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Robert W and Lynn H Browne Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Robert W and Lynn H Browne Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$985k
Granted FY2025still arriving
13
Grants FY2025still arriving
3
States reached
$530k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2020 to 2025.

Health$1.0MHuman Services$648kCommunity Improvement$568kEducation$526kRecreation & Sports$388kPublic Benefit$112kHousing & Shelter$95kArts & Culture$84kOther$0
02FY2025 · 13 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k1 grant · $5k
  • $10k–50k8 grants · $175k
  • $50k–250k3 grants · $275k
  • $250k+1 grant · $530k
$25,000
Median grant
3
States reached
$7.5M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
WOODSON CENTER$530,000
CITY OF COLDWATER AQUATIC CENTER$125,000
FORD PRESIDENTIAL FOUNDATION$100,000
CHILDRENS MUSEUM OF BRANCH COUNTY$50,000
MEIJER GARDENS & SCULPTURE PARK FOUNDATION$25,000
ALBION COLLAGE$25,000
FRONTLINE COMMUNITY CHURCH$25,000
SENIOR NEIGHBORS$22,500
ICCF COMMUNITY HOMES$22,500
HOME REPAIR SERVICES OF KENT COUNTY$22,500
MEALS ON WHEELS WESTERN MICHIGAN$22,500
PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION$10,000
MACKINAC CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY$5,000
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Dollar for dollar, its grants (FY20–25) land where the poverty rate runs at 13%, against an area that typically sits at 10%. 100% of its dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 10%DRISCOLL FAMILY FUND FOR NEURO-ONCOLOGY AT TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER: $500 → 16%PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION: $10k → 12%WOODSON CENTER: $530k → 14%LOST TREE CHAPEL: $500 → 11%MACKINAC CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY: $5k → 9%ICCF COMMUNITY HOMES: $25k → 11%RED BERENSON LEGACY FILM PROJECT: $3k → 14%ALBION COLLAGE: $25k → 14%HILLSDALE COLLEGE: $100 → 14%CITY OF COLDWATER AQUATIC CENTER: $200k → 16%DEPAUW UNIVERSITY: $1k → 10%NATIONAL WWII MUSEUM: $1k → 23%PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION: $5k → 12%WOODSON CENTER: $30k → 14%MACKINAC CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY: $5k → 9%HOME REPAIR SERVICES OF KENT COUNTY: $25k → 11%UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN - SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY: $500k → 14%CITY OF COLDWATER AQUATIC CENTER: $125k → 16%WOODSON CENTER: $8k → 14%MACKINAC CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY: $1k → 9%HOME REPAIR SERVICES OF KENT COUNTY: $23k → 11%UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN - KELLOGG EYE CENTER - PAUL R LICHTER FUND: $500k → 14%CITY OF COLDWATER AQUATIC CENTER: $63k → 16%MACKINAC CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY: $1k → 9%ICCF COMMUNITY HOMES: $23k → 11%UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN - DR DOROTHY HARD LEGACY PROFESSORSHIP FUND: $500k → 14%CHILDRENS MUSEUM OF BRANCH COUNTY: $50k → 16%PORTER HILLS FOUNDATION: $600k → 11%TIBBITS OPERA FOUNDATION AND ARTS COUNCIL: $5k → 16%FRONTLINE COMMUNITY CHURCH: $25k → 11%FORD PRESIDENTIAL FOUNDATION: $100k → 11%MEALS ON WHEELS WESTERN MICHIGAN: $25k → 11%MEALS ON WHEELS WESTERN MICHIGAN: $23k → 11%MEIJER GARDENS & SCULPTURE PARK FOUNDATION: $25k → 11%SENIOR NEIGHBORS: $25k → 11%SENIOR NEIGHBORS: $23k → 11%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

34%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$1.2M · 8 repeat orgs$2.3M to everyone else

8 repeat relationships: 8 still active in FY2025, 0 since wound down; 4 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

8
10

Total granted

$1.2M
$2.1M

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+4%
+55%

Still filing today

88%
20%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 79% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $200k went to new ones.

50%100%’20’21’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’20’21’23’24’25
Arts & CultureEducationHousing & ShelterPublic BenefitCommunity ImprovementFood & NutritionOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • WC
    WOODSON CENTER
    3× · 2023–2025 · $568k · revenue +11%
  • HR
    HOME REPAIR SERVICES OF KENT COUNTY INC
    2× · 2024–2025 · $48k · revenue +22%
  • SN
    SENIOR NEIGHBORS INC
    2× · 2024–2025 · $48k · revenue +4%

Funded once

  • PH
    PORTER HILLS FOUNDATION
    one grant, 2020 · $600k · revenue +120% · 43% of their budget
  • RO
    REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    one grant, 2023 · $500k
  • UO
    UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN - KELLOGG EYE CENTER - PAUL R LICHTER FUND
    one grant, 2023 · $500k
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Wilson College

Wilson college empowers students to be confident and critical thinkers, creative visionaries, effective communicators, honorable leaders, and agents of justice.

Education
2
Cornell College

Cornell college offers an innovative and rigorous learning community where faculty and staff collaborate with students to develop the intellectual curiosity, creativity and moral courage necessary for a lifetime of learning and engaged…

Education
3
The College of Wooster

The college of wooster is a community of independent minds, working together to prepare students to become leaders of character and influence in an interdependent global community. (continued on schedule o)we engage motivated students in a…

Education
4
Mcdaniel College Inc

Mcdaniel college is a diverse student-centered community committed to excellence in the liberal arts & sciences and professional studies with careful mentoring and attention to the individual. mcdaniel changes lives. we challenge students…

Education
5
Carleton College

See schedule o.founded in 1866, carleton college is a private, coeducational liberal arts college of 2,007 students located in the historic river town of northfield, minnesota. nationally recognized as the nation's top college for…

Education
6
Mitchell College

Mitchell college educates students through a highly individualized educational approach that brings forward each student's potential, reveals their strengths, and fosters personal growth.

