Herrick Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 38-6041517 · since 1949herrickfdn.org·Jackson County, Lenawee County, Livingston County, Michigan, Monroe County, Washtenaw County·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$8.8M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$250 to $500k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$15,500

Typical grant (median)

88 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 foundation makes grants by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited letters of inquiry or proposals, so a cold approach is not the way in; look first for a route to an invitation.
Organisations in Detroit or Ann Arbor are not funded, and the stated geographic priority is Southeast Michigan, including Washtenaw, Lenawee and Livingston counties, so check your location against that before anything else.
Its work emphasises underserved, vulnerable or rural populations, intergenerational relationships, community stakeholders and organisational capacity, so a project that shows these clearly is the best fit.
Most grants are modest: across the filings, half of its grants to organisations were $35,000 or less and about 8 in 10 fell between $250 and $500,000, so a request in that range is realistic.
With 77% of its grant dollars in the latest filing going to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings, and its preference for challenge grants, the process looks relationship-led and new applicants should expect to compete for a place.

Overview

Herrick Foundation is a US private foundation based in Ann Arbor, 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 Herrick Foundation supports nonprofit organisations that strengthen communities and help people flourish. Its stated focus areas include housing, lifelong learning, community wellbeing, healthy food access, survivor services and community health. It prioritises projects and organisations that help underserved, vulnerable and/or rural populations, foster inter-generational relationships, involve community stakeholders and build organisational capacity. Geographically, it focuses on underserved and overlooked communities in Southeast Michigan, identifying Washtenaw, Lenawee, Livingston, Jackson and Monroe counties as its primary focus. Its capacity-building initiatives fund nonprofit educational needs, leadership development, organisational strategies and opportunities for organisations to build relationships. It expresses a preference for challenge grants.

Themes

Housing
Lifelong Learning
Community Wellbeing
Healthy Food Access
Survivor Services
Community Health
Capacity Building

Geographic Focus

Priority: Southeast Michigan: Washtenaw, Lenawee, Livingston and 2 more counties in Michigan; Michigan. Not funded: Detroit; Ann Arbor.

How to apply

The foundation makes grants by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited letters of inquiry or proposals.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 77% 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 166 grants to organisations were $35,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

It prioritises projects and organisations that help underserved, vulnerable and/or rural populations.
It prioritises projects and organisations that foster inter-generational relationships.
It prioritises projects and organisations that involve community stakeholders.
It prioritises projects and organisations that build organisational capacity.
It prefers challenge grants, reflecting its philosophy of promoting community participation.

Where grants go

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

Grant dollars by state

Michigan98%

Virginia<1%

Indiana<1%

Washington<1%

New York<1%

Arizona<1%

The largest single recipient received 13% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 77% of grant dollars went to organisations Herrick Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
4% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

88 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $15,500

How much do they typically give?

Share of 88 grants in tax year 2024 by size

Under $1k27%

$1k–$2.5k0%

$2.5k–$5k0%

$5k–$10k13%

$10k–$25k13%

$25k–$50k13%

$50k–$100k18%

$100k–$250k7%

$250k–$500k2%

$500k–$1M5%

$1M and over3%

Median $15,500 (tax year 2024)

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

Many Hands Lifesharing Community · Support property acquisition
$1,555,5002024 tax year
Interlochen Center for the Arts · Support interlochen envision at 100
$1,000,0002024 tax year
University of Michigan · Support construction of bed tower
$1,000,0002024 tax year
Presbyterian Villages of Michigan Foundation · To support the villages of westland
$750,0002024 tax year
Little Traverse Conservancy · To support white mountain/chigidaaki
$500,0002024 tax year
Henry Ford Health System · Support phase ii of precision medi.
$500,0002024 tax year
Nature Conservancy · Support convservation efforts
$500,0002024 tax year
Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative · To support border to border campaign
$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

Todd Herrick II — Trustee
Rachel Parker — Trustee
Eric R Parker — Trustee
Shelby Herrick — Trustee
Wendy Brightman — CEO / Secretary
Linda J Herrick — Trustee
Lisa Herrick Parker — President / Trustee

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$8,505,948	$7,175,167	$159,457,593	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$8,956,937	$7,463,088	$183,762,532	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$10,323,117	$8,782,000	$184,250,328	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.