Greenwood Foundation

Greenwood Foundation is a private operating foundation — not a traditional grantmaker — and this distinction fundamentally shapes how any organization should engage it. Founded in 1964 by George Jury and incorporated in Wolverine, Michigan (Cheboygan County), the foundation owns and operates over 2,000 acres of woodlands, wetlands, and lakes along the Little Pigeon River as a wildlife sanctuary and outdoor education center. Its mission, unchanged since its IRS ruling date of April 1966, is 'the feeding and protection of wildlife, protection of the environment, and education through group visitation.'

Rather than issuing cash grants to outside nonprofits, Greenwood provides in-kind access to its land, facilities, and educational programming. The 'total giving' figures in its IRS filings — $1,008,196 in FY 2023, $742,739 in FY 2022, and $467,082 in FY 2021 — reflect the programmatic cost of operating wildlife management, habitat stewardship, and group education events on its own property. No grants paid to third parties appear in any year's filing.

The foundation's governance is tight-knit and relationship-driven. President and Treasurer John R. Findlay (compensated $55,400 annually) leads alongside Vice President Ty Ratliff ($57,650) and senior trustee-employee David L. McCauley ($87,300), who handles day-to-day operations. A circle of uncompensated trustees — including Claire A. Findlay, Harriet K. McGraw, Michelle Forton, Janet A. Jury, and Wayne Hunter — reflects the community-stewardship character of the organization. The founding Jury family remains represented on the board, reinforcing a culture of mission continuity over transactional relationships.

First-time partners must understand four things: (1) there is no formal grant program, RFP cycle, or online application — relationships begin with a phone call or email; (2) educational and scientific purposes are the explicit gatekeepers, with K-12 schools, universities, and conservation research institutions being the natural fit; (3) the 'leave no trace' ethos is foundational to the foundation's culture and must be reflected in any engagement proposal; and (4) multi-day educational residencies using the overnight cabin facilities represent the deepest partnership the foundation currently offers. Organizations that lead with mission alignment — wildlife protection, watershed education, ecological research — will find the most receptive audience.

Greenwood Foundation's financial trajectory reveals one of Michigan's most rapidly growing private operating foundations in the conservation space. Total assets expanded from $2.2 million in FY 2012 to $37.6 million by FY 2024 — a 17-fold increase in twelve years — propelled by a combination of investment income and large land donations.

Annual programmatic spending (the cost of running the foundation's own wildlife sanctuary and education programs, not grants to others) has grown steadily: $121,826 (FY 2012), $174,149 (FY 2014), $296,578 (FY 2019), $372,200 (FY 2020), $467,082 (FY 2021), $742,739 (FY 2022), and $1,008,196 (FY 2023). This represents a 3.4x increase in programmatic investment over four years, reaching a $1 million annual run rate by FY 2023.

Revenue is structurally uneven due to land gifts. The single largest year was FY 2022, when contributions received reached $15,595,986 — almost certainly land donated to the foundation — driving assets from $14.6M to $30.4M in one year. FY 2024 saw another $2.2M contribution boost. In FY 2025 (most recent filing), contributions fell to $0 and total revenue was $1,704,238, composed of investment dividends ($874,673) and asset sale gains ($801,709). Total expenses in FY 2025 were $984,661 — a lean operation relative to a $37.6M asset base.

With only 4 employees and officer compensation of $324,102 in FY 2023, the foundation is intentionally small-staffed. Net investment income in FY 2019-FY 2021 ran $1.2M-$2.9M annually, indicating a professionally managed endowment that generates operational fuel independent of gift income.

For prospective partners, the practical implication is that Greenwood provides exclusively in-kind value: subsidized or free access to its 2,000 acres, overnight accommodations across three cabin structures (Windswept Cabin: 20 guests; Bunkhouse: 16 guests; Holy Smoke Cabin: small scientific groups), hiking trails, kayaks, canoes, and guided field programming. There is no outgoing cash grants budget.

Greenwood Foundation's asset-size peers — identified by proximity to its $37.6 million in assets — are all classified under NTEE T (Philanthropy & Grantmaking), but none shares Greenwood's operating-foundation model or conservation focus. The comparison below uses IRS-reported asset data; peer giving and application data are not publicly disclosed, as none maintain websites or public profiles.

What separates Greenwood from this cohort is its operational model. Its four asset-size peers appear to be passive private foundations issuing grants to nonprofit grantees in the conventional sense; none operates a physical site or educational program. Greenwood, by contrast, deploys capital into land, conservation management, and infrastructure — 2,000 acres, three cabin structures, trails, water recreation equipment, and a Nature Center under development. For organizations seeking a comparable framework, Michigan-region outdoor education centers and land trusts (rather than traditional family foundations) offer a more instructive comparison. The foundation's asset base, if converted to a traditional endowment payout model at 5%, would support approximately $1.88M in annual grants — well above its current $1M programmatic spend — suggesting room for future program expansion.

No major press releases or formal announcements were identified for 2025 or 2026. The most current financial snapshot comes from the Form 990-PF filed October 8, 2025 (fiscal year ending May 2025), reporting $37,590,865 in assets and $984,661 in total expenses.

The most significant recent operational development is the active renovation of a woodland cabin into a Nature Center, as described on the foundation's website in 2025. This infrastructure investment signals an intent to scale structured educational programming beyond the current informal group-visit model.

In FY 2024 (ending May 2024), the foundation received $2,216,247 in contributions — consistent with its historical pattern of accepting land gifts — pushing assets from $30.4M to $35.7M. The prior year's massive $15.6M contribution (FY 2022) was the single largest event in the foundation's history, nearly tripling its asset base in one year.

Leadership has been stable across available filings. John R. Findlay has served as President and Treasurer through at least FY 2023, with David L. McCauley as the highest-compensated employee since at least FY 2015. Ty Ratliff joined as Vice President and Trustee-Employee, and Martha McCauley serves as Secretary. No leadership transitions or retirements were identified in recent filings. The foundation maintains active Facebook (GreenwoodFoundation) and Instagram (@greenwoodfoundationwolverine) accounts, which are updated with wildlife photography and seasonal programming notes and serve as the primary channel for current activity.

Because Greenwood Foundation is a private operating foundation with no open grant program, the standard application playbook does not apply. The following guidance is specific to educational and scientific institutions seeking facility access and programmatic partnership.

Lead with educational mission, not funding need. The foundation's purpose is education 'through group visitation.' Frame every communication as a partnership proposal — 'we want to bring our students to learn on your land' — not a grant request. Cash funding requests will signal a fundamental mismatch.

Invoke NGSS alignment for K-12 groups. The foundation explicitly references Next Generation Science Standards in its school programming. Connecting your curriculum objectives to life science, earth science, or ecosystem dynamics standards demonstrates you understand their model and reduces the friction of explaining why your group belongs there.

Call before emailing. With a 4-person staff and no application portal, a personal phone call to (231) 525-8660 is the correct first step. Ask for the staff member responsible for group scheduling — David L. McCauley (trustee-employee, highest compensated) or Ty Ratliff (Vice President) are the most likely contacts. Email to greenwood@greenwoodfoundation.org should follow with a written summary.

Plan for overnight residencies. Day visits are possible, but multi-day field residencies using the Windswept Cabin (20 guests, bunk beds), Bunkhouse (16 guests, rustic facilities with outhouse), or Holy Smoke Cabin (reserved for small scientific groups) represent the foundation's highest-value offering. Groups must bring their own sleeping gear and food — stating upfront that you understand this signals preparedness.

Make the 'leave no trace' commitment explicit. The foundation's stated pricing policy is 'no charge if no trace.' Spelling out your group's land stewardship protocols in your initial outreach — whether a school's outdoor education code of conduct or a research team's field protocols — is a differentiator.

Match your timing to the seasons. Programming runs year-round: snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in winter; hiking, water activities (kayaks, canoes, pedal boats), and wildlife observation in warmer months. Contact in August-September for fall visits and in January-February for spring programming to allow adequate scheduling lead time.

Name the wildlife. Referencing species native to the Little Pigeon River corridor — Michigan's largest elk herd, Trumpeter swans, Sandhill cranes, river otters, eagles — signals genuine familiarity with the property and distinguishes your inquiry from generic requests.