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Wege Foundation

Annual Giving
$18.9M
Grant Range
Up to $1.0M00
Decision Time
3mo

Wege Foundation - Funder Overview

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $18,919,489 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $331+ million
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Within 2 weeks of board meetings (early May for spring cycle, mid-November for fall cycle)
  • Grant Range: No minimum or maximum (grants have ranged from small amounts to $1 million+)
  • Geographic Focus: Kent County and Grand Rapids metropolitan area (Environmental pillar extends to all of Michigan)

Contact Details

Website: https://wegefoundation.org

Phone: (616) 957-0480

General Inquiries: Emily Mathein at emathein@wegefoundation.org

Grant Application Questions: Leslie Young-Martin at lyoung@wegefoundation.org

Overview

Founded on July 13, 1967, by Peter Melvin Wege, The Wege Foundation was established to fund needed public causes in the community where he was born and raised, honoring his father Peter Martin Wege, founder of what became Steelcase Inc. The foundation's first gift was to Aquinas College. Today, with over $331 million in assets and distributing approximately $19 million annually in grants, the Wege Foundation operates under the vision of founder Peter M. Wege to help Grand Rapids become "the best medium-sized city in the United States" while exporting effective programs to other communities. The foundation underwent a strategic shift in April 2020, establishing four funding pillars with specific allocations: Environment (35%), Education (25%), Arts & Culture (20%), and Community Health & Wellbeing (20%). Under the leadership of President and CEO James Logan (appointed in 2022), the foundation emphasizes social justice, environmental protection, racial equity, and community development across all its grantmaking. The foundation has distributed between 358-447 grants annually in recent years.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Wege Foundation operates with two main grant cycles per year (spring and fall) and makes grants across four strategic pillars:

  • Environment Grants (35% of portfolio): Focus on environmental sustainability, climate action, and conservation across Michigan
  • Education Grants (25% of portfolio): Support for educational institutions and programs in the Grand Rapids area
  • Arts & Culture Grants (20% of portfolio): Funding for arts and cultural organizations serving Kent County
  • Community Health & Wellbeing Grants (20% of portfolio): Support for addressing root causes of racial inequities in health and healthcare, housing and homelessness, and economic insecurity

Grant Size: No minimum or maximum grant amount. Recent examples include a $1 million grant to the New Community Transformation Fund (December 2021) and six grants totaling $400,000 to MIU.

Special Initiative: The foundation also operates the Wege Prize, a circular economy competition for university students. The 2025 winners included: 1st Place ($30,000) to Agpress, 2nd Place ($20,000) to Rethread Africa, and 3rd Place ($10,000) to Envirovex, with two finalist teams receiving $2,500 each.

Priority Areas

The foundation prioritizes several cross-cutting themes across all four pillars:

  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI): All applicants must demonstrate commitment through board-approved policies and inclusive practices
  • Civic Engagement: Supporting community participation and democratic engagement
  • Environmental Sustainability: LEED certification required for all capital campaign projects
  • Organizational Stability: Supporting organizations serving underrepresented and marginalized communities

What They Don't Fund

Excluded Organizations:

  • Public schools or governmental entities (with limited exceptions for churches or schools with 501(c)(3) equivalent determination)
  • Organizations outside Kent County/Grand Rapids metropolitan area (except Environmental grants which extend to all of Michigan, and Special Initiative grants by invitation only)
  • Organizations without 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status

Capital Campaign Restrictions:

  • Capital projects must meet United States Green Building Council guidelines and obtain LEED certification
  • The foundation will only fund a portion of capital project expenses, valuing collaboration in funding

Application Restrictions:

  • Organizations can only identify one foundation goal in each application, even if they align with multiple goals
  • Special Initiative grants for projects outside Kent County are by invitation only

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

The Wege Foundation is governed by a nine-member Board of Trustees:

  • Jonathan Wege - Chair
  • Mary Nelson - Vice Chair
  • Chris Wege - Vice Chair
  • Diana Wege - Vice Chair
  • Johanna Osman - Trustee
  • Christopher Carter - Trustee
  • Jessica McLear - Trustee
  • Laura Wege - Trustee
  • Juan Olivarez - Trustee

Leadership

James Logan - President and CEO (appointed 2022)

James Logan brings extensive experience with a deep commitment to racial justice, community development, and environmental protection. Board Chair Jonathan Wege noted that "James brings to The Wege Foundation and to West Michigan extensive experience with and a deep commitment to racial justice, community development and environmental protection."

Key Leadership Quotes:

On his appointment, Logan stated: "The Foundation and I share a commitment to social justice and the protection of the environment" and expressed being "honored to have been selected as the next president and CEO of The Wege Foundation" while celebrating their "shared commitment to social justice" and looking forward to "working in partnership with the Grand Rapids and Western Michigan community, serving as a steward of the mission, vision and values of the foundation."

