MOTT FOUNDATION, CHARLES STEWART

Contact information:

Mott Foundation Building

503 S. Saginaw Street, Suite 1200

Flint, Michigan 48502-1851
Phone: 810-238-5651

Fax: 810-766-1753

Type of foundation: Independent

Types of grants: General support, project support. The Foundation makes single- and multi-year grants.

Description: The Foundation's mission is to support efforts that promote a just, equitable and sustainable society. It makes grants through the following program areas:

• Civil Society: The Foundation supports efforts to build the non-profit and philanthropy sector in Michigan and nationally; efforts to expand racial and ethnic diversity within the field of philanthropy; and non-profit sector research.
• Environment: The Foundation supports freshwater conservation efforts; investment and trade policies and practices that support sustainable development and reduce environmental degradation.
• Flint (Michigan) Area: The Foundation supports arts, culture, education and economic development in the Flint area.
• Pathways Out of Poverty: The Foundation supports efforts to drive community-driven reform in education; programs that reconnect vulnerable youth to education; and programs that provide additional learning opportunities (e.g., after-school) for young people.
• Exploratory and Special Projects: The Foundation supports unusual or unique opportunities to address significant national and international problems.

Sample grants: The Foundation has a history of supporting media, especially to disseminate information related to its major interest areas. It also supports media internationally through its Civil Society program.

• $640,900 over one year to the University of Michigan to support the consolidation of broadcast operations for WFUM-TV, the nonprofit public television station based at the University of Michigan-Flint (Flint Area program, 2006);
• $200,000 over two years to IPS Inter Press Service-North America to support a global financial correspondent (Environment program, 2006);
• $150,000 over three years to National Public Radio for news and information coverage (Exploratory and Special Projects, 2006);
• $150,000 over two years to Public Radio International for support of PRI's The World (Exploratory and Special Projects, 2005);
• $30,000 to Boston University toward a WBUR radio documentary, The Vanishing Middle Class (Pathways Out of Poverty program, 2008).

Fit for public broadcasting: The best fit for public media is support for journalistic projects related closely to the Foundation's primary interest areas. Some media support is given through the Exploratory and Special Grants program. However, this program only accepts requests by invitation and only accounted for 1.8% of total giving in 2008.

Eligibility: The Foundation makes grants nationwide. 

• Film and video projects are rarely funded.

• Except in the Flint, Michigan area, no grants are made for capital development, research, project replication or endowment unless these activities grow out of work already being funded by Mott. 

• Except for the Flint area, no grants are made for local projects unless they are part of a Mott-planned national demonstration or network of grants. 

• Grants are not made for projects that duplicate, or significantly overlap, the work of federal, state or local governmental agencies.

Deadline: Program budgets are allocated on a calendar-year basis. Beginning in the fourth quarter of each year, staff will earmark funds for projects to be recommended for the next calendar year. Staff must finalize all grant recommendations for any calendar year by August 31 of that year. Applications are accepted year-round, but those received between September 1 and December 31 will be considered only for the following calendar year. Proposals should be submitted to the Foundation at least four months before the start of the proposed grant period. The Board meets quarterly to approve grants.

How to apply: Recommended initial approach for unsolicited requests is by letter of inquiry, either via U.S. mail or online (http://www.mott.org/grantseeker/inquiryletterstep2.aspx). The Foundation also requests proposals from organizations it has identified and sometimes issues requests for proposals.

Giving range: $15,000 – 250,000. The median grant is $100,000.

Assets: $1,933,369,747 (as of 12/08)

Total giving: $110,400,755 (2008). This total includes 558 grants, not including Trustee-initiated grants.

View 2008 Annual Report: http://www.mott.org/publications/Annual%20Reports/Annual%20Report%202008.aspx

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