Liberty Foundation

Liberty Foundation is a tightly held family private foundation established in May 2018 by Samuel A. Dawson and Carolyn F. Dawson, based at 500 Town Center Dr., Dearborn, Michigan. As a private grantmaking foundation (NTEE T20, IRS subsection 03), it operates exclusively with preselected beneficiaries — meaning unsolicited grant applications are not reviewed, and no formal application process exists.

The foundation's giving philosophy is unmistakably faith-first. Of the $543,000 in documented grants through 2023, approximately 83% ($453,000 across 4 grants) went to Inter-City Baptist Church in Allen Park, Michigan — an established independent fundamental Baptist congregation with an affiliated K-12 school (Inter-City Baptist School, founded 1966) and seminary (Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary). The remaining 17% ($90,000 across 2 grants) went to SEMCM Inc., also in Michigan, whose grant purpose is likewise described as "religious or other charitable." This concentration signals the Dawsons are channeling resources toward institutions within their personal faith community, not toward a diversified programmatic portfolio.

The foundation's structure is purely volunteer-run: all three officers — President Samuel Dawson, Secretary Carolyn Dawson, and Treasurer Robbin L. Vandervort — receive zero compensation. This reflects a classic family stewardship model rather than a professionally staffed grantmaking institution. Decision-making authority sits entirely within this small inner circle, and Robbin Vandervort serves as the designated point of contact.

There is no public-facing website for this foundation (libertyfoundation.org belongs to an unrelated aviation heritage organization), no published grant guidelines, and no formal grant cycle or deadlines. The IRS application instructions field is designated "none" — confirming the foundation does not publish a process for external applicants.

For the rare organization that might seek entry into this foundation's orbit, relationship is everything. The Dawsons' grantmaking reflects personal conviction and community loyalty, not programmatic strategy. First-time prospects should understand that genuine alignment with conservative independent Baptist Christianity is a prerequisite, not merely an advantage. Organizations with documented connections to Inter-City Baptist Church or the Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary — whether as ministry partners, alumni networks, or affiliated institutions — are the only realistic candidates for future consideration.

Liberty Foundation's grantmaking is characterized by deep concentration and consistent growth rather than breadth or diversification. Through fiscal year 2023, the foundation has made exactly 6 documented grants totaling $543,000, all to Michigan-based recipients — with a single organization receiving 83% of all dollars awarded.

Grant size breakdown: - Average grant: $90,500 - Inter-City Baptist Church (4 grants): $453,000 total, approximately $113,250 average - SEMCM Inc. (2 grants): $90,000 total, $45,000 average - Implied individual grant range: approximately $20,000–$167,000 based on known totals and grant counts

Annual giving trajectory (grants paid): - 2019: $40,000 - 2020: $76,100 (+90% year-over-year) - 2021: $80,000 (+5%) - 2022: $133,000 (+66%) - 2023: $197,000 (+48%) - 2024: ~$404,000 (+105%, from 2024 IRS filing via ProPublica) - Cumulative 2019–2024: approximately $930,000

This giving trajectory becomes more striking when set against asset growth. In 2019, the foundation held $1.6M in assets and paid out $40K. By 2024, assets reached $20.2M while grants totaled ~$404K. The giving-to-assets ratio (~2%) sits well below the IRS 5% minimum distribution requirement for private foundations — which at $20.2M in assets implies a required distribution of approximately $1.0M annually. This gap suggests the foundation may face increasing regulatory pressure to accelerate distributions in coming years, potentially signaling an expansion of grantmaking capacity.

Geographically, 100% of identified giving concentrates in Michigan, specifically the Detroit metropolitan area (Allen Park and greater southeast Michigan). By program area, 100% of documented grants support religious and charitable purposes, with a strong emphasis on evangelical Christian ministry and affiliated educational institutions. No grants to arts, health, environment, social services, or other categories appear in any available record.

The following table compares Liberty Foundation to four asset-similar peers, all categorized under NTEE T20 (Philanthropy & Grantmaking) with assets in the $25 million range:

Liberty Foundation shares its peer cohort's defining characteristics: family-controlled governance, all-volunteer leadership, no public application process, and assets concentrated in the $20–26 million range. What distinguishes Liberty is its exceptional growth velocity — arriving at this asset tier in just six years, while comparable family foundations typically accumulate over decades. The foundation's ~2% annual payout rate ($404K on $20.2M in 2024) is below what peers of this scale typically distribute and well below the IRS 5% minimum distribution floor (~$1.0M at this asset level), which may signal either administrative caution during a growth phase or an impending ramp-up in giving. None of the comparable foundations in this peer set maintain public-facing websites or open application processes, confirming that foundations in this category serve as personal philanthropic vehicles rather than accessible institutional grantmakers.

No press coverage, public announcements, or news articles specific to Liberty Foundation (EIN 82-3656138, Dearborn, MI) were found for 2025 or 2026. The foundation maintains an extremely low public profile consistent with its family-controlled, faith-community model — no social media presence, no press releases, and no public-facing web presence of its own.

The most significant recent development is financial. The 2024 IRS 990-PF filing (available via ProPublica) reveals the foundation received $8,000,000 in contributions — a 48% increase from 2023's $5.4M — bringing total net assets to $20,230,274. Charitable disbursements in 2024 reached approximately $404,191, nearly double the $197,000 distributed in 2023. Investment income (dividends) totaled $362,403 in 2024, reflecting a maturing investment portfolio.

A compliance watch point emerges from the 2024 data: at $20.2M in assets, the IRS 5% minimum annual distribution requirement demands approximately $1.0M per year. The foundation's 2024 distributions of ~$404K fall significantly short of this threshold. If the pattern holds, the Dawsons may need to substantially increase grantmaking in fiscal year 2025 to satisfy regulatory minimums — which could represent a meaningful expansion in the foundation's annual giving.

Leadership has remained entirely stable since the foundation's 2018 inception. Samuel Dawson (President), Carolyn Dawson (Secretary), and Robbin Vandervort (Treasurer) hold the same roles across all available filings, with no reported transitions, additions, or resignations. The address on record — 500 Town Center Dr., Dearborn, MI 48126 — has not changed.

Given that Liberty Foundation exclusively funds preselected organizations and publishes no application process, conventional grant-seeking strategies do not apply. The following advice is specific to this foundation's documented characteristics.

Relationship is the only pathway. Every funding decision flows through Samuel and Carolyn Dawson, with Robbin Vandervort as the operational contact. There is no program officer, no grants committee, no open RFP, and no review panel. The foundation's giving reflects personal, faith-driven values — not institutional grantmaking strategy.

Faith alignment is non-negotiable. Every documented grant carries the stated purpose "to benefit religious or other charitable purposes," and 83% of total giving has gone exclusively to Inter-City Baptist Church, an independent fundamental Baptist congregation. Organizations outside this theological tradition — mainline Protestant, Catholic, secular nonprofits, or non-Christian organizations — have no documented presence in this foundation's grantee history and should realistically not expect to cultivate one.

The Inter-City Baptist community is the gateway. Affiliated organizations, Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary alumni, ministry partners of Inter-City Baptist Church (Allen Park, MI), and institutions with documented ties to this congregation represent the most credible entry point. If your organization's leadership includes someone with a genuine personal connection to Inter-City Baptist, that relationship is more valuable than any formal proposal document.

Do not approach with an unsolicited proposal. A cold letter of inquiry or phone pitch is unlikely to open a door and may close it permanently. Instead, cultivate authentic connection through the church and Dawson-affiliated community over time before making any formal inquiry.

Calibrate request size to documented patterns. Historical individual grants range from approximately $20,000 to $167,000, with Inter-City Baptist receiving an average of ~$113,000 per grant. A first-time request in the $40,000–$80,000 range would be consistent with the foundation's demonstrated giving scale.

Use faith-forward language. Avoid sector jargon — impact frameworks, logic models, and evaluation metrics are not how this foundation thinks about giving. Use language grounded in ministry, faith, community, charitable service, and Kingdom purposes. Describe your organization's work in terms that resonate with evangelical Christian values.