundation board or to any DTE Energy employee
- Private foundation, as defined in Section 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code
- Individuals (including those seeking direct scholarships)
- Political parties, organizations or activities
- Religious organizations for religious (denominational) purposes
- Organizations that are not able to demonstrate commitment to equality and diversity (clients, staff and board composition)
- Student group trips
- Conferences, unless they are where DTE Energy has a business presence
- Hospitals, for building or equipment needs
- Medical research or medical service delivery organizations
- Energy related projects or initiatives
- Capital campaigns or projects
- Individual robotics, or sports teams
How to apply
For the Community Empowerment Awards: Critical Repairs Program, organisations submit an initial proposal; concepts that best align with programme goals are invited to a formal application in a second round.
Deadlines: Quarterly deadlines are associated with board meeting dates.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 91% 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 1,221 grants to organisations were about $10,500 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The Foundation primarily supports established organisations and ongoing programmes that align with its strategy across six priority giving areas.
- A programme manager invites an organisation only after a relationship is established and strategic alignment is confirmed.
- It prioritises organisations addressing essential needs in vulnerable communities.
- It prioritises environmental organisations committed to underserved and environmentally overburdened communities.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 1%
- The largest single recipient received 10% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 91% of grant dollars went to organisations DTE Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 33% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 442 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $10,025 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- DTE Beacon Park Foundation · Community transformation$1,200,0002024 tax year
- Cmnty Foundation For Southeast · Community transformation$1,000,0002024 tax year
- United Way For Southeastern · Human needs$875,0002024 tax year
- Heat and Warmth Fund · Human needs$500,0002024 tax year
- Detroit Riverfront Conservancy · Community transformation$500,0002024 tax year
- Lower Town Riverfront · Community transformation$400,0002024 tax year
- Detroit Regional Partnership Foundation · Economic progress$250,0002024 tax year
- Yeshivath Beth Yehudah · Education$250,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Evette Griffie — Director
- Paula Silver — Director
- Joi Harris — Director
- Trevor F Lauer — Director
- Joann Chavez — Director
- David Ruud — Director, Treasurer & Secretary
- Rodney E Cole SR — Chair, President, & Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $12,504,046 | $16,597,564 | $124,858,974 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $26,326,369 | $18,039,839 | $120,093,193 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $15,264,335 | $14,619,590 | $129,139,057 | 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.
Sources
Registers and filings
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At a glance
Applying to DTE Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (313) 235-4000
- Detroit, MI
- empoweringmichigan.com/foundation
Applying to DTE Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (313) 235-4000
- Detroit, MI
- empoweringmichigan.com/foundation