Besser Foundation

The Besser Foundation is a hyper-local private foundation rooted in Alpena, Michigan, established in 1944 as a vehicle for the Besser family's civic legacy. Jesse Besser built his fortune manufacturing concrete block machinery and channeled that wealth into sustained community investment in his hometown — a philosophy the board has upheld for eight consecutive decades. Understanding this legacy is the essential starting point for any application strategy.

Geography is the decisive filter. The foundation's governing restrictions state that 'programs and projects related to the welfare of the citizens of Alpena area are of primary concern and will receive priority,' and that no requests from organizations outside Alpena will be considered unless a trustee specifically initiates contact. This is not a soft preference — it is a hard cutoff enforced at the board level. Non-Alpena organizations should not apply without an existing trustee relationship.

For Alpena-area organizations, the foundation is a cornerstone funder with a demonstrated record of multi-year repeat commitments. The Besser Museum ($997,709 across 8 grants), Boys & Girls Club of Alpena ($505,000 across 10 grants), Alpena Public Schools ($342,879 across 8 grants), and Alpena Community College ($314,500 across 3 grants) are all long-term portfolio relationships. This pattern tells prospective applicants two things: established relationships receive priority and renewal, and new applicants are entering a mature portfolio where differentiation requires a clear case for filling an unmet community need.

The application process has no formal LOI stage and no online portal. The foundation accepts written requests year-round with quarterly review cycles, and the written narrative carries full weight. Because the board is composed of local community leaders — all Alpena-based trustees receiving nominal $4,360 annual compensation — the foundation operates through personal relationships and civic reputation. Attending community events, participating in local coalitions, and building awareness among the trustee body before submitting is as valuable as the proposal itself.

Both operational expenses and capital projects are within scope. Child & Family Services, Thunder Bay Arts Council, Hope Shores Alliance, and Child Advocacy Center receive recurring operating support. MyMichigan Medical Center ($200,000 building project), Habitat for Humanity ($102,473 restoration campaign), and Hope Shores ($50,000 shelter renovation in 2025) demonstrate willingness to invest in bricks-and-mortar. First-time applicants should calibrate ask size to their relationship depth: start with an operational or programmatic request in the $5,000–$25,000 range and build toward capital asks once trust is established.

The Besser Foundation holds assets of approximately $16.4–$17.4 million and distributes between $906,000 and $1.95 million annually. The 2019 fiscal year was an outlier at $1.796 million in grants paid — driven by a large capital campaign commitment — while the more typical band runs $906,000 to $1.09 million. FY2024 data indicates approximately $1.3 million in total distributions, suggesting recovery from the FY2023 low of $906,056 as investment income rebounds. The foundation receives zero contributions and is fully endowment-funded, with net investment income of $294,936 to $2.86 million annually driving all grantmaking capacity — meaning market performance directly determines grant volume in any given year.

Grant sizing follows a bimodal pattern. The overall typical range spans $1,000 (Alpena Symphony, programmatic) to $344,000 (largest capital grant per 2024 filings), with a median of $19,000–$21,000 and an average of $37,000–$44,000. The mean is pulled significantly above the median by a handful of large capital investments, so most grants cluster in the $5,000–$25,000 range while anchor institutions receive six-figure awards. FY2024 saw 16 grants disbursed, consistent with the foundation's practice of concentrating resources among a small, trusted set of recipients rather than spreading thin across many organizations.

By sector, anchor cultural and educational institutions receive the largest cumulative investment. The Besser Museum leads at $997,709 across 8 grants — reflecting direct founder legacy. Youth development is the second-largest bucket with Boys & Girls Club of Alpena at $505,000 across 10 grants (average $50,500 per grant). Education accounts for approximately $683,000 combined between Alpena Public Schools ($342,879 across 8 grants, including STEM and excellence-in-education grants) and Alpena Community College ($341,020 combined across health sciences, manufacturing education, and scholarship tracks). Healthcare and social services represent a meaningful third tier: MyMichigan Medical Center ($200,000 building), Hope Shores Alliance ($108,000 plus the 2025 $50,000 matching grant), Child & Family Services ($105,000 operating), Habitat for Humanity ($102,473), and Child Advocacy Center ($45,000 operating).

Geographically, 100% of the 70 tracked grants totaling $3.07 million flow to Alpena-area Michigan recipients. No out-of-county or out-of-state giving is evident in recent IRS filings, despite historical references to international giving through Africare.

The Besser Foundation occupies a distinct niche as a place-based private family foundation with an exclusive Alpena mandate. Comparable funders in Northern and Northeast Michigan range from similarly scaled private foundations to larger community foundations serving broader geographies. Note: peer asset and giving figures below are approximate based on publicly available IRS filings and foundation databases, as the foundation's own records contain no formal peer data.

The Besser Foundation is significantly smaller than most regional Michigan peers and operates without a digital application infrastructure, making the barrier to entry lower in process terms but higher in relationship terms. Its hyper-local mandate means applicants are drawn from a much smaller pool than open-geography funders, reducing competition substantially — a local Alpena nonprofit is not competing with Detroit or Grand Rapids organizations for these dollars. The Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan, headquartered in the same region, is the natural complementary funder for organizations seeking NE Michigan support beyond Besser's Alpena focus; the two are not in competition and a strong Alpena-area organization can realistically pursue both. Unlike all larger peers listed, Besser does not publish a grants database, annual report, or online portal, making direct relationship and direct inquiry the primary access path.

The most significant confirmed grant from the Besser Foundation in the 2025–2026 window is a $50,000 matching grant to Hope Shores Alliance, reported by The Alpena News in August 2025. The grant funds renovation of a newly purchased Alpena building into the organization's primary emergency shelter for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. The matching structure — doubling every donated dollar up to $50,000 — is notable as an unusual deployment vehicle for the Besser Foundation, which has historically made direct grants rather than match-based commitments. The grant is part of Hope Shores' $450,000 'New Era of Hope' capital campaign, with total renovation needs including roof replacement, security upgrades, and a dedicated children's space. Val Williams, Hope Shores Executive Director, called it a 'wonderful opportunity for our community to come together.'

On the financial side, FY2024 data indicates approximately $1.3 million in total distributions across 16 grants, with a median of $21,000 and a range of $5,000 to $344,000 — an improvement over FY2023's $906,056 in grants paid. Assets have rebounded to approximately $17 million from the FY2022 low of $15.2 million following the market drawdown from the FY2021 peak of $19.6 million.

Leadership has been stable for at least five consecutive IRS filing years: James C. Park serves as President, Gary Dawley as Secretary/Treasurer, and Patricia Gardner as Vice President, with trustees Kimberly Park, Chris McCoy, Ann Burton, and Pete Wilson. All receive nominal trustee compensation of $4,260–$4,360 annually, consistent with a volunteer-style board culture. The foundation's website (besserfoundation.com) remains in a 'Launching Soon' pre-launch state as of mid-2026, with no published grants database or program information accessible online.

Submit on a quarterly schedule, not ad hoc. The foundation reviews requests received by the end of the first month of each calendar quarter — January 31, April 30, July 31, and October 31. Missing these windows by even one day means waiting three months. Build submission dates into your grant calendar and target the quarter that aligns with your program start date.

Call before you write. The foundation has no online portal and no published RFP. Gary Dawley (Secretary/Treasurer, 989-356-6613) and the main office (989-354-4722) are the entry points. A brief pre-submission call to confirm your organization and project are appropriate fit is standard practice for foundations of this type — it signals seriousness and gives you an informal read before investing proposal-writing time.

Lead with Alpena community welfare, not organizational excellence. The board's stated standard is 'the welfare of the citizens of Alpena area.' Proposals that frame impact through a national or statewide lens will not resonate. Quantify local reach: number of Alpena residents served, specific Alpena neighborhoods or schools affected, local jobs or economic multipliers.

Do not request endowment funding, conference support, or individual travel. These are explicitly excluded by the foundation's restrictions. Also avoid framing your request as relief for budget deficits or shortfalls in public funding — the foundation explicitly states it will not 'relieve organizations or the public of their responsibilities.'

Match your ask size to your relationship depth. Median grant is $19,000–$21,000. New applicants should target this range or below for a first request. Capital asks above $100,000 appear reserved for anchor institutions with long track records (Besser Museum, Boys & Girls Club, Alpena Community College). Trying to start with a $200,000 capital ask without a prior grant relationship will likely not succeed.

Highlight STEM, health sciences, and youth outcomes. The grantee record shows repeated investment in STEM education (Alpena Public Schools), health sciences and manufacturing education (Alpena Community College), and youth programming (Boys & Girls Club). Proposals that intersect these areas with a clear Alpena community benefit are well-positioned.

Include your 501(c)(3) determination letter. This is a stated requirement in the foundation's application instructions — not optional documentation. Omitting it is grounds for rejection without review.