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Wing Shadow Foundation

Annual Giving
$12.2M
Grant Range
$400K - $1.8M
00

Wing Shadow Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $12,205,611 (2023)
  • Success Rate: N/A (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: N/A
  • Grant Range: $400,000 - $1,800,000
  • Geographic Focus: National and International
  • Application Process: Does not accept unsolicited applications

Contact Details

Location: Ada, MI
EIN: 47-3957199

Note: This foundation does not provide public contact information for grant applications as they only fund preselected organizations.

Overview

The Wing Shadow Foundation is a Michigan private foundation established in 2015 and located in Ada, MI. Led by President Nan Van Andel, the foundation has grown to $114.9 million in total assets as of 2024. The foundation distributed $12,205,611 in grants in 2023 through 12 awards, with grants ranging from $400,000 to $1,800,000 and a median grant of $998,000. The foundation focuses exclusively on Christian evangelical and missionary organizations, supporting both domestic and international ministries. The Wing Shadow Foundation operates as a private independent foundation and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations selected by its trustees. This is part of the Van Andel family's tradition of Christian philanthropy in West Michigan.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines. All grants are made through trustee discretion to preselected organizations for general operating support.

2023 Grant Recipients (12 awards totaling $12.2M):

  • CRU - $1,800,000 for general operating (Plano, TX)
  • Mercy Inc - $1,500,000 for general operating
  • Global Aid Inc - $1,200,000 for general operating (Houston, TX)
  • Bible League - $1,100,000 for general operating (Crete, IL)
  • Crossroads Prison Ministries - $885,000 for general operating
  • One Mission - $734,000 for general operating (Phoenix, AZ)
  • 3XM - $520,000 for general operating (Holland, MI)
  • World Missionary Press - $400,000 for general operating (New Paris, IN)
  • Luke Society - Amount not specified for general operating

Priority Areas

Based on grant recipient patterns, the foundation supports:

  • Christian missionary organizations (international evangelism and church planting)
  • Prison ministry (Christian outreach to incarcerated individuals)
  • Bible translation and distribution (Scripture accessibility worldwide)
  • Christian service organizations (faith-based humanitarian aid)
  • Evangelical ministries (discipleship and Christian education)

All supported organizations appear to have an explicitly Christian evangelical mission focused on evangelism, discipleship, or faith-based service.

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not fund:

  • Organizations without a Christian evangelical mission
  • Arts, culture, or secular education
  • Environmental causes
  • Health and medical research (secular)
  • General social services without Christian mission
  • Organizations seeking unsolicited grant applications

Governance and Leadership

Officers (2024):

  • Nan Van Andel - President (receives no compensation)
  • James Rosloniec - Treasurer (receives no compensation)

Nan Van Andel is part of the Van Andel family (co-founders of Amway) and leads the foundation's Christian giving strategy. She is noted as the Van Andel sibling most focused on religious philanthropy, previously leading the Silverwing Foundation which also supported Christian causes. The Van Andel family has a documented history of significant support for Christian institutions in West Michigan, including Cascade Fellowship CRC, Grand Rapids Christian Schools, and Western Theological Seminary.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

The Wing Shadow Foundation explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds." All grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees, primarily President Nan Van Andel.

Organizations seeking support must have a pre-existing relationship with the foundation's leadership or be identified through the trustees' networks in the Christian evangelical community.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made through trustee discretion rather than application cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable for unsolicited applications. The foundation does not accept or review applications from organizations outside their preselected network.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - there is no formal application process.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, the grant recipient patterns reveal the following about organizations that receive funding:

Characteristics of Funded Organizations:

  • Explicitly Christian evangelical mission statements
  • National or international scope of work
  • Focus on evangelism, discipleship, or faith-based service
  • Established organizations with proven track records (CRU, Bible League, etc.)
  • General operating support rather than project-specific funding
  • Mix of well-known large ministries and smaller specialized organizations

Grant Size Patterns:

  • Large established organizations (CRU, Global Aid, Mercy Inc): $1.2M - $1.8M
  • Mid-size ministries (Bible League, Crossroads Prison): $885K - $1.1M
  • Smaller specialized ministries (3XM, World Missionary Press): $400K - $520K

All grants appear to be for general operating support, suggesting the foundation values organizational sustainability and has deep trust in the leadership of funded organizations.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - This foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications or inquiries
  • Trustee discretion only - All funding decisions are made by trustees, primarily President Nan Van Andel, based on their personal priorities and relationships
  • Christian evangelical focus - 100% of grants support explicitly Christian organizations focused on evangelism, missions, or faith-based ministry
  • Large grant sizes - The foundation makes substantial grants ($400K - $1.8M) to a small number of organizations (12 grants in 2023)
  • General operating support - All identified grants are for general operating rather than specific projects
  • Relationship-driven - Organizations must have pre-existing connections to the foundation's trustees to be considered
  • Part of Van Andel family philanthropy - Aligns with the Van Andel family's broader pattern of supporting Christian institutions in Michigan and nationally

References

Research completed December 23, 2025

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