Michigan · Nonprofit
BELLE ISLE CONSERVANCY
BELLE ISLE CONSERVANCY (Michigan) receives grants from 64 organizations whose IRS filings report $7,624,884 to it, the largest being NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TRUST ($2,544,250). 31 of them have funded it in more than one year, and 57% of the money arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors rather than from an institution directly.
- Revenue FY2024
- $2.2M
- Funders on record
- 64
- Grants received
- $7.6M
- Net assets
- $4.2M
What Belle Isle Conservancy does
Mission
Form 990 - organization's mission the mission of the Belle Isle Conservancy (the organization) is to protect, preserve, restore, and enhance the natural environment, historic structures and unique character of belle isle as a public park for the enjoyment of all - now and forever. The organization strives to bring private support to belle isle, and works closely with all levels of government, making for a unique public private partnership on behalf of the park. Working with a legion of volunteers and generous donors, the organization has successfully renovated the historic horse stables roof, upgraded amenities at sunset point, reopened the belle isle aquarium, supported special projects and improvements at the conservatory, restored monuments, raised matching dollars for various grants and capital improvements across the park, organized thousands of volunteers to tackle invasive species at that park and to keep the park and its waterways free of litter, provided programming opportunit
As stated on its FY2024 Form 990.
Programs
Belle isle aquarium and anna scripps whitcomb conservatory: the belle isle aquarium and anna whitcomb conservatory opened in 1904 and remains one of detroit's cultural jewels. The belle isle aquarium delighted visitors for over a century before the city closed it in 2005 due to budget reductions. In 2012, the Belle Isle Conservancy negotiated a memorandum of understanding with the city of detroit to assume responsibility for opening the aquarium. The conservancy continues to operate under that agreement with the state of michigan now managing the park instead of the city. Since the conservancy's management began in 2012 over 6 million dollars has been invested into the facility to ensure it's safety and long-term viability. Historic preservation projects such as the restoration of the famed ceiling tiles, repairing the copper roof of the the building, repairing and restoring plaster elements in the building, reopening the original skylights in the building, and fabricating the original lighting in the building have all helped keep important architectural elements of the building alive. Additionally, the aquarium exhibits have been renovated with needed repairs such as glass,…
$819,251 spent70% of program spendingHistoric preservation: preserving the buildings, fountains, statues, historic landscape and other historic amenities of belle isle park; includes planning, research and implementing capital improvements. The Belle Isle Conservancy raises private support for historic preservation activities, working in conjunction with the city of detroit and the michigan department of natural resources. In 2012, the Belle Isle Conservancy raised funds for a complete restoration of the roof of the horse stables, a large complex designed by architect george mason in the 1920's. The clay tile roof was completely repaired and where necessary, rebuilt, ensuring the preservation of the building, which is located in a prominent area of the park. Another major project has been raising funds to replace the pewabic tiles in the james scott memorial fountain. The conservancy has also supported the city's effort to renew the national register for historic places designation for belle isle, through documentation, research and public meetings. The Belle Isle Conservancy has acted as a fiduciary for the city of detroit for state historic preservation office grants to restore the nancy brown peace carillon tower…
$57,188 spent5% of program spendingThe Belle Isle Conservancy's education and visitor engagement team inspires a lifetime of curiosity, passion, and stewardship for aquatic and plant ecosystems in people of all ages. Educational programs include on-site field trips for third through fifth graders at the belle isle aquarium and anna scripps whitcomb conservatory and private tours for adults and seniors.
$150,641 spent13% of program spendingAll other accomplishments other program services: are those services that improve belle isle park for the enjoyment of all, but are not specifically covered under historic preservation, aquarium and conservatory, or environmental stewardship ( I.e. Regular repairs and maintenance, consulting services, etc.). Volunteer services: the Belle Isle Conservancy recruits, manages, and trains volunteers who are serving at belle isle park. These volunteers work in myriad capacities such as facility greeters at the aquarium and conservatory, stewardship volunteers who help keep the park clean and safe, educational volunteers who help us implement our educational fieldtrips, event volunteers who help to plan and facilitate community events and fundraising events, community voulnteers, stewards, and more. Community engagement: community engagement is at the heart of the organization's work and greatly supports the work of mdnr and the city of detroit.it is essential to understand the priorities of residents who own this beloved public space and the Belle Isle Conservancy prides itself on not only strong engagement during planning processes, but a consistently open "front door" to hear from…
$136,853 spent12% of program spending
The 4 programs described on its FY2024 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $1,163,933.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2017, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2017, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended. The shaded band is where the middle 50% of its peers' revenue would sit, given their growth.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2017 to 2018, from $2.4M to $4.7M (+92%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
Government-grant reliance: 2017 15% · 2018 3% · 2019 5% · 2020 9% · 2021 16% · 2022 4% · 2023 2% · 2024 2%. Grants only. Government contracts and fees sit inside program revenue.