On climate education, Logan commented: "With the work we support at our local educational institutions and the challenges we face related to climate, Dr. Ray's message couldn't be more relevant."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Wege Foundation accepts online applications twice a year through their website portal:

Spring Grant Cycle:

  • Opens: January 5
  • Closes: February 5 at 5:00pm Eastern Time
  • Notification: Early May (within 2 weeks of board meeting)

Fall Grant Cycle:

  • Opens: August
  • Closes: September
  • Notification: Mid-November (within 2 weeks of board meeting)

Application Steps:

  1. Take the Eligibility Quiz: All applicants must complete the eligibility quiz, even past grantees. If you pass, you can begin the grant application.

  2. Review Foundation Priorities: Prior to submitting, review The Wege Foundation's Values & Priorities and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion policy.

  3. Prepare Required Documents:

    • Organization budget
    • Project budget (using the foundation's required template)
    • Board of Directors roster
    • 501(c)(3) determination letter (or equivalent for churches/schools)
    • Board-approved Diversity, Equity & Inclusion policy
    • Audited financial statements
    • ACH form
    • Key demographic information about board, staff, volunteers, and constituencies served

  4. Submit Application: No pre-requisites or pre-application meetings required. Applications are submitted online through the foundation's website.

Important Note: The project budget template amount and the grant amount listed in the application must equal the same amount, with Column F in the expense portion of the budget template equaling the total grant request.

Decision Timeline

  • Board Review: Proposals are reviewed by the Board of Trustees
  • Notification: Applicants receive decisions within two weeks following the Board meeting
  • Spring Cycle: Notifications in early May
  • Fall Cycle: Notifications in mid-November

Success Rates

The foundation made 358 awards in 2022, 374 awards in 2021, and 447 awards in 2020. However, the specific success rate (percentage of applications funded) is not publicly disclosed.

Reapplication Policy

If your application is declined, program staff can be contacted for feedback. The foundation does not publicly state any waiting periods or restrictions on reapplying after a declined application, suggesting organizations may reapply in subsequent grant cycles.

Application Success Factors

Foundation-Specific Priorities

Alignment with Foundation Goals: Grant awards are explicitly based on alignment with the foundation's Themes and Goals. The foundation emphasizes that applications must demonstrate clear connection to one of the four pillars, though organizations can only identify one goal per application.

DEI Policy Requirements: The Wege Foundation has specific DEI requirements that go beyond many funders:

  • Board-approved diversity, equity and inclusion policies required
  • Description of ways the organization is "continuously and intentionally enhancing its inclusive practices"
  • Key demographic information about composition of board, staff, volunteers and constituencies served (unless precluded by privacy concerns)
  • Affirmation that no person is excluded from services based on diversity characteristics (age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, immigration status, economic circumstances, physical and mental abilities, faith tradition and philosophy)
  • Affirmation that no person is excluded from governance, employment or volunteer participation based on diversity characteristics

Environmental Sustainability: For capital projects, LEED certification is mandatory. This reflects the foundation's environmental commitment across all funding areas, not just the Environmental pillar.

Budget Precision: The foundation requires use of their specific project budget template, and reviewers check that Column F in the expense portion equals the total grant request. Budget inconsistencies can create problems.

Collaborative Funding Approach: The foundation explicitly states it may only fund a portion of a project's expenses, as it "values collaboration in funding." Applications should demonstrate other funding sources or partners.

Staff Engagement Welcomed

The foundation encourages applicants to "reach out to staff with questions or to discuss your project." This suggests that pre-application conversations with program staff (Leslie Young-Martin for application questions) can be beneficial, even though they are not required.

Recent Funding Examples

Understanding what the foundation has recently funded provides insight into priorities:

  • $1 million to New Community Transformation Fund (December 2021)
  • $400,000 total (six grants) to MIU, including $70,000 for Faculty and Staff Multi-Purpose Support (eighth year of funding)
  • Circular economy innovation projects through the Wege Prize competition
  • Projects addressing racial inequities in health, housing, and economic security

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • DEI is non-negotiable: Have a board-approved DEI policy and be prepared to demonstrate how you're actively enhancing inclusive practices - this is required, not optional
  • One goal only: Even if your work spans multiple foundation priorities, you must choose only one goal to focus on in your application - choose strategically based on your strongest alignment
  • Budget precision matters: Use their exact template and ensure all numbers match perfectly between the template and your application narrative
  • Geographic focus is strict: You must serve Kent County/Grand Rapids area (or all of Michigan for environmental projects only) - don't apply if you're outside this geography unless invited for Special Initiatives
  • LEED or no capital funding: If requesting capital support, your project must pursue LEED certification - no exceptions
  • Staff are accessible: Unlike some foundations, Wege encourages pre-application contact with staff - use this opportunity to test your fit and get guidance
  • Social justice lens: Under James Logan's leadership, the foundation emphasizes racial justice, equity, and serving underrepresented communities - frame your work through this lens across all four pillars

References

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