Open Foundations · Michigan

The Ralph C Wilson Jr Foundation

Detroit, Michigan · EIN 450921232. Its Form 990-PF says giving is not restricted to organizations picked in advance, which is how a private foundation files that it accepts unsolicited requests. It paid $139.9M across 391 grants in 2024, a median of $100K each.

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$139.9M
paid in 2024
391
grants paid
$100K
median grant
15%
to first-time recipients
$896.5M
assets on file

How to apply, as filed

Straight off Part XV of the return. Where the foundation left a line blank, this says so rather than guessing.

Send requests to
RALPH WILSON JR FOUNDATION
Address
3101 EAST GRAND BLVD SUITE 200, Detroit, MI, 48202
Phone
3138851895
Form the request should take
SEE WEBSITE WWW.RALPHCWILSONJRFOUNDATION.ORG OR EMAIL [email protected]
Submission deadline
N/A
Restrictions on awards
SEE WEBSITE WWW.RALPHCWILSONJRFOUNDATION.ORG OR EMAIL [email protected]

As filed on the Form 990-PF for tax year 2024, IRS filing object id 202503219349108650. Printed word for word, including the entries that only say to see a website or an attachment.

What it funds, in its own words

The words that come up most often across the purposes it wrote on its 2024 grants. These are the foundation's own words, not a category we assigned.

employee matchingtrustee designatedcapacityphasewny

Biggest grants in 2024

The 15 largest of the 391 grants paid in 2024, with the purpose the foundation wrote for each.

#RecipientStateAmountPurpose as filed
1Community Foundation for Greater BuffaloNY$10,000,000City Within a Park Fund
2Southeast Michigan Foundation for Public SpacesMI$7,500,000Detroit Riverfront Finishline Fund
3Detroit Riverfront ConservancyMI$6,532,800Construction Support - Ralph Wilson Park
4Community Foundation for Greater BuffaloNY$5,000,000RCWJRF Inclusive Arts & Culture Initiative
5Community Foundation for Southeast MichiganMI$5,000,000RCWJRF Inclusive Arts & Culture Initiative
6BudcNY$4,000,000Ralph Wilson Park: Phase 1 GMP Package 2
7Community Foundation for Greater BuffaloNY$3,750,000Support for the Arts and Culture Sector in WNY
8Community Foundation for Southeast MichiganMI$3,750,000To sustain the Arts and Culture Sector
9Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper IncNY$2,625,000Ralph Wilson Park/ Shoreline Implementation & Capacity
10BudcNY$2,500,000Phase 1 Expansion/ Ralph Wilson Park
11The Boston Foundation Inc (dba the Philanthropic Initiative)MA$2,402,463Exhale, The Family Caregiver Initiative- Southeast Michigan Expansion
12BudcNY$2,000,000Ralph Wilson Park: Play Garden + Phase 2 GMP Advance
13Greater Rochester Chamber Foundation (roc2025 Fund)NY$2,000,000Regional Revitalization Partnership's West Main Commercial Corridor Program
14Invest Detroit FoundationMI$2,000,000Strategic Neighborhood Fund 3
15Ralph Wilson Park ConservancyNY$2,000,000Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy: Organizational Capacity & Future Sustainability

Giving by year, and who received it

Grants paid by year

Every year of this foundation's grants that Civly holds
Tax yearGrantsPaid
2020573$111.9M
2021456$126.9M
2022521$153.6M
2023513$130.6M
2024391$139.9M

Where the money went

Share of 2024 grant dollars by recipient state
Michigan50%
New York35%
District of Columbia3%
Massachusetts2%
Illinois1%

Who decides

Officers, directors and trustees as filed, with the year of the return they appeared on.

David J ColliganTRUSTEE · 2023
David O EgnerPRESIDENT/CHIEF EXCECUTIVE OFFICER · 2023
Dr Thomasina StenhouseCOMMITTEE MEMBER · 2023
Elizabeth Woike-gangaTRUSTEE · 2023
Gerard T MazurkiewiczTRUSTEE · 2023
Howard MorrisCOMMITTEE MEMBER · 2023
Jeffrey C LittmannTRUSTEE · 2023
Mary M OwenTRUSTEE · 2023
Mary M WilsonCHAIRWOMAN/TRUSTEE · 2023
Maura DewanSECRETARY · 2023
Norah M O'brienTREASURER · 2023
W Frank FountainTRUSTEE · 2023

Every figure on this page is that foundation's own latest filed year, which is 2022 or later. This foundation is listed because its Form 990-PF says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and it paid at least 5 grants totaling $100K or more that year. Latest-year grants and terms per foundation from IRS 990-PF e-file returns; the newest tax year is partial until the IRS finishes releasing it. Grants are de-duplicated on funder, year, recipient and amount, so identical repeat grants collapse into one and totals can run low. Full method.

Source: IRS Form 990-PF e-file releases (public domain). Analysis: Civly.

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