82% of BELLE ISLE CONSERVANCY’s revenue is contributions — more donation-reliant than the typical peer (61% for the typical peer).
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 3 of the last 8 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Board chair
Nancy Vella
Chair
As listed on its FY2024 Form 990.
Who funds it, year by year
2017 → 2023: the base broadened from 11 funders to 20 funders, grant income rose $90k → $3.2M.
12 of 64 of your funders are donor-advised or pass-through sponsors (tagged DAF) — 57% of grant dollars received. That money is really individual donors directing a sponsor; the institutions to cultivate are the non-DAF funders.
From the IRS filings of BELLE ISLE CONSERVANCY’s funders (the co-funder graph). Top 30 of 64 funders by total. Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
BELLE ISLE CONSERVANCY has a broad base — no single funder exceeds 33% of grant income, and it takes 3 funders to reach half.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 3 funders to its left
67% of the income these shares are computed over arrives through pass-through sponsors or from payers whose filings do not say what kind of payment it is. Concentration is still measured over all of it, because the money is real; what it does not support is a claim about how many institutions have chosen to fund BELLE ISLE CONSERVANCY.
Largest funder’s share by year: 2017 56% · 2018 48% · 2019 59% · 2020 40% · 2021 17% · 2022 60% · 2023 78% — growing more concentrated.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How long its funders stay
38% of BELLE ISLE CONSERVANCY's funders are still giving 3 years after their first grant; 48% give in more than one year at all.
Share of funders still giving k years after their first recorded grant, pooled across every acquisition cohort. A funder counts as retained in a year only if it made a grant that year. Measured to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving — a funder cannot be counted as lapsed in a year most filers have not reached.
Where its funders are
57% of BELLE ISLE CONSERVANCY's grant income arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors, whose addresses record where the money is held rather than where the donor is. Of the $3.3M that is directly attributable, 99% of it comes from Michigan funders.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. $4.3M arriving through sponsors registered in 11 states is excluded from the map and the split above: a sponsor holds money on a donor’s behalf, so its registered address would place those dollars somewhere no donor need ever have been. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
BELLE ISLE CONSERVANCY holds deeper cash reserves than three-quarters of the 4,203 community improvement nonprofits its size.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 4,203 community improvement nonprofits $1M–$10M, FY2024
Government funding BELLE ISLE CONSERVANCY receives
Grants and contracts to this organization from federal (USASpending) and state checkbooks, reconciled to its EIN. $300k on record.
- Environmental Protection Agency$300k
Federal grants vs contracts are distinguished; state line items keep their reported category. Matched by name + geography (the BMF), so coverage is partial and precision-first.
Organizations like BELLE ISLE CONSERVANCY
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Michigan
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
61% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
98%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 1 state
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for BELLE ISLE CONSERVANCY: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds BELLE ISLE CONSERVANCY?
- BELLE ISLE CONSERVANCY (Michigan) receives grants from 64 organizations whose IRS filings report $7,624,884 to it, the largest being NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TRUST ($2,544,250). 31 of them have funded it in more than one year, and 57% of the money arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors rather than from an institution directly.
- How many funders does BELLE ISLE CONSERVANCY have?
- IRS filings report 64 organizations giving $7,624,884 in grants to BELLE ISLE CONSERVANCY, 31 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of BELLE ISLE CONSERVANCY?
- NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TRUST is the largest funder on record, with $2,544,250 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like BELLE ISLE CONSERVANCY find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Michigan. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
Play a game about who funds Belle Isle Conservancy →
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2024 (financials across 2017–2024), and the filings of 64 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 14, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing