Isabel Foundation

The Isabel Foundation, headquartered at 111 E Court St, Suite 3D in Flint, Michigan, is a private family foundation established by Isabel and C.S. Harding Mott. Its giving philosophy is tightly structured around two core pillars: supporting the global Christian Science faith community (a mandated minimum of 75% of annual grantmaking) and fostering arts and culture in Flint, Michigan. With $88.3 million in assets as of FY2024 and approximately $4 million in annual grants, it is a focused mid-tier Michigan foundation with a highly specific mission.

The foundation strongly favors long-term, established relationships. The dominant grant mechanism is the three-year pledge cycle — commitments renewed in blocks such as 2018–2020, 2021–2023, and now 2024–2026 — meaning the portfolio changes slowly and first-time applicants face real competition for limited openings. Of 421 tracked grants totaling $15.4 million, the top 10 grantees alone account for more than $6.7 million in cumulative giving, underscoring how deeply relationship-driven this funder operates.

First-time applicants must begin with a concise introductory letter explaining their organization and the specific purpose of the request — this is a formal requirement, not a courtesy step. This letter-first approach is followed by access to the online application portal at isabel.org, with all formal applications due by February 1. New applicants should send their letter in October or November, several months before the portal deadline, to allow program staff time to assess organizational fit and issue an invitation to proceed.

Decision-making is concentrated among three trustees: President Tiffany W. Lovett ($78,600 annual compensation), Program Officer & Trustee Jennifer Hebert ($88,500), and VP/Treasurer Ridgway H. White (uncompensated). Building a working relationship with Jennifer Hebert — the dedicated program officer — is the single most important relationship priority for any serious applicant. Grants are confirmed and disbursed in June, following April–May review by program staff and trustees.

Organizations outside the Christian Science ecosystem will find limited opportunity here, with the narrow exception of arts and cultural organizations in Flint, Michigan. The Flint Institute of Arts ($468,000 cumulative across 7 grants), Flint Cultural Center Corporation ($450,000 across 5 grants), and Flint Institute of Science and History ($150,000 across 2 grants) demonstrate this secondary giving lane. Christian Science branch churches are explicitly excluded. The typical competitive applicant is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) serving CS healing, education, youth formation, or nursing — most often with an existing relationship to the foundation or a referral through the broader CS organizational network.

The Isabel Foundation's grantmaking reflects a stable, investment-driven endowment with meaningful growth over the past decade. Total assets climbed from $63.0 million in FY2019 to $88.3 million in FY2024 — a 40% increase — funded entirely by investment returns, as the foundation accepts no external contributions. Net investment income reached $7.53 million in FY2023, well above annual giving of $4.04 million, providing strong structural resilience that insulates grantmaking from market volatility.

Annual total giving (grants authorized) has ranged from $2.96 million in FY2020 to $4.04 million in FY2023–2024. Actual cash disbursed — grants paid — ran $2.49–$2.94 million in recent fiscal years, reflecting the multi-year pledge structure where annual disbursements trail total authorizations. The median grant in the portfolio is $25,000; the average is $38,813; the observed range spans from $34 to $250,000. Multi-year pledge tranches of $30,000–$70,000 per year are the most common form of mid-tier support; single-year grants rarely exceed $50,000 for non-established grantees.

By program area, Christian Science nursing and care facilities represent the largest category by grantee count: Arden Wood Inc ($400,000 cumulative, 8 grants), Broadview Inc ($360,000, 6 grants), Chestnut Hill Benevolent Association ($375,000, 6 grants), and Peace Haven Association ($340,000, 7 grants) are leading recipients in this cluster. Youth camps form the second-largest cluster — Adventure Unlimited alone has received $1.57 million across 13 grants, making it the foundation's single largest cumulative grantee. CS education follows, led by Principia ($910,000 across 8 grants). Institutional support for the Mother Church in Boston has totaled $950,000 across 6 grants. Flint arts organizations — Flint Institute of Arts ($468,000), Flint Cultural Center Corporation ($450,000), Sloan Museum ($150,000) — form a distinct secondary cluster.

Geographically, California leads with 91 grants (dense West Coast CS nursing and church community), Michigan follows with 71 grants (Flint local recipients), Massachusetts has 34 (Boston Mother Church area), and Missouri has 32 (Principia College region). Colorado (29), Kansas (18), Florida (17), Texas (16), Ohio (15), and Washington (13) round out the national footprint. A small international tier funds CS-based schools in Africa via E3 Elevating Education Everywhere ($250,000 cumulative) and a youth swimming program in Grenada via Friends of GYA ($220,000 cumulative). General operating support is the dominant stated purpose across virtually all grantees — a meaningful advantage for applicants seeking unrestricted funding.

Note: Asset and giving figures for peer foundations are estimates from publicly available IRS 990-PF filings and should be independently verified before citing.

Isabel Foundation's $88.3 million asset base and $4 million in annual giving places it squarely in the mid-tier of Michigan private foundations. Its most distinctive characteristic compared to Flint and Mid-Michigan peers is mission concentration: while foundations like Gerstacker and Dow distribute grants across broad community categories — education, environment, health, arts — Isabel allocates a mandated 75% minimum to a single faith tradition. This makes it simultaneously highly accessible to qualifying organizations and nearly inaccessible to general nonprofit applicants, a clarity that actually benefits grant seekers by eliminating wasted application effort.

For Flint arts organizations, both Isabel and the Ruth Mott Foundation represent viable targets but with distinct cultures: Isabel is deadline-driven (February 1 annual cutoff), pledge-cycle structured, and faith-connected; Mott operates primarily by invitation with broader community health and environmental priorities. Applicants in the Flint arts sector should develop relationships with both funders independently rather than treating them as interchangeable opportunities.

The Isabel Foundation's FY2024 financials show total assets growing to $88.3 million (up from $83.3 million in FY2023), with annual giving held steady at $4.04 million — matching the prior year. This stability indicates the foundation is not significantly expanding its grantee pool; new applicants are competing for limited openings as existing multi-year pledge holders occupy the majority of the annual grant budget.

A defining pattern in the most recent 2024–2026 pledge cycle is the widespread adoption of matching or challenge grant designations. Where earlier cycles used language like 'general operating expenses,' the 2024–2026 pledges for Adventure Unlimited, Cedars Camps, Broadview Inc, Friends of Camp Bow-Isle, and the Campership Fund for Christian Scientists all carry explicit 'matching' language. This signals a deliberate strategic shift: the foundation is increasingly using its dollars to leverage external fundraising by grantees rather than providing unconditional operating support.

Youth programming at the Mother Church in Boston received a new standalone pledge in 2024–2026 — 'Youth and Young Adult Activities at the Mother Church' — expanding beyond the previously funded Christian Science Monitor. The Flint Institute of Science and History received a specialized 2023–2024 pledge for digital exhibit development (QR code integration for Sloan Museum and Longway Planetarium), a notable departure toward technology infrastructure support.

No leadership changes have been publicly announced since the passing of former VP & Secretary William S. White in October 2019. Tiffany W. Lovett continues as President (FY2024 compensation: $78,600) and Jennifer Hebert as Program Officer & Trustee ($88,500). The most visible operational modernization in recent years is the transition from a purely letter-based intake to an online application portal with required training videos. The next grant application deadline is February 1, 2027.

Start early with a letter, not a form. First-time applicants must submit an introductory letter — not a portal application — explaining their organization and the specific purpose of their funding request. Send this letter in October or November, at least two to three months before the February 1 portal deadline. Program Officer Jennifer Hebert uses these letters to assess fit before inviting organizations to submit a full application. If your letter does not prompt an invitation, the February 1 deadline is effectively inaccessible.

Make Christian Science alignment explicit and specific. At least 75% of Isabel's grants support the Christian Science faith community. Every proposal must articulate a direct, named connection to CS healing ministry, CS nursing, CS youth development, or CS education. Do not rely on general 'faith-based' or 'values-aligned' language — name the specific CS connection, reference your organization's CS heritage or leadership, and make this the foundation of your case in the opening paragraph.

General operating support is genuinely welcome. The foundation's own grantee data shows 'general operating expenses' as the dominant grant purpose across the entire portfolio. Do not construct an artificial project rationale if core operating support is your actual need. Present a clear organizational budget, articulate your mission alignment, and demonstrate financial sustainability.

Plan for a multi-year relationship trajectory. Initial grants to new grantees tend to be in the $15,000–$30,000 range, while established relationships receive $30,000–$70,000 per year in three-year pledge tranches. Project a two-to-three-year build in your organizational planning — demonstrate year-over-year progress clearly in each annual progress report.

Embrace the matching grant structure if offered. The 2024–2026 cycle features widespread use of challenge and matching grants. If a program officer suggests structuring your request as a challenge grant requiring you to raise matching dollars from other sources, accept it — this signals the foundation's confidence in your organization and simultaneously creates an opportunity to diversify your donor base.

Hit the December 15 progress report deadline without exception. For multi-year pledge grantees, annual progress reports are due December 15 each year. Lateness creates risk for renewal consideration. Reports should be specific, outcome-focused, and concise — a targeted narrative update on funded activities, not a general annual report PDF.

Flint arts applicants: lead with local impact. Non-CS applicants from the Flint arts and cultural sector should foreground Flint community ties, local economic impact, and any connection to the Mott family legacy in the region. Do not reference Christian Science alignment unless it is genuine.