Education
7
Morningside University

The morningside university experience cultivates a passion for life-long learning and a dedication to ethical leadership and civic responsibility.

Education
8
University of New Haven

The University of New Haven is a student-centered comprehensive university with an emphasis on excellence in liberal arts and professional education. Our mission is to prepare our students to lead purposeful and fulfilling lives in a…

Education
9
Boston Architectural College

The bac is committed to provide excellence in design education grounded in practice and accessible to diverse communities.

—
10
Albright College

As a diverse community of learners, we cultivate integrity, curiosity, connection and resilience.

Education
11
Point Park University

Provides innovative education in a dynamic urban setting. dedicated to academic excellence and community engagement,we prepare students of diverse backgrounds with the knowledge, skill,and experience to lead meaningful lives as informed…

—
12
Hilbert College

Hilbert college is an independent institution of higher learning that embraces its catholic franciscan heritage and values. students from diverse backgrounds are educated in liberal arts and professional programs to become informed…

Education
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Home Repair Services of Kent County Inc; the most unlike its peers is Childrens Museum of Branch County Inc. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

14 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 14 of the 24 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

1
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
3
Early backer (in before they grew)
13/14
Grantees still filing
9/14
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

PORTER HILLS FOUNDATION: $600,000 · OtherPORTER HILLS FOUNDATIONREGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN: $500,000 · OtherREGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGANUNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN - KELLOGG EYE CENTER - PAUL R LICHTER FUND: $500,000 · OtherUNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN - KELLOGG EYE CENTER - PAUL R LICHTER FUNDUNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN - DR DOROTHY HARD LEGACY PROFESSORSHIP FUND: $500,000 · OtherUNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN - DR DOROTHY HARD LEGACY PROFESSORSHIP FUNDCITY OF COLDWATER AQUATIC CENTER: $387,500 · OtherCITY OF COLDWATER AQUATIC CENTER+7 more: $102,000 · OtherWOODSON CENTER: $567,500 · Community ImprovementWOODSON CENTERGERALD R FORD PRESIDENTIAL FOUNDATION: $100,000 · EducationALBION COLLEGE: $25,000 · Education+2 more: $1,100 · EducationHOME REPAIR SERVICES OF KENT COUNTY INC: $47,500 · Housing & ShelterICCF COMMUNITY HOMES: $47,500 · Housing & ShelterChildrens Museum of Branch County Inc: $50,000 · Arts & CultureTIBBITS OPERA FOUNDATION AND ARTS COUNCIL: $5,000 · Arts & CultureMEALS ON WHEELS WESTERN MICHIGAN: $47,500 · Food & NutritionPacific Legal Foundation: $15,000 · Crime & LegalMACKINAC CENTER: $12,000 · Public Benefit
Other$2,589,500Community Improvement$567,500Education$126,100Housing & Shelter$95,000Arts & Culture$55,000Food & Nutrition$47,500Crime & Legal$15,000Public Benefit$12,000

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetPORTER HILLS FOUNDATION: $600,000 over 1y, 43% of budgetWOODSON CENTER: $567,500 over 3y, 0.5% of budgetChildrens Museum of Branch County Inc: $50,000 over 1y, 18% of budgetMEALS ON WHEELS WESTERN MICHIGAN: $47,500 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetHOME REPAIR SERVICES OF KENT COUNTY INC: $47,500 over 2y, 0.6% of budgetICCF COMMUNITY HOMES: $47,500 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetSENIOR NEIGHBORS INC: $47,500 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetALBION COLLEGE: $25,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetPacific Legal Foundation: $15,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetMACKINAC CENTER: $12,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetTIBBITS OPERA FOUNDATION AND ARTS COUNCIL: $5,000 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetDePauw University: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetHILLSDALE COLLEGE: $100 over 1y, 0.0% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Grand Rapids Communit…The David and Carol V…Peter C & Emajean Coo…The Mercantile Bank F…The Sebastian Foundat…Steve & Amy Van Andel…Ufp Industries Founda…The Meijer FoundationDick and Betsy Devos …Heart of West Michiga…Frey FoundationAmerican Endowment Fo…
Grand Rapids Community FoundationMI17.7× affinity6 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Grand Rapids Community Foundation · The David and Carol Van Andel Family Foundation · Peter C & Emajean Cook Foundation · The Mercantile Bank Foundation · The Sebastian Foundation · Steve & Amy Van Andel Foundation · Ufp Industries Foundation · The Meijer Foundation · Dick and Betsy Devos Family Foundation · Heart of West Michigan United Way · Frey Foundation · American Endowment Foundation

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization Robert W and Lynn H Browne Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Robert W and Lynn H Browne Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%3%13%28%50%funder's share of their income ↑0%5%10%15%20%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    3report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–20%
    typical government reliance, FY20–25
    How this is measured
    Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.

    On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 24 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

    How this is measured
    Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

    Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Robert W and Lynn H Browne’s filings →

    More from the funding graph

    The unnamed billions
    grants reported with no recipient in the public record
    The regranting layer
    51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
    The DAF merry-go-round
    $9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
    The endowment market
    who holds foundation money, and what just moved
    The camps
    funders cluster by geography, not ideology
    By state
    where grant money is based, and what stays home