Deroy Education Partners

Deroy Education Partners (DeEP) is a private operating foundation — not a traditional grantmaker. This is the single most important fact any applicant or institution must internalize: DeEP does not distribute grants to external nonprofit organizations and explicitly states it does not accept unsolicited funding requests. Instead, it designs, funds, and directly operates its own fellowship programs in close partnership with a small number of select Michigan colleges and universities. The foundation holds IRS operating foundation status (foundation code 03), meaning it receives credit for its direct charitable activities rather than for grants made to others.

For individual students, the pathway to DeEP support runs entirely through your enrolled institution. If your school is one of three current partners — Lawrence Technological University (LTU), Oakland Community College (OCC), or Oakland University (OU, Social Work BSW only) — you apply for a fellowship through that institution's financial aid or fellowship coordination office. DeEP itself plays a hands-on role: leadership attends monthly convenings, selects fellows collaboratively with institutional staff, and maintains ongoing relationships with participants through and beyond graduation.

For educational institutions seeking a partnership, the relationship must be initiated directly with DeEP leadership (Executive Director Marian Keidan Seltzer; info@deroyEP.org). There is no published RFP or open application cycle for institutions. DeEP's track record shows a preference for Michigan-based schools with meaningful near-completer populations — students who have completed at least four semesters and need a financial bridge to finish. The College for Creative Studies appeared as a $20,000 pilot partner in FY2023 filings but does not appear on the current website, indicating that experimental partnerships are evaluated and can be discontinued.

The foundation was incorporated in early 2022 and is financially anchored to the Deroy Testamentary Foundation, which provided a $15M founding contribution in FY2021 and a subsequent $5.5M infusion in FY2025. This dependency on a single related funder means DeEP's capacity to expand is tied to the Testamentary Foundation's decisions, not open-market fundraising. Organizations pursuing a partnership should frame their pitch around demonstrated student need, community engagement infrastructure, and institutional capacity to co-facilitate monthly programming — not around their own programmatic track record independent of students.

Deroy Education Partners allocates all charitable expenditures as direct program costs, with no external grants recorded in any available 990 filing. Total giving has grown substantially since the foundation's FY2021 launch year:

• FY2021: $317,054 in total giving; $14.7M in assets (year the $15M founding gift was received)
• FY2022: $687,157 in total giving; $14.2M in assets
• FY2023: $1,056,477 in total giving; $14.1M in assets
• FY2025 (most recent): ~$900,632 in charitable disbursements; $19.4M in net assets (after $5.5M new Testamentary Foundation contribution)

The FY2023 program breakdown illustrates how giving is concentrated: Lawrence Technological University received $235,427 (approximately 82% of program dollars), Oakland Community College received $34,868 (12%), and College for Creative Studies received $20,000 (7%). By FY2025, the LTU allocation grew to $452,630 — nearly doubling in two years — while OCC's share contracted to $13,948, and College for Creative Studies dropped off the active program list entirely.

Fellow-level support varies by institution. OCC fellows receive tuition, fees, and books through program completion. Oakland University Social Work BSW fellows receive up to $5,000 per semester. LTU fellows receive tuition, fees, and books on a full-time enrollment basis. All fellows also receive non-cash programming: monthly convenings, career development workshops, resume and interview coaching, and community service placements.

Operating costs are significant relative to program size. Officer compensation reached $313,600 in FY2023 and grew to approximately $326,771 in FY2025 (Seltzer at $187K+ total compensation; Clauser at ~$140K). This high compensation-to-giving ratio — roughly 30-35% of total expenditure — reflects the foundation's high-touch, staff-intensive operating model rather than a passive grant-distribution structure. Geographic concentration is entirely within the Detroit/Metro Detroit metropolitan area of Michigan, with no current programs or partners outside the state.

The peer set below was identified by asset size and NTEE education category (B82 — Scholarships and Student Financial Aid). All peers hold assets in the $19.1M–$19.6M range, making DeEP roughly mid-sized within this cohort. Notable: none of the asset-matched peers has a public website, limiting external data availability.

DeEP's most distinctive feature among this peer set is its operating foundation structure: it administers programs directly rather than distributing funds. Most education foundations of similar asset size function as passive grantmakers with open application cycles. DeEP's model demands significantly more staff investment (Seltzer at $187K annually vs. typical part-time foundation administration at this asset level) but yields deeper accountability and measurable outcomes per fellow. The $5.5M FY2025 contribution also places DeEP on a growth trajectory that may push it well above the $19M asset band within the next two to three years, distinguishing it further from this static peer cohort.

No press releases, earned media coverage, or formal announcements from Deroy Education Partners were found in public search results for 2025 or 2026. The foundation maintains a minimal public profile consistent with its operating model and preselection-only funding policy.

The most significant recent development is the $5.5M contribution received in FY2025 from the Deroy Testamentary Foundation, which pushed DeEP's net assets from $14.1M to $19.4M — a 37% asset increase in a single year. This is the largest infusion since the $15M founding gift in FY2021 and signals the parent foundation's continued and growing commitment to scaling DeEP's reach.

On the program side, all three institutional fellowship cycles are currently closed as of mid-2026. Oakland Community College's next fellowship intake is scheduled for Fall 2027, while Lawrence Technological University and Oakland University are both targeting Winter 2027 for their next cohorts. This extended gap between cycles — spanning 12–18 months — is unusual and may reflect a deliberate period of model refinement, institutional negotiations, or capacity assessment before the next expansion phase.

Leadership compensation trends confirm organizational maturation: Executive Director Marian Keidan Seltzer's total compensation grew from $160,008 in earlier filings to approximately $243,537 in FY2025 (salary plus benefits), while Robert Clauser (Treasurer/Secretary) rose from $119,090 to approximately $139,769. The three board directors (Julie Rodecker, Rochelle Katz Freeman, Carol Himelhoch) continue to serve without compensation.

For students at partner institutions:

• Apply through your school, not DeEP directly. Fellowship applications are coordinated by your institution's financial aid office or a designated fellowship coordinator. DeEP does not maintain a student-facing application portal.

• Meet the hard eligibility floors before spending time on your application. OCC requires a 2.5 GPA, 6+ credit hours enrolled, and no more than 30 credit hours remaining. LTU requires a 3.0 GPA, 12+ credit hours (full-time), and at least 4 completed semesters. Oakland University requires the same as LTU but limits eligibility to students in the Social Work BSW program specifically. US citizenship is required at all three institutions; there are no exceptions.

• Lead with your community service commitment, not your financial need. DeEP explicitly frames the fellowship as a reciprocal relationship — fellows give back while they receive support. Applicants who can articulate a specific plan for tutoring, mentoring, or service with a named 501(c)(3) organization will stand out over those who treat community service as a generic requirement.

• Demonstrate you can commit to monthly convenings. These structured programming sessions are mandatory, not optional enrichment. Be prepared to describe your schedule flexibility and reliability.

• Timing matters: all current cycles are closed. The next OCC cycle opens for Fall 2027 enrollment; LTU and OU open for Winter 2027. Set a calendar reminder for approximately 6–9 months before these dates to monitor deroyeducationpartners.org for application opening announcements.

• Frame yourself as a near-completer with a community purpose. DeEP's target is students who are at the midpoint or later of their studies. Emphasize your proximity to graduation and your specific post-graduation plan to give back to your community.

For educational institutions exploring partnership:

• Contact Marian Keidan Seltzer directly at info@deroyEP.org. There is no formal RFP process. The introduction must come from institutional leadership, not a grants office.

• Demonstrate an existing ecosystem of 501(c)(3) community service placements. DeEP's model requires fellows to serve — institutions that already have community partnership infrastructure are far better positioned than those starting from scratch.

• Geographic focus is Metro Detroit/Michigan. Non-Michigan institutions should not expect a favorable reception without a compelling rationale for geographic expansion.

• Prepare to co-facilitate monthly programming. DeEP is a hands-on operator; a successful partner must be willing to share program management responsibilities, not simply receive funds.