· Private foundation
The Wj and Lillian Kemler Foundation Margaret Savage President
Its FY2024 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.
What it funded, over time
Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2020 to 2024.
Where the money goes
Grants by size, and the largest recipients.
By grant size · FY2024
- Under $10k4 grants · $13k
- $10k–50k5 grants · $60k
| Recipient | Amount |
|---|---|
| ST IGNACE AREA SCHOOLS | $20,000 |
| OAKLAND UNIVERSITY | $10,000 |
| FORGOTTEN HARVEST | $10,000 |
| CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY INTERNATIONAL | $10,000 |
| DETROIT PUBLIC TELEVISION | $10,000 |
| SALVATION ARMY | $5,000 |
| PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH | $4,500 |
| BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF AMERICA | $2,000 |
| NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN MUSEUM | $1,000 |
Does the money reach high-need areas?
Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.
Dollar for dollar, its grants (FY20–24) land where the poverty rate runs at 10%, against an area that typically sits at 12%. 30% of its dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Its grants skew toward lower-need ZIPs.
How this is measured
How this is measured
Who it funds again
Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.
10 repeat relationships: 7 still active in FY2024, 3 since wound down; 2 grantees were first funded in FY2024 (too recent to call).
How the two cohorts compare
Organizations
Total granted
Median revenue growth · since first grant
Still filing today
New vs renewed · share of each year
In FY2024, 71% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $21k went to new ones.
Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant
How this is measured
Backed again, and grew
- IDInfact DBA Corporate Accountability5× · 2020–2024 · $52k · revenue +10%
- DPDETROIT PUBLIC MEDIA5× · 2020–2024 · $50k · revenue +45%
FORGOTTEN HARVEST INC5× · 2020–2024 · $34k · revenue +2%
Funded once
- EDELITE DETECTION K9one grant, 2022 · $20k · revenue -100%
- GRGRATIOT-ISABELLA RESDone grant, 2020 · $10k
- GVGRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITYone grant, 2022 · $10k
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.
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.
The Detroit Historical Society tells Detroit's stories and why they matter through its exhibits, programs, outreach, and the preservation and dissemination of its artifacts and collections.
Business leaders for michigan is a nonprofit, nonpartisan statewide organization driven by ceos from the state's leading employers, all working toward a shared goal: making michigan a top 10 state for jobs, talent and a thriving economy.…
Michigan farm bureau (mfb) is a member directed agricultural organization whose purpose is to represent, protect, and enhance the business, economic, social, and educational interests of our members located throughout the state of michigan.
Business leaders for michigan is a nonprofit, nonpartisan statewide organization driven by ceos from the state's leading employers, all working toward a shared goal: making michigan a top 10 state for jobs, talent and a thriving economy.…
To educate the public about unfair business practices fraud, and to make informed decisions when choosing entities to do business with.
The Historical Society of Michigan will foster in citizens a deeper understanding of and appreciation for all Michigan history through programs and publications; preserve and promote Michigan history through conferences, publications,…
Consistent with our trade union philosophy and tradition of advocating social and economic justice for all, we also see representing the unemployed, under-employed, and low income people as part of our mission. whether organized or yet to…
An organization of professional staff at michigan state university whose main purpose is for collective bargaining. dues are collected from members to provide communication services, pay for bargaining, training, grievance, arbitration…
Informing and educating the public and decision makers about environmental issues.
Information dissemination.
A voice of the building industry in Michigan. The primary purpose is to positively influence the legislative, regulatory and legal issues that affect the industry.
Collective bargaining and representation
How this is measured
9 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. 9 of the 18 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.
Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee
Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing
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.
- Who funds Infact DBA Corporate Accountability ↗
- Who funds DETROIT PUBLIC MEDIA ↗
- Who funds FORGOTTEN HARVEST INC ↗
- Who funds ELITE DETECTION K9 ↗
- Who funds MICHIGAN HISTORY FOUNDATION INC ↗
- Who funds University of Michigan ↗
- Who funds GRATIOT COUNTY HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY ↗
- Who funds Big Brothers Big Sisters Of America ↗
- Who funds Black Caucus Foundation of Michigan ↗
How much its grantees rely on government
Each dot is one organization The Wj and Lillian Kemler Foundation Margaret Savage President funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The Wj and Lillian Kemler Foundation Margaret Savage President. Bigger dots raise more.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: 21% of income from government
- Infact Dba Corporate Accountability: 0% of income from government
How this is measured
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